Dean School of Engineering and Computer Science

Position Summary

The Dean for the School of Engineering and Computer Science is the chief strategic, academic, operational, and external leader for the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Calvin University. The School of Engineering and Computer Science is being developed to prepare graduates who are technically excellent, ethically grounded, spiritually formed, and ready to lead in a rapidly changing technological age.

The Dean builds on existing program strength, deepens industry and alumni partnerships, supports faculty and students, guides curricular innovation, and advances Calvin’s distinctive Christian contribution to conversations about technology, ethics, design, human dignity, justice, sustainability, and the common good. The Dean will also be a primary ambassador for the School, working closely with faculty, staff, students, university leadership, enrollment, marketing, advancement, alumni, donors, employers, and external partners.

• Provide visionary leadership for the launch, growth, and long-term development of the School of Engineering and Computer Science.
• Develop and implement a strategic plan that advances the School’s academic excellence, growth in enrollment and funding, external reputation, and mission alignment.
• Establish the Dean’s Office as a strong leadership and operational hub for the School, including appropriate staffing, systems, communication practices, and planning processes.
• Lead the School in ways that strengthen Calvin University as a whole and avoid academic siloing.
• Ensure that engineering, computer science, and related programs remain responsive to rapidly evolving educational, technological, and industry needs.
• Align School priorities with Calvin University’s mission to equip students to think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.

• Partner with University Advancement to secure philanthropic support for the School’s strategic priorities.
• Take the lead in cultivating donor relationships related to the Dean’s Office, faculty compensation and support, program innovation, student experience, facilities and equipment, internships, outreach, and the Center for Faith and Technology.
• Articulate a compelling case for investment in Calvin’s distinctive approach to integrating Reformed Christian perspectives in engineering, computer science, and similar disciplines.
• Develop fundraising opportunities that support long-term sustainability, including endowment funding and capital investment.

• Serve as the chief ambassador for the School to employers, alumni, donors, advisory boards, industry partners, community organizations, professional networks, churches, peer institutions, and prospective students.
• Cultivate strong alumni networks and employer partnerships to support fundraising, internship pipelines, senior design projects, career pathways, sponsored research, and mentoring.
• Build and sustain relationships with regional and national technology, engineering, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, business, and nonprofit partners.
• Represent the School credibly and persuasively in public settings, donor conversations, media opportunities, professional gatherings, and university events.

• Support rigorous, high-quality, Christian undergraduate education in engineering, computer science, and related fields.
• Encourage curricular innovation in emerging technology areas (e.g., artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data ethics, automation, software systems, environmental responsibility, quantum, and technological design).
• Promote educational experiences that…