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The University of Akron
Dean, College of Health and
Human Sciences

The University of Akron, one of Ohio’s leading public institutions of higher learning, seeks a dynamic new Dean to sustain and grow the College's excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service; promote a team-oriented leadership approach; establish a vision and strategic direction; drive further development and growth in enrollment, disciplines, and degrees; and cultivate internal and external partnerships.

Integrity ... Results-Oriented ... Advocate ... Relationship Builder … Communicator
Mentor ... Strong Leader ... Decision-Maker … Enthusiasm … Respect … Listener
Innovative … Budget-Savvy … Honest … Collaborative ... Supportive … Humble
Team Player … Trust … Collegial … Facilitator … Embrace Change … Caring

The Position

Reporting to the Provost, and working closely with College School Directors, faculty, and senior leadership team, the Dean serves as the chief academic officer of the College and provides leadership and direction for the development, operation, and evaluation of all programs, teaching, assessment, and multidisciplinary resources. The Dean facilitates a collective vision and strategic direction; supports and stimulates innovative applications of instruction, scholarship, service, and outreach; provides leadership in program assessment and accreditation; demonstrates creativity in the development and shaping of undergraduate and graduate programs; and establishes a caring, inclusive, and motivating work and learning environment.

The Dean enhances enrollment growth through the effective recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff; develops budget plans; allocates resources; and collaborates with University colleagues and leadership to promote a team-oriented approach to achieving College and University strategic planning goals and implementation. The Dean develops and sustains relationships with alumni and other public and private stakeholders and provides leadership for fundraising programs. Advocating for the values of diversity and inclusion, the Dean understands how increased diversity of thought and background among students, faculty, administration, and staff works to strengthen academic programs and enrich the University community.

Position Responsibilities
 

  • Provide leadership for graduate and undergraduate programs, outreach, and continuing education.
     

  • Establish and expand research, clinical practice, and educational programs.
     

  • Grow extramural funding and fundraising.
     

  • Promote the continued development of interprofessional education.
     

  • Oversee program accreditation processes and compliance with all applicable state and accreditation requirements.
     

  • Build and sustain strong relationships with internal and external constituents and cultivate alumni relations.
     

  • Work with University leadership to establish strategic direction for both the College and the University.
     

  • Represent the College within the University, the community, region, state, and especially in developing partnerships within the healthcare community
     

  • Participate in a shared governance system with faculty, staff, and students.
     

  • Advocate for the College.
     

  • Manage the budget, personnel programs, and physical facilities.
     

  • Establish annual goals and track progress.
     

  • Mentor school directors and assess performance.
     

  • Provide guidance, direction, and performance feedback for staff.

The Qualifications

The University seeks a leader with a distinguished record of accomplishment in health education, service delivery, and clinically oriented research. The successful candidate will have demonstrated commitment to interprofessional education and healthcare delivery, innovative approaches to teaching and the use of technology, and the effective translation of research into clinical practice. Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to collaborate are required, including the ability to recruit and mentor expert clinical and teaching faculty and researchers. The successful candidate will have a terminal degree in a health profession and a record of achievement sufficient to sustain a credible application for tenure and appointment at the rank of Professor.


Preferred Qualifications
 

  • Commitment to and support for interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and community-engaged teaching, scholarship, research, and service.

 

  • Proven skills in leadership and a commitment to excellence and innovation with a vision for the future of education in health care.
     

  • Strong record of competitive research funding.
     

  • Demonstrated experience building and cultivating relationships across academic disciplines and administrative units, as well as community partnerships.
     

  • Experience managing budgets, including the allocation of resources across units.
     

  • Recognition of the importance of shared governance and dedication to participatory management and transparency.
     

  • Experience with academic planning, enrollment management, and student success.
     

  • Commitment to promoting and supporting a diverse administration, faculty, staff, and student population.

The College

Founded in 2012, the College of Health and Human Sciences cultivates an interprofessional approach to training future healthcare professionals. In addition to recovery from illness, the College fosters a biopsychosocial perspective of human growth and development using a holistic wellness perspective. The College houses seven different schools focusing on a broad range of health-related professions, such as physical health, lifestyle development, and social and psychological well-being.

The College offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and brings together the Schools of Allied Health, Counseling, Disaster Science and Emergency Services, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Nursing, Social Work and Family Sciences, and Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
 

  • The School of Counseling offers master's programs leading to licensure and practice in the high demand mental health fields.
     

  • The School of Nursing, with rigorous entrance requirements and a growing national profile, offers baccalaureate, master's and doctoral programs.
     

  • The School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences houses baccalaureate and master's programs in exercise science, nutrition, sport studies, and health and wellness education.
     

  • The School of Allied Health baccalaureate programs lead to rewarding and productive careers in respiratory therapy and healthcare administration.
     

  • The School of Social Work and Family Sciences graduates baccalaureate and master's practitioners for a variety of practice settings and offers degrees on main campus and at three off-site locations including Wayne College and UA Lakewood.
     

  • The School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, recognized as a national leader, prepares baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral students as highly qualified audiologists and speech-language pathologists.
     

  • The School of Disaster Science and Emergency Services offers nationally accredited baccalaureate and associate degrees to provide the education required for the growing demand in the field of emergency service providers.


With a focus on promoting well-being of individuals, families and communities and fostering student success, the College will exemplify excellence in health and wellness education, research, service, and leadership. The College prepares students to advance human well-being and to thrive in a rapidly evolving global environment. The College improves life for individuals, families, and communities by providing health and wellness education with appropriate interventions and solutions that are interprofessional, innovative, and influential.

Dedicated to improving the human condition, the College values diversity in all forms and seeks to recruit, retain, and graduate a diverse student population. The focus on diversity demands an environment where respect for others supports meaningful dialogue across broad, interprofessional issues rooted in academic inquiry, research, and discovery. Graduates are prepared to address the needs of an evolving health care system and value inclusion and the opportunity to serve health needs and promote wellness opportunities to an increasingly diverse community.

The College is committed to promoting interprofessional education in order to enhance interprofessional healthcare. With a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, health-related challenges are becoming more complex, College faculty and administration strive to cultivate well-rounded graduates who possess the knowledge and skills useful in working with a wide range of healthcare professionals. In addition, interprofessional education encourages a holistic perspective of health and human development. Through the Akron-Region Interprofessional Area Health Education Center interprofessional education simulations and focused training, students are introduced to an interprofessional worldview.

For additional information about the College, please visit https://www.uakron.edu/health/

The University

The University of Akron, positioned to be the premier public research university of northern Ohio, is one of the largest universities in the state with an enrollment of approximately 20,000 students in more than 200 undergraduate and graduate majors. Founded in 1870 as Buchtel College, the institution’s name was changed to University of Akron in 1936, and in 1967 became one of the Ohio's state universities. Over the past ten years, the University has engaged in extensive capital investment - a $630 million campus modernization and development initiative - to develop and upgrade world-class facilities for academics and student life.  

The University conducts high-quality research in focused areas of excellence, contributes to the vitality of the local economy, and provides a workforce highly trained in diverse disciplines. Five colleges include the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Engineering and Polymer Science, and the Williams Honors College. The University has three branch campuses: Wayne College, Medina County University Center, and UA Lakewood.

The University is a world leader in creating new materials for the new economy; a national leader in the development, protection, management, and commercialization of intellectual property; and a regional leader in information technology initiatives. The University is the only public institution in Ohio to have a science and engineering program ranked in the top five nationally. Its polymer science and polymer engineering program, ranked second in the U.S., serves Ohio's $50 billion polymer industry and includes a NASA-supported nanotechnology initiative.

Since its inception, the University has valued its partnerships and strives to strengthen the innovative collaborations and partnerships across educational, industrial, community, and government entities that can generate collective impact. Indicative of the partnership culture, the University was awarded the distinct designation of Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation.

A member of the Mid-American Conference, the University fields 16 men's and women's varsity teams at the NCAA Division I-A intercollegiate level. The athletic teams are known as the "Zips," originally short for "Zippers," the rubber overshoes made by the BF Goodrich Company of Akron that were popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

For additional information about the University, please visit www.uakron.edu

The Location

The city of Akron offers a vibrant downtown, serene parks, and events and venues that appeal to almost every interest. Residents describe the area as a wonderful place to live with diverse architecture and neighborhoods, exceptional restaurants, and wonderful and unique shopping. Greater Akron is characterized by easy access to a wide variety of entertainment, recreational, and cultural activities that support a superb quality of life.

Greater Akron is the stage for many visual, musical, and theatrical cultural pursuits. Akron Civic Theatre, EJ Thomas Hall, Greystone Hall, Blossom Music Center, and Lock 3 Park amphitheater provide year-round access to performances large and small. World-class performance events include Broadway musicals, ballets, comedies, lectures, and entertainers. The Akron Art Museum houses an eclectic modern collection and Summit Artspace is home to more than 40 arts organizations and features gallery space, studios, and classrooms.

Outdoors you can hike, bike, ski, sled, or simply unwind. There’s even a bike path you can ride all the way to Cleveland. The 87-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail meanders through some of Ohio’s most scenic countryside, including Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the 11th-most-visited national park in the country, with its more than 33,000 acres of rolling hills, forests, hiking trails, and waterfalls. Summit Metro Parks offer over 14,000 additional acres with 16 parks, several conservation areas, and more than 150 miles of trails.

Akron and Northeast Ohio are nationally recognized for excellence in advanced health care and are contributing to the current transformation in health service delivery. Two major health systems, Summa Health System and the Cleveland Clinic affiliated Akron General Health System, as well as the Akron Children's Hospital provide primary, specialty, and tertiary medical care services.

The Invitation

Application, nomination, questions, confidential conversation.

 

To apply, please submit a complete curriculum vitae, a letter of application, and a list of at least five references (none of whom will be contacted until a later stage of the search and not without candidate permission). The letter should summarize your professional qualifications and the accomplishments that reflect the skills, background, and experience to be successful in this key position. Successful applicants will provide specific examples of past work experience as it relates to the position responsibilities and qualifications listed above. Send your application materials to me at the email address below. Full consideration will be given to those that apply before Friday, January 21, 2022. The position will remain open until filled.

Nominations for this opportunity are encouraged. If a colleague comes to mind you feel might have an interest, I welcome your nomination. Please forward your nomination to me via email.

If you have any questions regarding the position or search process, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone.

Thank you for your consideration.

Gary R. Rhoads
Search Consultant

grhoads@strategicsearchadvantage.com

570-484-6414

For a PDF copy of this position profile webpage, click here.

The University of Akron, as an equal education and employment institution, is committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified individuals in its education programs or activities, including applicants for admissions or employment, will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information, military status or status as a veteran. To further this commitment, the University complies with state and federal laws which prohibit discrimination. Questions or concerns about the administration of this commitment can be directed to the University's Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office at uakron.edu/hr/eeoaa

 

The University also strives to provide an environment free from the negative impacts of gender-based discrimination and harassment as prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. Questions about Title IX can be referred to the University's Title IX Coordinator, the Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education or both. For more information on Title IX at the University of Akron, including how to contact the Title IX Coordinator, how to file a complaint under Title IX with the University or the Title IX process at the University of Akron, please visit the University's Title IX page at uakron.edu/title-ix/at-uakron

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