University of Minnesota
About the Job
The University of Minnesota Morris (UMN Morris), a member of
the University of Minnesota System as well as the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), seeks a personable, transparent, and
highly communicative academic leader as its next Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean. The successful candidate will combine a deep
understanding of the liberal arts and a passion for public education, with a drive to prepare students to be global citizens who value and
pursue intellectual growth, civic engagement, intercultural competence, and environmental stewardship. UMN Morris invites academic leaders
who value sustainability, a connected community, and a free exchange of ideas to join the team at a top 10 national public liberal
arts college.
The Position: Reporting to the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean (VCAA/Dean) serves as UMN
Morris’s chief academic officer and dean of the faculty and is responsible for all aspects of academic and faculty affairs. To promote the
core mission of student learning and success, the VCAA/Dean’s responsibilities include serving as a member of the University’s leadership
team, as leader of and advocate for the faculty, and as a manager of academic affairs programs. The VCAA/Dean will advance the University’s
mission and vision, cultivate strong partnerships within the campus community and across the University of Minnesota system, build
relationships with and initiatives serving regional constituents and alumni and donors, build a diverse and inclusive learning community,
support assessment, accreditation, and data-informed decision-making, build upon existing programs designed to support faculty and ensure
student success, and work collaboratively with the other members of the Chancellor’s team to forward campus-wide efforts and
projects.
The VCAA/Dean’s portfolio includes collaborative support and direct supervision of the chairs of four academic divisions:
Education, Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Sciences. The VCAA/Dean works to sustain and embolden innovation in
interdisciplinary areas that cross the boundaries of traditional divisions. The VCAA/Dean also supervises offices in support of the academic
enterprise which include academic support resources, grants development, Center for Small Towns, the Academic Center for Enrichment (study
away, career services, honors program, undergraduate research), and the library.
The Institution: UMN Morris is a residential
liberal arts and science university that provides a rigorous undergraduate liberal arts education, preparing its students to be global
citizens who value Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean and pursue intellectual growth, civic engagement, intercultural competence,
and environmental stewardship. As a public university, UMN Morris champions accessible public education for all and promises accountability
to the people it serves. Moreover, UMN Morris combines the benefits of an intimate, student-centered community with the resources and
opportunities of one of the nation’s largest universities, the University of Minnesota. The campus community believes in the values of
shared governance, embodied in its official policy-making body, an inclusive Campus Assembly. With a deep commitment to diversity, UMN
Morris recognizes the heritage of its campus site on the original Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and Dakota and Lakota (Sioux) homelands, which once
housed an American Indian boarding school. UMN Morris is the only four-year Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution in the upper
Midwest, welcoming students from 70 federally recognized American Indian tribes/Alaskan Native villages and Canadian First Nations. With a
vibrant sense of community in and out of the classroom, UMN Morris aims to integrate curricular and co-curricular aspects of the student
experience. UMN Morris is a national leader in campus sustainability, ranked number one in the U.S. for producing the most renewable
energy per student. As a rural liberal arts school, UMN Morris is rich with abundant wind, arable soil, and ample sun. Situated at the
intersection of diverse ecological prairie and forest regions, UMN Morris is an ideal laboratory for carrying out green living goals. The
university also reaches outward to the broader local community with collaborative enterprises and service-learning initiatives. UMN Morris
serves a diverse enrollment of approximately 1,100 students who are supported by faculty (99% of whom hold the highest degree in their
field) and benefit from a student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1.
True to its liberal arts mission, UMN Morris provides outstanding,
student-centered, rigorous, and adaptable academic programs. The campus has a particular strength in the sciences with over 40 percent of
entering students declaring science as a field of study. UMN Morris students choose from 34 majors and 35 minors, 12 licensure areas, and 9
pre-professional programs in education, the humanities, science and mathematics, and the social sciences. UMN Morris students can explore a
wide range of academic disciplines, from art and music to math and chemistry, while mastering transferable skills like critical thinking,
effective communication, and problem-solving. Along the way, they build on their analytical, investigative, and intellectual
strengths. Additionally, UMN Morris Cougar Athletics offers a competitive NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics experience advancing
the institution’s commitment to academic excellence, diversity, service, and community; fostering the core values of integrity, respect,
unity,
commitment, and excellence; and furthering students’ success in athletics, learning, and life. To learn more about UMN Morris,
visit https://morris.umn.edu.
