Alverno College seeks a Dean of the School of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LAPS) who is an innovative, collaborative, and student-focused servant leader. Working in close partnership with V.P. for Academic Affairs Gina Rossetti, the academic leadership team, and the LAPS community, the Dean will lead the School to its next level of academic excellence, student success and faculty support and engagement. In addition, the Dean will be a visible leader in the community, championing Alverno’s mission to be an “inclusive community that engages students in active and collaborative learning and fosters academic excellence.”
Founded in 1887, Alverno College is a four-year independent Catholic liberal arts college for women sponsored by the School Sisters of St. Francis, and Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution. The College also offers a robust array of graduate and degree completion programs for women and men.
The School of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LAPS) at Alverno College is the institution’s largest and most academically diverse school, bringing together programs across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professional disciplines. LAPS encompasses five primary academic areas: Business & Communication, Education, Multidisciplinary Studies, Natural Sciences, and Psychology and Social Work.
The opportunity to serve as Dean of LAPS comes at a moment of significant possibility for Alverno College. The next Dean will join a mission-driven institution known nationally for its innovative abilities-based approach to teaching and learning, a model that has influenced higher education far beyond the College’s Milwaukee campus. The School of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies offers a strong foundation of programs that prepare students for meaningful careers and civic engagement. The Dean will have the opportunity to build upon this foundation by exploring new programs, interdisciplinary collaborations, and flexible learning pathways.
The full leadership profile, with includes additional information about Alverno College, the strategic opportunities for the next Dean, the qualifications, attributes and qualities of the successful candidate, and the application requirements can be found here.
The Dean of LAPS Search Committee will begin the review of applications immediately and continue its work until an appointment is made. To ensure full consideration, applications should be received by Friday, April 17th, 2026, and must include:
- A letter of interest addressing the strategic objectives and qualifications identified in the profile;
- A current curriculum vitae; and
- The contact information (email and phone) for five professional references, including their relationship to the candidate. References will not be contacted without prior authorization from the candidate.
Application materials should be submitted in PDF format through the AGB Search portal system here: Alverno College – Dean School of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.
Confidential nominations, expressions of interest and questions regarding the application process should be directed to: Alverno-Dean@agbsearch.com or the AGB search consultants listed below.
Melissa K. Trotta, Ed.D.
Associate Managing Principal
melissa.trotta@agbsearch.com
(202) 380-8927
Matthew J. Kilcoyne
Principal
matt.kilcoyne@agbsearch.com
(202) 253-9846
Alverno College does not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, student, or applicant for admission on the basis of actual or perceived inclusion in a protected class or group.
Alverno College seeks to comply with all federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances prohibiting discrimination in private post-secondary education institutions.
This Policy applies to, covers, and requires nondiscrimination in both employment and access to educational opportunities. Therefore, any member of the Alverno community whose acts deny, deprive, unreasonably interfere with, or limit the education or employment, residential, social access, benefits, or opportunities of any member of the Alverno community, guest, or visitor on the basis of that person’s actual or perceived protected characteristic(s), is in violation of this Policy.
