Dean, School of Health Sciences

Seattle Pacific University seeks a Dean for the School of Health Sciences

About the Institution:

Seattle Pacific University (SPU) was founded in 1891 by Free Methodist pioneers who valued a non-sectarian approach to education that welcomed all those seeking scholarly excellence rooted in the Christian faith. Today, SPU welcomes students from around the globe to grow together and serve in a diverse community of thoughtful scholarship and outward-focused Christian faith. Its comprehensive academic program serves over 3500 undergraduate and graduate students. As a Christian university, SPU is historically orthodox, clearly evangelical, genuinely ecumenical, and distinctively Wesleyan, and seeks applicants who are committed to its Christian mission (SPU Statement of Faith and Mission). The University provides a world-class education in a world-class cosmopolitan urban center with rich cultural diversity and is committed to building an excellent and diverse teaching faculty.

With over 200 full-time faculty, and over 450 staff, SPU’s promise of value and difference lies in its commitment to its students, who learn to anticipate and shape the future; see the world with compassion; experience academic rigor; explore — or grow deeper in — Christian faith, and study in the heart of a global community.

SPU offers 71 undergraduate majors and 59 minors. There are 31 master’s degree programs, five doctoral degree programs, and eight graduate certificates offered by the School of Business, Government, and Economics; the School of Health Sciences; the School of Psychology, Family, and Community; the School of Education; Seattle Pacific Seminary; and the College of Arts and Sciences. These programs serve 574 master’s students and 204 doctoral students. Both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs integrate internships and research throughout their curricula. Learn more at https://spu.edu/. 

For the fourth year in a row, SPU was ranked a “Best National University” by U.S. News & World Report, reflecting the University’s emphasis on undergraduate teaching and research wherein students work alongside faculty, as well as its growing graduate programs in business, education, fine arts, psychology, nursing, and theology. SPU faculty and staff members provide students with a holistic, diverse, and multidisciplinary learning environment, fostering critical inquiry and preparing students to be lifelong learners, stronger in their intellect, and in their relationship with Christ.

SPU enables faculty and staff to project their faith, multiplying God’s love and compassion through students who are being equipped for meaningful lives of service. The University values both discovery and instruction and encourages faculty to find their own balance between research and teaching. Class sizes put faculty closer to students, allowing them to build rewarding relationships through personal mentoring and individual instruction. Faculty and staff uniquely equip students for their futures, using Seattle to guide engagement with technology, trade, urbanization, and more.

Position start: Summer of 2021

The Dean of the School of Health Sciences will lead the School and its academic agenda. Primary duties in doing so include:

• Provide leadership and development support for faculty and staff in the administration of the School’s programs.
• Serve on the Academic Leadership Team and its Graduate Council.
• Create a shared purpose and vision for the School of Health Sciences that reflects and advances the mission and strategic direction of the University.
• Represent the School to internal and external constituencies, serve as a visible advocate for Health Sciences and SPU, increase the School’s presence across the University, and enhance the School’s visibility in the surrounding area by speaking at school, university, and public events.
• Work with University Advancement in raising endowments and obtaining external grants that support the work of the School’s faculty and students.
• Work to maintain the School’s CCNE accreditation.

SPU is seeking a Dean who:

• Embodies the role of leader, mentor, and visionary for the entire School of Health Sciences, with a demonstrated commitment to open, transparent, shared governance and to building upon the School's diverse and inclusive environment for faculty, staff, and students. The Dean is a collaborative leader who can direct the development, enhancement, and operationalization of its programs to educate students for challenging and meaningful health care careers. The Dean works closely with the University and faculty in defining and articulating the vision for the School of Health Sciences and implementing strategies that assure excellence and promote innovation.
• Champions the School of Health Sciences faculty, nurturing the development of a diverse faculty, many of whom are clinical faculty with primary teaching responsibilities, enabling their development and promoting their work in a university context that holds transformative teaching, rigorous scholarship, and humble service in equal regard. The Dean will play a key role in recruiting, mentoring, and retaining faculty and serve as an advocate to University leadership in support of opportunities that will foster career development and achievement of professional and individual goals.
• Promotes, protects, and extends a vision for higher education in the health sciences in the 21st century. The Dean will help assure that programs are current with respect to standards of practice and health care needs of the community. The Dean will articulate and advance a shared vision for the School that promotes interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaborations, a culture of innovation, and service to the community, all of which are rooted in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Represents the School of Health Sciences to the faculty, staff, and administrators of Seattle Pacific University, offering active leadership in a variety of settings. The Dean serves on the University’s Academic Leadership Team. The Dean joins the entire School of Health Sciences faculty as they help others across all academic units to understand their teaching and scholarship as a distinctive healthcare provider vocation.
• Represents the School of Health Sciences to a wide range of University-related constituencies. From community stakeholders, to healthcare organizations and the professional community, to alumni, to donors, to the Nursing Practice Advisory Board, the Dean will cultivate relationships that communicate the importance and value of Christian higher education at Seattle Pacific University. The Dean is committed to the task of fundraising and obtaining external grants in order to support the work of the School’s faculty and provide scholarships for its students.
• Is an innovative leader for the School of Health Sciences, acting as a strategic visionary thinker, leading the School to prepare students for the changing health care system they will enter, and working from a deep understanding of the practice of nursing, health promotion, exercise science, and pre-professional health disciplines. The Dean will expand and develop partnerships and innovative pathways for nursing, health and human performance, and other applicable health education programs. The Dean will develop new and existing relationships between the School of Health Sciences and untapped healthcare systems in the region, increasing student access to clinical practicum placements. Above all, the Dean will inspire the development of distinctive health science programs that maximize the reputation and resources of our existing programs.

The Dean will be:

• An experienced, dynamic, entrepreneurial, and creative leader with a thorough understanding of nursing, exercise science and other health science education, the ability to build relationships and work collaboratively in a larger university context with a record of successful health science leadership.
• A professional with significant experience in strategic planning, accreditation, and developing new programs (i.e. degree programs, certificates, and online programs).
• An academic with knowledge of curriculum development, assessment, experiential education and Interprofessional Education (IPE).
• A results-oriented strategist with a proven ability to generate new public and private resources.
• An operationally astute professional, highly knowledgeable about opportunities in service and research between clinical professions and health practitioners and familiar with recent advances and challenges in all disciplines housed within the School.
• An individual with a strong understanding of the challenges of both healthcare and higher education with a commitment to student success.
• An innovative, dynamic leader who can unite and inspire administrators, faculty, staff, and students to achieve the mission and goals of the School while enhancing and building its culture of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• An individual capable of excellent internal advocacy on behalf of the School, possessing negotiation and conflict management skills, while remaining committed to the University’s overall success.

Required Qualifications:

PhD or equivalent terminal degree is expected. A Washington State licensure in candidate’s health science discipline is preferred. Candidates must have demonstrated ability in strategic planning and program development along with appropriate experience in teaching and scholarship. 

Compensation:

Salary, benefits, and academic rank will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The Dean, School of Health Sciences is on a 12-month contract with vacation. Benefits include health and dental insurance, disability, and life insurance, as well as a generous retirement program. A moving allowance is provided, and first-year transitional housing near the campus may be available.

To Apply:

Confidential review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled; parties who apply by November 29, 2020, will be given first consideration. Please submit your resume and cover letter outlining your interest in and suitability for this position. To apply online, go to https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=su211

To make recommendations or for more information:

Stephanie Fowler

Senior Consultant

Summit Search Solutions, Inc.

Direct: 530-677-9945

sfowler@summitsearchsolutions.com

It is the policy of Seattle Pacific University not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in its programs or activities, as required by applicable laws and regulations. As a religious educational institution affiliated with the Free Methodist Church of North America, Seattle Pacific University is permitted and reserves the right to prefer employees or prospective employees on the basis of religion.