Dean of Arts & Sciences

Dean Of Arts & Sciences

The Dean of Arts & Sciences serves as a cabinet level academic leader responsible for the comprehensive oversight of the Arts & Sciences division. This position provides visionary leadership for instructional programs spanning the humanities, communications, English, natural sciences, social sciences, mathematics, and related disciplines while simultaneously guiding student affairs functions in alignment with the College's mission, vision, and strategic plan.

Reporting directly to the Chief Academic Officer, the Dean champions student success, service excellence, and data-informed decision-making. The Dean works collaboratively with the President's Extended Cabinet, and Academic Affairs leadership to advance institutional priorities, cultivate community partnerships, and ensure an equitable and inclusive academic environment where all students can thrive.

Strategic Leadership

The Dean of Arts & Sciences provides transformative strategic leadership that advances the College's academic mission and long-term institutional goals.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop, communicate and implement a clear divisional vision and multi-year divisional strategic plan aligned with college-wide enrollment, retention priorities and regional workforce needs.
• Serves as an active member of the President's Cabinet and expanded leadership team, contributing to institution-wide strategic planning, policy development, and shared governance.
• Champion a student-centered culture that prioritizes access, equity, retention, and completion across Arts & Sciences programs.
• Utilize data analytics and institutional research to drive evidence-based decisions related to program development, enrollment management, and resource allocation.
• Provide leadership in accreditation activities, serving as a liaison to accrediting bodies and overseeing continuous quality improvement efforts across assigned programs.
• Monitor trends in higher education, legislative mandates, and best practices to position the division for long-term academic excellence and innovation.
• Lead, chair, and participate in college-wide committees, task forces, and shared governance bodies, including Curriculum and Policy, Assessment, Program Review.

Academic Divisional Leadership

As the Dean of the Arts & Sciences division, the Dean is accountable for the integrity, quality, and continuous improvement of all instructional programs and academic support services:

• Oversee and evaluate all instructional activities, curriculum design, and course delivery methods to ensure rigorous, relevant, and high-quality learning experiences for students.
• Recruit, hire, supervise, mentor, and evaluate full-time and adjunct faculty and professional staff; make recommendations for personnel actions including appointments, promotions, and separations.
• Lead divisional program review processes in collaboration with faculty, the Faculty Senate, and institutional stakeholders; develop and implement improvement plans based on review outcomes.
• Manage the development and maintenance of the academic schedule, analyzing course offerings, enrollment patterns, and community needs to make data-driven modifications.
• Foster a culture of instructional excellence, scholarly activity, and professional development among Arts & Sciences faculty and staff.
• Champion first-year student retention initiatives with particular emphasis on adult learners and students enrolled in gateway courses in mathematics and English.
• Ensure compliance with academic policies, accreditation standards, licensing requirements, and applicable state and federal regulations.
• Supervise the ongoing Academic Program Review Project and coordinate implementation of identified improvements with Faculty Senate and College stakeholders.

Academic Planning

The Dean leads comprehensive academic planning efforts to ensure the relevance, sustainability, and growth of Arts & Sciences programs in alignment with workforce trends and student needs:

• Conduct environmental scanning and needs assessments to identify opportunities for new program development, program modification, or program discontinuation.
• C…