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University of Idaho
Dean, College of Natural Resources

The University of Idaho invites applications and nominations for an innovative, collaborative, and visionary Dean to build upon the College of Natural Resources’ strengths in natural resource science and management, and national reputation as one of the country’s premier natural resource colleges.

Collegial ... Creative ... Strategic Thinker ... Team Player ... Empowering
Engaged ... Good Listener ... Humble ... Open-Minded ... Approachable ... Respectful
Scholarly ... Relationship Builder ... Integrity ... Transparent ... Inclusive

The Position

The Dean will effectively promote and foster academic excellence, grow undergraduate and graduate enrollment, expand research, guide and implement strategic planning, engage with key constituencies and stakeholders, and raise funds for the College.
 

Reporting directly to the Provost and Executive Vice President, the Dean serves as the academic leader and chief executive officer of the College of Natural Resources and is a member of the University’s senior leadership team. The Dean is responsible for supporting and meeting the land grant mission of the University and advocates for the values of diversity and inclusion with an understanding of 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 and direction for the development, operation, and evaluation of all College programs, locations, assessment, teaching, research, multidisciplinary resources, extension, and outreach activities.
     

  • Cultivate relationships with alumni, industry, and funding agencies to secure funding to support infrastructure, teaching, scholarship, research, and outreach activities of the College.
     

  • Support and stimulate innovative applications of instruction, scholarship, service, and outreach.
     

  • Provide leadership in program assessment and accreditation.
     

  • Facilitate a collective vision and strategic direction.
     

  • Enable student success through development and shaping of integrative undergraduate curricula and continued growth of research and graduate education programs.
     

  • Enhance enrollment growth through the effective recruitment and retention of students, faculty, and staff.
     

  • Collaborate with University colleagues and leadership to promote a team-oriented approach to achieving College and University strategic planning goals and implementation.
     

  • Promote excellence in scholarship and creative activity: strengthen all scholarly and creative activities consistent with the University’s strategic initiatives; and enable faculty, student, and staff engagement in interdisciplinary scholarship and creative activity.

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The Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
 

  • Earned doctorate in a relevant field and eligibility for appointment to the rank of full professor with tenure in a Department within the College.
     

  • Significant and successful record of leadership experience, including fostering an inclusive environment and attracting and retaining a diverse student, faculty, and staff population.
     

  • Superior interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work successfully with faculty, staff, department administrators, deans, and senior leadership.
     

  • Evidence of support for high quality teaching, mentoring, and research.
     

  • Broad knowledge of the disciplines within the College.
     

  • Record of building and maintaining mutually beneficial collaborative relationships among academic units, University support units, and external stakeholders, including other institutions, industry, and agencies.


Preferred Qualifications:

 

  • Keen appreciation for a proper balance between applied and fundamental research and undergraduate and graduate education.
     

  • Proficiency in strategic planning and enrollment growth strategies.
     

  • Demonstrated experience in program assessment and student-centered learning.
     

  • Commitment to, and experience with, professional-level accreditation.
     

  • Record of securing and managing significant levels of extramurally funded research.
     

  • Demonstrated success with development and external fund raising.
     

  • Vision and experience in successfully addressing change.
     

  • Experience with economic development and support of commercial enterprise.

The College

Ranked by USA Today as one of the top ten natural resource programs nationally, the College of Natural Resources comprises a comprehensive set of undergraduate and graduate science programs that attract distinguished and internationally-renowned faculty and diverse students from around the world. With an enrollment of over 550 undergraduate students and 150 graduate students, the College is organized into three departments including Fish and Wildlife Sciences; Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences; and Natural Resources and Society. In addition to two doctoral degree programs and five master’s degree programs, the college offers nine bachelor’s degree programs including ecology and conservation biology, fire ecology and management, fishery resources, renewable materials, forestry, rangeland conservation, natural resource conservation, environmental science, and wildlife resources. These degree programs are nationally distinctive and are accredited by their respective organizations - the Society of American Foresters, the Society for Rangeland Management, and the Association for Fire Ecology. Overall, the College has a budget for teaching, research, and outreach that exceeds $22 million.

The College is home to a wide range of multidisciplinary research units, more than 10,300 acres of experimental forests, and two of Idaho’s gems, the Taylor Wilderness Research Station and the McCall Outdoor Science School. Both the Research Station and the Science School provide opportunities for students to gain hands-on, integrated learning experiences. The College is passionate about benefiting global societies through innovative knowledge creation, technology, and leadership. Partnerships with industry and agency professionals, many of them College alumni, bring classroom learning, research, and real-world application together in meaningful ways. Working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary setting, 62 faculty members provide leadership in sustaining natural resources and positioning undergraduates and graduate students to be the next generation of sustainability and environmental stewardship leaders at the regional, national, and global levels.