Qualifications
The next
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean must be an energetic and collaborative leader with a passion for student-focused public,
rural, liberal arts education. UMN Morris will benefit from a leader who will continue efforts to diversify the faculty and ensure the
richness of diversity in all areas of academic life including access, curriculum and scholarship, and campus climate and who will work with
others across campus to achieve these goals. The successful candidate will demonstrate knowledge of effective academic administration, model
the values of academic integrity, and enhance the intellectual depth and entrepreneurial spirit of the campus. The VCAA/Dean should have
experience or familiarity with shared governance environments, an understanding of public higher education, and passion for liberal arts
education. Commitment to transparency, communication, and collaboration through decentralizing decision-making when appropriate is vital, as
is a diverse and global approach to teaching, research, and service. Strong leadership, diplomacy, planning, curriculum development,
assessment of educational outcomes, and resource allocation skills are essential. The VCAA/Dean will continue to support and promote
opportunities for award-winning faculty to engage in scholarly and creative work. The VCAA/Dean must bring strengths in sustaining strong
and productive partnerships across a large organization while simultaneously advocating in those relationships for the priorities, goals,
and objectives of their own institution/division. A terminal degree or equivalent experience is required, with a demonstrated level of
professional achievement in teaching and scholarship commensurate with the rank of tenured full professor at UMN
Morris.
Benefits
Working at the University
At the University of Minnesota, you’ll
find a flexible work environment and supportive colleagues who are interested in lifelong learning. We prioritize work-life balance,
allowing you to invest in the future of your career and in your life outside of work.
The University also offers a comprehensive
benefits package that includes:
- Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
- Continuous learning opportunities
through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Scholarship - Low-cost medical,
dental, and pharmacy plans - Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
- University HSA contributions
- Disability and employer-paid life insurance
- Employee wellbeing program
- Excellent retirement plans with employer
contribution - Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
- Financial
counseling services - Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding
benefits.
How To Apply
Interested candidates should submit only a cover letter and CV/resume to RPA Inc. at
[email protected]. For a confidential discussion about this opportunity or to make a
nomination, please contact Dana John Cohick, President, or Kendra Mozug, Search Consultant, at the email address above. The review of
candidates will begin on October 20, 2023, and first-round interviews will commence thereafter.
Diversity
The
University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in
supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and
backgrounds.
The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without
regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status,
sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu
Employment Requirements
Any offer of employment is contingent
upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal
convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.
About the U of M
The
University of Minnesota Morris (UMN Morris)
The University of Minnesota Morris (UMN Morris) makes its home on a 121-year-old
campus on the western edge of the state and is one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the nation. The small, close-knit campus
emphasizes faculty/student collaboration in research, study abroad, and community engaged learning. Deeply rooted in the tall grass
prairies of Minnesota, the campus also has advanced sustainable, environmentally friendly initiatives that have grown to levels of national
leadership and touch nearly all aspects of campus life.
At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star
Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America’s Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019,
2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019,
2022).
Located in West Central Minnesota, the scenic city of Morris is a thriving rural community with approximately 5,200 people. A
small town on the prairie with cultural, educational, and healthcare access, Morris enjoys a unique blend of agriculture, industry,
and culture. Visitors enjoy the peaceful scenery, easy access to public parks, outdoor recreational activities, and unique shops. Morris is
full of surprises-from the wind turbines symbolizing commitment to green energy, to the local food co-op, fair trade coffee shop,
restaurants, and farmers’ market, to a world-class jazz festival, plays, concerts, horticulture gardens, and gallery openings at a downtown
art store and on the UMN Morris campus. The campus enriches its surrounding area with innovative collaborative projects in athletics, the
arts, and education.
