Dean, College of Education

The University of North Texas
Dean, College of Education
Position Description

The University of North Texas’ College of Education (COE) is a transformative catalyst for education in Texas and our nation. It is actively engaged with schools and communities throughout the state, with special attention to improving educational outcomes in our most marginalized communities. We seek an innovative Dean to join our efforts. Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the dean will be expected to provide collaborative leadership and administrative oversight for the strategic and progressive development of the college’s research, teaching, service, and community engagement.

University of North Texas:

A Carnegie-ranked Tier One institution, UNT is one of the nation’s largest public research universities with nearly 47,000 students. Located only 35 miles north of both Dallas and Fort Worth, in Denton, Texas, UNT has become one of the fastest growing and increasingly influential research universities in one of the nation's fastest-growing regions. An abiding characteristic of the university is that UNT nurtures a strong sense of community and teamwork. Ranked a Tier-One research university by the Carnegie Classification and designated a Hispanic- and Minority-Serving Institution, UNT has a long track record of excellence in education, music, the arts, business, and social sciences with growing strengths in science and engineering. For more than 130 years, UNT has fueled the intellectual and economic vitality of one of the most dynamic, fastest-growing regions in the United States. UNT's ultimate mission is to help its students, region, state, and nation excel. Last year students earned 12,000 degrees and left UNT with the knowledge and know-how to succeed in work and in life, and they have joined the network of 476,000 alumni to become the leaders, doers, and thinkers who sustain the workforce and drive progress and innovation.

As one of the largest universities in Texas, UNT offers 113 bachelor's, 94 master's, and 37 doctoral degrees, and other academic programs through the G. Brint Ryan College of Business; the Colleges of Education; Engineering; Health and Public Service; Information; Liberal Arts and Social Sciences; Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism; Music; Science; Visual Arts and Design; Toulouse Graduate School; Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism; Honors College; New College; and the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS). Among its many accolades, UNT has 89 academic programs ranked in the Top 100 nationally, and has spent the last several years strengthening its research enterprise – from bolstering its research equipment and spaces, creating programs to help its faculty researchers be more competitive in the grant process, investing in key academic programs ranging from engineering to music to move the University forward, and significantly growing its number of doctoral students and tenure/tenure-stream faculty in strategic areas to support students and build UNT’s national brand. UNT’s renowned programs in music, arts, theatre, creative writing, and journalism foster creativity and culture in the North Texas region and beyond. The College of Music and the College of Visual Arts and Design are among the largest and most comprehensive public university programs of their kind, and the Media Arts Department similarly is both robust and highly regarded.

The University is proactive in retaining high performing, collaborative faculty with equity and other opportunities. UNT has more than 800 tenure-stream faculty members, including many distinguished scholars, researchers and artists who are widely known as experts in their fields and are dedicated mentors. UNT faculty members have earned Guggenheim Fellowships, Fulbright Fellowships, Grammy and Emmy Awards, National Academy appointments, National Science Foundation CAREER awards, Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement awards, National Medal of Arts honors, and Texas Institute of Letters appointments, among other honors. In addition, UNT’s strategic international partnerships seek to facilitate the exchange of ideas and culture and allow for important research addressing global issues. UNT hosts visiting scholars and faculty from more than 50 countries, offers global learning and experience programs in more than 37 countries, and serves 9,000 international students who come from every corner of the world.

College of Education:

The University of North Texas has been an innovator in preparing educators since it was established in 1890 as a teacher’s college. The College of Education is one of the top producers of teachers, administrators, counselors, and other school professionals, with our aspiring teachers being placed in 200 schools in North Texas. The College offers 12 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s and 15 doctoral concentrations within the 4 departments: Counseling and Higher Education, Educational Psychology, Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation, Teacher Education and Administration. The college also has an online master’s degree that is ranked 1^st in the state of Texas and 5^th in the Nation.

The College of Education is nationally recognized for excellence in developing professionals who help others reach their full potential through powerful learning, social-emotional wellness, physical health, and civic engagement. The College offers 46 specific subject areas in education certification. Programs offered include early childhood education, elementary education, physical education, secondary education, special education, bilingual education, and education in English as a second language. The Department of Teacher Education and Administration graduates 300 certified elementary and secondary teachers.

The Opportunity:

The Dean will strengthen the expectation for academic, fiscal, and personnel issues, provides leadership for the College and fosters excellence in teaching, research, and service to the North Texas community. The Dean is the head academic and administrative official responsible for the educational, budgetary, scholarship, personnel, and student affairs of the college. The dean is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the provost, with approval of the president. The Dean represents the College to external agencies and constituencies, actively participates in fundraising initiatives, and advocates for the College within and outside of the University. The Dean will lead initiatives in academic and strategic planning which are consistent with the University’s strategic plan and developed in collaboration with the faculty, that support the College’s student enrollment and success goals, as well as faculty research, external funding, and engagement goals. The Dean will prepare an annual budget for the College to achieve its annual goals and objectives as they relate to the College’s mission and vision and communicate this to the academic community. The Dean will oversee the securing and maintaining of all professional accreditations for academic programs within the College and will ensure compliance with SACS accreditation.

The Dean must be a leader with vision and imagination who will be credible to constituents and willing to work collaboratively at all levels. The Dean will support the University’s commitment to a caring and creative community that empowers our students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The Dean will adhere to and foster high standards of ethical conduct, compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, appropriate financial oversights and controls, as well as safety, security, confidentiality precautions related to the position. Teaching, research, and creative opportunities are negotiable.

Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and overall administration of the College;
• Guide strategic planning in accordance with the University’s Strategic Plan;
• Maintain accountability to the University in terms of fiscal, personnel, and policy matters;
• Develop and manage the College’s fundraising and budget;
• Engage in fundraising and resource acquisition to meet current and future needs of the College;
• Oversee and participate in efforts to attract and retain outstanding and diverse faculty, staff, and students;
• Motivate and support high level faculty performance in teaching, scholarship, and service;
• Work with faculty and staff to establish equitable workload assignments and task distribution;
• Supervise staff to maintain efficient and effective office operations;
• Oversee and participate in faculty and staff performance evaluation processes;
• Oversee planning, curriculum development and evaluation for all academic programs;
• Oversee provision of services to fulfill various needs of a diverse student body;
• Represent the College in University planning and development;
• Encourage interdisciplinary and collaborative activities among faculty, administrators, and the professional community inside and outside the University;
• Represent the College to external constituents at local to international levels, including alumni, professionals, researchers, and funding agencies;
• Stay current with the academic and professional field.

Minimum Qualifications:

• An earned doctorate in a field represented within the College or in a closely related field;
• Qualification for the rank of full professor with tenure by virtue of an outstanding record of teaching, scholarly/creative work (including research), and leadership and service;
• Demonstrated academic leadership in higher education (minimum of 3 years);
• Commitment to the highest standards of professional ethics and collegiality;
• Commitment to operational transparency.

Nomination and Application Process:

The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (cover letter, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to March 28, 2024. For additional information, please contact:

Porsha Williams, Vice President
Erin Raines, Senior Principal
Delando Crooks, Associate
Parker Executive Search
Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875
Atlanta, GA 30328
770-804-1996 ext.: 117
pwilliams@parkersearch.com || eraines@parkersearch.com || dcrooks@parkersearch.com

The University of North Texas (University) prohibits discrimination and harassment because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law in its application and admission processes; educational programs and activities; employment policies, procedures, and processes; and University facilities. The University takes active measures to prevent such conduct and investigates and takes remedial action when appropriate. The University also prohibits and takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who report or file a charge of discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct; participate in an investigation, or oppose any form of discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct.