Campus Executive Officer and Dean

UW-Richland

The University of Wisconsin Colleges invites nominations and applications for the position of Campus Executive Officer and Dean at University of Wisconsin-Richland. The campus is located on 135 acres of rolling hills in Richland Center about midway between Madison and La Crosse on Highway 14. UW-Richland, which is the birthplace of world renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, serves southwestern Wisconsin as a cultural center in a picturesque rural community. Although each campus shares the University of Wisconsin System’s overall responsibility to disseminate knowledge, expand information, enrich our culture, and to provide outreach services, the UW Colleges specific mission is to provide freshman - sophomore liberal arts instruction and to prepare students for transfer to a four-year institution. UW-Richland prides itself on providing personal attention to support all students as they succeed, excel and meet their individual academic goals. For more information, visit the UW Colleges website at http://www.uwc.edu and the UW-Richland site at richland.uwc.edu.

Responsibilities

The Dean is a civic leader, an administrator, and an academic leader.  The Dean reports directly to the UW Colleges’ Chancellor, whose office is located at our central administrative offices in Madison.  Because of the substantial investment in the campus by local taxpayers, there is a local sense of community pride and support as the campus provides a gateway for accessible undergraduate education and a wide variety of non-credit outreach courses for people of all ages.  The Dean’s primary campus responsibilities are to provide leadership to the campus in academic programs, student recruitment and retention, professional development of faculty and staff, affirmative action/equal opportunity issues, marketing, fundraising, and public relations in the following ways:

1. As the intellectual leader of the campus and with an understanding of, and commitment to, the educational aims and philosophy of the liberal arts and sciences of public higher education, the Dean will:
   • support teaching, research, and community and university service;
   • meet the challenges and opportunities of administering a liberal arts freshman-sophomore transfer institution in the University of Wisconsin System;
   • remain current in issues and trends affecting higher education and discern how these issues and trends can be tapped to benefit the campus;
   • have a broad vision for the campus at both state and local levels;
   • believe in, and proudly promote our campus as the local gateway into the UW System;
   • have a solid grasp of the UW System and how its policies, procedures, and budget affect the campus;
   • commit to maintain and enhance the integrity of the entire academic program;
   • understand and appreciate the values necessary for serving the campus within the greater UW community.
2. Given the importance of fostering constructive relationships between the campus and various external constituencies, the Dean will:
   • establish and maintain a strong presence throughout the entire campus service area;  
   • sustain and build upon the important relationships between the campus and  both the Richland County Board and city of Richland Center. 
   • sustain and build connections with business, labor, and community leaders in order to be responsive to the needs of the greater community;
   • develop and maintain active alliances with our area K-12 schools, universities, colleges, and technical colleges;
   • foster positive relationships between the campus and State and local  legislators;
   • raise funds and acquire resources from private and public sources;
   • encourage and support the activities of the outstanding UW-Richland Campus Foundation;
   • strengthen linkages with diverse communities:  socio-cultural, ethnic, racial, and physically disabled;
   • promote community outreach through various campus educational, cultural, and sport programs;
   • interact effectively with the news media.
3. Through significant experience and exceptional skills as an organizational leader in higher education, the Dean will:
   • foster a sense of mission and teamwork throughout the campus community;
   • lead the campus community in the development and implementation of long-range campus plans;
   • continue the development of innovative curriculum and excellent academic programs, including interdisciplinary courses, first year seminars, distance education, study-abroad opportunities, technology-enriched learning, collaborative degree programs with UW System baccalaureate campuses, and an Associate of Arts degree that guarantees transfer to any UW System campus;
   • gain the respect of campus and community by making sensible decisions based upon good listening skills and wise processing of all sides of an issue;
   • take the pulse of campus to effectively pre-empt problems and to be aware of individuals’ good work;
   • develop, implement, and/or maintain fair, effective and responsible managerial policies;
   • act as an initiator and work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students on important campus and community matters;
   • promote confidence, leadership, and build consensus within a framework of shared governance;
   • acquire resources and manage budgets efficiently with a quality learning environment as the paramount goal;
   • recruit and work collaboratively with academic and classified staff to create a supportive and effective team;
   • participate effectively in faculty and staff personnel decisions in conjunction with campus committees, academic departments, and the UW Colleges institutional office;
   • manage the support services program (administration, business affairs, information and instructional technology, library/media services, public information, student services, continuing education, and other support services);
   • ensure the maintenance and improvement of campus facilities in collaboration with maintenance plant staff.
4. Given the importance of human relations, the Dean will:
   • demonstrate sound personal qualities, such as integrity, intellectual vigor,    a sense of humor, clarity of purpose, principled decisiveness, and a strong work ethic;
   • establish open, direct, and honest relationships with people, welcoming the gamut of socio-cultural, ethnic, racial, and physically disabled individuals;
   • possess exceptional communication skills, including excellent written, conversational, listening, public speaking, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills;
   • encourage by example a respectful, trusting, collegial, and supportive climate between and among the administration, faculty, staff, students, and members of the community;
   • be accessible and familiar to all members of the campus community;
   • respond sensitively to the needs of, and constraints faced by students, faculty, and staff while expecting work of high quality;
   • allow faculty and staff to grow and find their strengths as individuals, and foster leadership at all levels;
   • balance tough politics useful for external goals, with morale-building character for campus;
   • enhance communication to-and-from the Dean’s office through effective use of communication technology.
5. Serving the campus and the greater University of Wisconsin community, the Dean will:
   • sustain and enhance positive relationships between the campus and the UW Colleges institutional office, other UW Colleges campuses, UW baccalaureate campuses, and UW System Administration;
   • develop and sustain collaborations with UW-Extension through an understanding of the land grant function;
   • actively support faculty and staff professional development;
   • advocate for student needs and goals;
   • promote cultural and ethnic diversity through both credit and noncredit programming;
   • understand the changing demographics of the student population;
   • encourage the development of innovative curricula and services that attract both traditional and non-traditional students, at-risk students, and students with special needs;
   • encourage the development of innovative curricula and services that respond to the changing economic and business needs of the service area;
   • promote and skillfully construct excellent academic programs, including collaborative degrees with UW System baccalaureate campuses.

Qualification

Candidates must have an earned advanced academic degree from an accredited college or university and professional accomplishments sufficient to command the respect of the academic community.  Candidates must have demonstrated administrative skills in personnel management, recruitment and retention, budgeting, planning and advocacy.  Strong communication skills and the ability to think innovatively are required.  Candidates with appropriate backgrounds and experience may be considered for rank and tenure in an academic department.

Applications Procedures

Please submit:

• A letter of application stating how your personal qualifications and interests fit the responsibilities ofthe position.
• A resume
• Names and contact information for three references.
• Application must be accompanied by a statement of whether the applicant wishes to have the application held in confidence or made available upon request.  If requested, confidentiality of an applicant can be maintained until an applicant is deemed a finalist in the search.

Electronic applications, preferably in PDF format, are required.  WORD files will be accepted.  Direct questions and materials to Pam Dollard, Director of Human Resources, 608/890-1066, pamela.dollard@uwc.edu

For assured consideration, applications must be received by December 21, 2009, however applications may be considered beyond that date until the needs of the position are met.

A criminal background check will be conducted for the finalist(s).