For additional information about the College of Natural Resources, please visit https://www.uidaho.edu/cnr

The University

Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s land-grant institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation, and the world. The student population numbers more than 12,000, including first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars, at locations in Moscow, Boise, Coeur d'Alene, and Idaho Falls. As the only institution in the state to be classified by the prestigious Carnegie Foundation as “higher research activity,” University researchers expended over $109 million in expenditures last year.

Consistently recognized as one of the best public colleges in the United States by The Princeton Review, and a noted national leader in student-centered learning and interdisciplinary research that promotes public service, the University combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities and a focus on helping students succeed and become leaders. Over 2,500 faculty and staff support and guide 120 Bachelor's, 83 Master's, and 33 doctoral degree options in the colleges of Agricultural and Life Sciences; Art and Architecture; Business and Economics; Education, Health and Human Sciences; Engineering; Law; Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences; Natural Resources; and Science. Through an institution-wide commitment to diversity, multiculturalism, and community, the University of Idaho actively engages in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and student body.

The University is a dynamic and integral part of the fabric of Idaho, and, as such, plays a key role in the state’s economic development. With extension offices in 42 counties, the University is committed to enhancing the scientific, economic, social, legal, and cultural assets of the state and takes pride in a commitment to teaching, research, agriculture, outreach, extension, and collaboration. The University provides access to publicly supported medical education through a multi-state partnership with University of Washington’s School of Medicine, and the UI College of Law is among the nation’s best small state public law schools. Unique academic partnership opportunities are also afforded with other universities and colleges in Idaho, as well as Washington State University, located only 8 miles away in Pullman, Washington.

The residential campus located in Moscow is a place of transformation and lasting traditions. With more than 200 student groups and a vibrant culture, the University is home to the renowned Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, for which UI became the first public university to receive the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest arts honor. Vandal athletic teams compete in 14 men's and women's NCAA Division I sports. Competing in the Big Sky Conference, the Vandals are reigning conference champions in women’s basketball, women’s golf, men’s golf, women’s soccer, and women’s tennis.
 
For additional information about the University of Idaho, please visit the website links below: 

Homepage 

Leadership 

Strategic Plan 2016-2025

Search Committee Members

The Location

Just minutes away from the forests, rivers, lakes, and mountains of northern Idaho, Moscow is home to approximately 25,000 residents and the urban amenities of the Coeur d’Alene-Spokane metropolitan area are within a 100-mile drive. In addition to art galleries, movie theaters, and coffee shops, Moscow offers a large organic and natural foods co-op, Northwest-style pubs, and many locally-owned restaurants.

Moscow is known as the “heart of the arts” for its consistent ranking among the top small arts towns in America.  The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival brings some of the world’s best jazz artists, along with 20,000 visitors each year. The ARTWALK, Rendezvous in the Park concert series, and the Prichard Art Gallery are a few examples of its dedication to the arts. The downtown Farmer’s Market which runs late spring to early fall is one of the nation’s longest running and thriving outdoor markets.  In 2016 Moscow was named one of the top 50 ‘Best College Towns in America’ by College Rank for its access to outdoor recreation, vibrant downtown, and cultural attractions.

Moscow is surrounded by the rolling Palouse hills, an area so picturesque it was featured in National Geographic magazine. Reflective of these surroundings, the University ranked in the top 30 in the nation as a “great university to hit the books and backcountry” by Outside magazine. Living and learning in Moscow is just minutes from opportunities for hiking, fishing, biking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, whitewater rafting, camping, and more.

The Invitation

Application, confidential conversation, or nomination.

 

To apply, please submit a complete curriculum vitae, a letter of application, and a list of at least three 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. The deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, August 31, 2018. First consideration will be given to those who apply by this date. The position will remain open until filled.

To arrange a day and time for a confidential conversation, please contact me at the email address below.

If a colleague comes to mind you feel might have an interest, I would welcome your nomination. Please forward your nomination to me at the email address below or contact me by phone.

 

Thank you for your consideration,

Gary R. Rhoads
Search Consultant

grhoads@strategicsearchadvantage.com

570-484-6414

Or, if you prefer, use the form below.

Success! Message received.

For a PDF copy of the Position Profile webpage, click here.

The University of Idaho is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other reason prohibited under Federal, State, or local laws. EOE/AA

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