The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) invites inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of dean of the School of Education. The dean of the School of Education will provide visionary and strategic leadership to elevate CU Boulder’s standing as a premier institution for research, teacher education and community engagement.
A nationally recognized innovator in education known for its shared commitments to democracy, diversity, equity and justice, CU Boulder’s School of Education offers Colorado’s top-ranked graduate education in multiple program areas, cutting-edge teacher preparation and innovative undergraduate programs. For the past five years, the school has ranked consistently within the 90th percentile of scholarly productivity by faculty among colleges and schools of education nationwide. The school’s commitment to social justice and educational transformation is at the heart of its mission and is woven into the fabric of its activities. The school consists of 34 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 25 teaching-track faculty, 19 research faculty and 35 professional, technical, and administrative staff who support 290 undergraduate majors, 450 minors, 90 undergraduate teacher licensure students and 170 master’s and 90 Ph.D. students.
The dean will be responsible for focusing on and growing the school’s core strengths, fostering an environment of academic excellence and driving innovation in educational practice. The new dean will be a dynamic leader who can work effectively with faculty, staff, students, university collaborators and external partners to create a cohesive, equitable and forward-thinking educational community. Building on the school’s extraordinary legacy, the dean will help to focus and prioritize the school’s strengths and will work collaboratively with school, university and community leaders to craft a new collective and strategic direction that further strengthens the school’s impact and reach. The dean will be called upon to retain, develop and recruit an exceptional faculty; cultivate an environment in which creativity and innovation can thrive; manage the school’s resources wisely and productively; and lend their personal leadership to fostering a more diverse, equitable, just and inclusive community. The school desires a dean who will address the core challenges and institutional barriers to achieving equity and invest, through action, in the school’s mission, particularly around social justice and diversity. In addition, the dean will build strong relationships internally and with community partners to leverage the tremendous support and opportunities afforded by this long-established entrepreneurial school.
The University of Colorado was established in 1876. The flagship university within the University of Colorado system and a member of the AAU, CU Boulder serves more than 37,000 undergraduate and graduate students, employs a workforce of more than 10,000 faculty and staff members and is focused on excellence in research, scholarship and creative work and on creating a student-centered campus culture that fosters a sense of belonging and success of everyone in the community.
CU Boulder seeks in its next dean of the School of Education a nationally recognized scholar and leader who possesses substantial academic leadership experience along with the commitment, vision and management expertise needed to help shape the school’s future. Candidates should hold an earned doctorate or terminal degree in one of the disciplines represented in the school, have at least six years of progressive administrative and managerial experience in a research university and have a record of teaching, research and service that meets the qualifications necessary to be tenured at the rank of professor at a top research university.
All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a current CV or resume, a letter of interest addressing the themes in the profile available at www.wittkieffer.com and a diversity statement responding to the following prompt:
The School of Education has a deep interest in strong efforts to foster and promote belonging, accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion. Please provide a 1-page statement on how your teaching, research and/or leadership and service demonstrate an active commitment to belonging, accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion. Examples might include scholarly work, efforts to improve access and equity for underrepresented individuals or groups or other contributions to diverse communities, past and present.
WittKieffer is assisting University of Colorado Boulder in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by September 13, 2024.
Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal.
Nominations and inquiries can be directed to: Alejandra Gillette-Teran, Robin Mamlet and Cathryn Davis: CUBoulderEducationDean@wittkieffer.com.
Annual salary range of $267,000-$320,000, plus a recruitment incentive and moving allowance (if applicable).
As part of the University of Colorado Boulder’s deep commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, the campus has implemented a reference check program with respect to final candidates for tenured faculty appointments. The reference check program is intended to allow CU Boulder to collect and review information about a candidate’s conduct at their current and previous institutions, specifically conduct related to sexual misconduct, harassment and/or discrimination – before making hiring decisions. All final candidates for tenured faculty appointments are required to complete an Authorization to Release Information.
Commitment to Job Application Fairness: Applicants are not required to provide age or age-related information and may redact information related to age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution from any submissions during the initial application process.
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.
