Department Head of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences

Texas A&M University invites applications for the position of Professor and Head of the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences (RPTS). The Professor and Head will serve as the chief administrative officer of the Department and an advocate for its fields of study expertise in tourism and hospitality, and youth development. This will be a 9-month tenured position, with a research appointment (25-50%), and an administrative stipend equivalent to two of months of summer salary. The administrative stipend will be effective for as long as the person holds the position of Department Head.

RPTS is one of 15 academic departments in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In the 2020 Fall Semester the Department had 301 undergraduate and 69 actively enrolled graduate students. The Department offers three academic degree programs and six certificate options for undergraduate and graduate students through its 38 undergraduate and 24 graduate courses. Academic degrees are B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. The Department has 19 full-time faculty members comprised of Tenure/Tenure Track, Professional, and Extension appointments, and several adjunct positions at the main Texas A&M Campus. Additional Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service faculty and professional staff are located at the Texas A&M AgriLife Dallas Center, the Texas Community Watershed Partners Program in Houston’s Clear Lake area, and the Tourism and Coastal Community Development program at Texas A&M Galveston.

Texas A&M University is one of the largest universities in the country, with more than 70,000 students from all 50 states and 124 countries. It is supported by a multibillion-dollar endowment ranked 4th among public universities, and a top 20 research enterprise. The metropolitan area of College Station/Bryan has over 220,000 residents and is consistently ranked among the best places to live in the country, with an affordable cost of living and easy access to five of the largest cities in the United States: Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.
Administrative Relationship

The Head reports to the Vice Chancellor and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station. The position provides leadership and support for multiple faculty initiatives, including enhancing and expanding undergraduate and graduate education; increasing contribution of knowledge and science through extramurally-funded research; conducting extension and outreach programs; strengthening relations with diverse stakeholder groups; and promoting communications of science-based findings to inform public policy and decision makers.

Professional Environment
For four decades RPTS has consistently been ranked among the top three programs in
the U.S. and the top ten programs in the world in tourism. It is anticipated that the
incoming Head will continue to advance our reputation related to tourism and hospitality,
and strengths in youth development. The Vice Chancellor and Dean has proposed a
vision that supplements the Department’s existing tourism strengths of product
management and development (festivals/events, parks, sports tourism, cruising, theme
parks, et al.), marketing, financing and sustainability with a hospitality component. The
new Department Head will be charged with implementing that vision, and helping to
secure positions, industry partnerships, funding opportunities, and the development of a
new, innovative curriculum relating to hospitality. This initiative has been stimulated by
the university’s recent construction of an award-winning hotel on campus.

The youth development expertise is directed by an integrated and highly productive
team of research, teaching and extension faculty. It evolved out of the department’s
historic leadership role in recreation management. It is one of a small number of
academic programs whose team members bring both strong disciplinary training and
management/operational expertise to focus on positive youth development through
youth out-of-school time settings (e.g., sports, summer camps, youth programs). Its
excellence has stimulated substantial growth in enrollment among both undergraduate
and graduate students in recent years.

Qualifications
Candidates with experience in academic administration, who have strong connections
with industry, and have an interest in continuing active scholarship are encouraged to
apply. They must have an earned doctorate in the social or behavioral sciences with a
record of distinction in research, teaching, and service that would qualify them for
tenure. They should provide evidence of visionary leadership, and ability to work
effectively with faculty, staff, and students, representing them to University
administrators, state and federal agencies, industry, and the public. A commitment to
working cooperatively within a multidisciplinary and multicultural community of scholars
and educators is essential. A record of success in securing external financial support is
highly desirable.

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