Dean of the College of Design

University of Kentucky   Lexington, KY   Full-time     Management
Posted on April 8, 2024
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Posting Details

Posting Details

Job Title

Dean of the College of Design

Requisition Number

FE03996

Working Title

Dean of the College of Design

Department Name

89000:Provost

Work Location

Lexington, KY

Type of Position

Faculty

Position Time Status

Full-Time

Tenure Track Status

Tenure Track

Required Education

A terminal professional design degree with professional certification or a Ph.D.

Required Related Experience
  • An outstanding record of scholarly/creative achievement that warrants appointment as a tenured, full professor in the College of Design.
  • A substantial record of collaboration with university, professional, community, and government groups.
  • Progressive academic administrative leadership experience arising from a senior level administrative role such as department chair, associate dean, or dean.
Required License/Registration/Certification

N/A

Job Summary

The Dean of the College of Design reports directly to the University's Provost and has responsibility for all operations, personnel, programs, and resources in the College. As a chief administrative officer of the College, the Dean works collectively with academic leadership, including other deans, and with various other units on campus. The Dean has authority for the management and coordination of the College of Design and for implementing its plans, educational programs, services, and scholarly endeavors. The College of Design's school directors, department chairs, associate deans, and assistant deans report directly to the Dean. The Dean functions within the Rules of the College of Design and within a culture of shared governance that values the contributions of all members of the College.
  • Please click here for full leadership profile.
At the time of application please attach a letter of interest, a complete CV, a brief statement (one page maximum) about how you would contribute toward our mission of creating a culturally inclusive environment in the University (upload as Specific Request1), an academic transcript, and five references when prompted in the application.

Review of applications will continue until the position is filled.

All applications will be handled in a secure, sensitive, and confidential manner.

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?

Yes

Preferred Education/Experience
  • Candidates should demonstrate an ability to lead the College in a way that balances academic excellence, the intimate quality of the programs, and revenue that supports achievement of the College's multiple missions.
  • Candidates should support the vision and mission of all academic units by building upon the College's shared purpose while recognizing each unit's distinctive qualities and aims. The Dean should demonstrate strong leadership for excellence and integrity in education, possess a clear intellectual vision, and use their interpersonal and communication skills to inspire students, faculty, and staff around design education and scholarship.
  • Candidates should have a demonstrable commitment to leadership that advances inclusion and belonging and the skills in communicating, collaborating with, and supporting a diverse community.
  • Candidates should be able to recognize and support the strengths of the faculty, students and staff and be eager to participate in the academic life of the College, including in reviews of student work.
  • Transparency in decision-making is a priority in the College of Design. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to communicate easily and build effective relationships with the directors and chairs to enable them to lead their units. The future Dean will need to maintain trust and open communication with the faculty, with the staff, and with the students and their organizations.
  • Candidates should have academic administrative experience in the management of personnel and financial resources. They should be able to work with complex budgets to facilitate the College's financial performance within the University financial allocation models.
  • Candidates should be ready to develop and implement a strategic plan for the College's sustainable fiscal future, growth of research and graduate programs, and continued capacity and quality of facilities.
  • Experience and a willingness to fundraise, through philanthropy and by building strategic partnerships for funded research, will be crucial to the continued success of the College.
  • Candidates will serve as the leading public face of the College and, therefore, must have the ability to translate the important work being done within the units to communities beyond the College. Collaborating with faculty and staff in engagement with College of Design stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky will be essential, from alumni and professional associations to industry partners and community organizations. Candidates should be willing to build relationships with other colleges and centers across the University and to represent College interests to the University administration.
  • Candidates should be able to use their professional networks and support the faculty in growing a collective network that will lead to opportunities for the College, the units and individual faculty and students.
  • Candidates should demonstrate the ability to lead the College of Design in developing a network among design schools nationally and internationally to create opportunities for a broad range of programs for student and faculty exchanges.
  • Candidates should be able to contribute to the University's strategic direction through constructive engagement with UK administration and by supporting faculty participation in university-level service and leadership.
Personal Competencies
  • Commitment to advancing inclusion and belonging using communication and collaboration to support a diverse community of students, staff, and faculty.
  • Capacity to lead strategic decision-making processes and to organize the execution of plans while inspiring consensus, using good judgment, advancing inclusion, and belonging, and adjusting to fresh thinking and situational shifts.
  • Ability to build a collaborative culture with an open and accessible leadership and communication style.
  • Promotion of a process of engaged decision making in which authority and accountability are delegated in alignment with a shared strategic direction. Seeking feedback and appropriately acknowledging the contributions of team members.
  • Commitment to and communicated expectations for excellence, integrity, and ethical actions in oneself and team members.
  • Ability to utilize authentic communication skills that emphasize active listening and the willingness to learn from others, along with the ability to communicate openly and with respect, and the emotional intelligence to build and inspire trust.
Deadline to Apply

04/09/2024

Open Until Filled

No

University Community of Inclusion

The University of Kentucky is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce by ensuring all our students, faculty, and staff work in an environment of openness and acceptance. We strive to foster a community where people of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives can feel secure and welcome. We also value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we strongly encourage veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, and all minorities to consider our employment opportunities.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
  1. * Where did you first see this position advertised, other than on the UK Jobs system?
    • InsideHigherEd.com
    • HigherEdJobs.com
    • Diverse Issues in Higher Education
    • Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
    • InsightintoDiversity.com
    • Academic Keys
    • Latinos in Higher Education
    • Indeed.com
    • A colleague, friend, and/or family member
    • UK Job Fair
    • None of the above
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
  1. Curriculum Vita
  2. Cover Letter
  3. Academic Transcript
  4. Specific Request 1
Optional Documents