Kansas State University

Position announcement for dean of the College of Education

Submitted by Sue Maes

Kansas State University invites applications and nominations for the dean of the College of Education.

The university: Kansas State University is a Carnegie Doctoral/Research-Extensive institution with an enrollment of 23,800 students, including 4,000 graduate students, and an annual budget of $680 million. The university is recognized for the quality of its academic programs and for consistently producing recipients of top national academic scholarships. The College of Education is a major component of this student-centered research university. The dean of the College of Education reports directly to the provost and senior vice president.

The College of Education: The NCATE-accredited College of Education has 1,800 undergraduate students, 1,200 graduate students, and 112 full-time unclassified employees, 62 of which are full-time faculty. The college includes the departments of curriculum and instruction; educational leadership; and special education, counseling and student affairs. The college has the largest teacher preparation program in the state and is based on a Professional Development School model. The college engages in collaborative activities with local school districts and faculty across campus. The college offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, and online graduate certificates and master's degrees. The National Academic Advising Association, office of educational innovation and evaluation, Council for Public School Improvement, Schools for Quality Education and the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute operate under the college, and the college includes the following educational centers: Midwest Equity Assistance Center, Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy, and the Centers for Rural and Small Schools, Science Education, and Social Studies Education. In 2010 the college was recognized by the Association of Teacher Educators as the Most Distinguished Undergraduate Program. K-State's Professional Development School Partnership was named the recipient of the National Association for Professional Development School Achievement Award. The college has been awarded more than $25 million in grants and contracts over the last five years from a variety of public and private entities. The College of Education vision statement is "Preparing educators to be knowledgeable, ethical, caring decision makers."

Responsibilities: The dean of the College of Education is the chief academic and administrative officer of the college. The dean has responsibility for providing leadership and support for:

• all academic programs in the college; 
• high-quality undergraduate and graduate experiences; 
• recruitment and retention of high caliber, diverse students to the college;
• effective academic advising; 
• continued excellence in school partnerships and the Professional Development School model;
• continued excellence and growth in research programs;
• national and state accreditation;
• working productively with faculty, department heads, deans, students, university administrators and the broader community on interdisciplinary and collaborative projects; 
• educational centers and the National Academic Advising Association;
• effective fiscal stewardship and fundraising efforts on behalf of the College; 
• maintaining close ties with alumni, benefactors and other constituents on issues and events related to the enhancement of the College and the University; and
• maintaining productive relationships with the Foundation and in planning and implementing priorities and goals in a university campaign.

Required qualifications:

• An earned doctorate, Ph.D. or Ed.D., in an educational field from a regionally accredited institution;
• Demonstrated record of excellent scholarship, teaching, and service that merits appointment at the rank of professor with tenure in an academic unit of the college;
• Demonstrated record of success in an administrative position, or positions, comparable to a department head or higher, with responsibility for guiding strategy, managing finances, and motivating faculty;
• Demonstrated vision, innovation, and leadership in developing and implementing programs that enhance the standing of the institution and educational professions;
• Demonstrated commitment to national and state accreditation;
• Demonstrated commitment to shared governance;
• Demonstrated commitment to school partnerships and university interdisciplinary collaborations;
• Excellent interpersonal, decision-making, and problem-solving skills; and
• Demonstrated leadership in promoting diversity and inclusion among students, faculty, and staff, and in the curriculum.

Preferred qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to conduct external fund raising and lead a university campaign;
• Ability to manage distance learning programs and international programs, including curriculum, study abroad, and exchange programs;
• Demonstrated leadership in enhancing the quality of faculty and student research and supporting increased faculty involvement in research funding;
• Successful experiences with school partnerships or Professional Development Schools;
• Experience with NCATE, state department of education, and/or CACREP accreditation;
• Demonstrated experience managing educational centers or units of an institution; and
• Experience in a P-12 environment.

Manhattan, Kan.: Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kan., in the rolling Flint Hills approximately 100 miles west of Kansas City and 12 miles east of Fort Riley Army post. Manhattan has a population of 52,000 residents. The surrounding area offers excellent opportunities for outdoor activities such as camping, boating, hunting, fishing, hiking and biking. Mostly as a result of the university's influence, cultural and sporting events are at a level of frequency and quality rare in cities of this size. Further, Manhattan offers affordable housing, extremely strong elementary, middle and high school programs, and a crime rate one-half the national average. Finally, commercial jet service to both Dallas and Chicago increases accessibility. In short, Manhattan offers a variety of urban amenities yet retains the best qualities of a small university town.

Application process: Inquiries, nominations and applications will be treated confidentially. The deadline for application is Jan. 11, 2012. Applicants should provide a letter of application detailing qualifications for the position; a vita; and the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of three to five references that have firsthand knowledge of the applicant's career and administrative experience. All documents should be submitted electronically in PDF format. Anticipated appointment is by July 1, 2012.

Applications, nominations and inquiries should be directed to:

Dr. Sue Maes

Dean, Division of Continuing Education and

Chair, Dean of Education Search Committee

EdDeanSearch@k-state.edu

Additional information about the position, the College of Education and the university, and the Manhattan community can be found at http://www.k-state.edu/ . In accordance with Kansas Board of Regents policy, the University is required to run a background check on the final candidate.

Kansas State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and actively seeks diversity among its employees.