Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology

Santa Clara University seeks an outstanding Jesuit leader to serve as the Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University (JST­ SCU). The School is an international theological center, forming leaders for ministry, scholarship and service to the church throughout the world with a focus on faith and justice. It offers internationally recognized academic and ecclesiastical degrees as well as innovative sabbatical programs, outreach programs, and summer institutes. Located in Berkeley, California, the School is one of the six schools and colleges at Santa Clara University (SCU) and one of the eight schools and many centers that compose the multi religious and ecumenical Graduate Theological Union (GTU). The Dean is responsible for the leadership and management of the School's faculty, students, and staff. Responsibilities include overseeing the School's strategic planning, curriculum development, faculty development, program management, enrollment, stewardship development, and financial management. As a member of the University's senior administrative team, the Dean has a significant role in campus wide initiatives and reports directly to the Executive Vice President and Provost of Santa Clara University. In the discharge of the academic and ecclesiastical duties, the Dean is also accountable to JST SCU Board of Directors and the  Vice Chancellor of JST­ SCU.

The Jesuit School of Theology is one of three theological centers in North America that is dedicated to the formation of members of the Society of Jesus and others. Established in 1934, the School relocated to Berkeley in 1969 to become a founding member school of the GTU, the largest and most diverse partnership of seminaries and graduate schools in the United States. Its centers for Jewish and Islamic Studies; programs on Women's Studies in Religion; Black Church/Africana Religious Studies; Center for Arts, Religion and Education; Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences; Institute for Buddhist Studies; New College Berkeley; Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute; School of Applied Theology; Hindu Studies Initiative; eight seminaries; and several affiliate programs offer students the opportunity for a unique ecumenical and interfaith education. Students in degree programs can also take classes at the University of California, Berkeley.

In 2009, the Jesuit School of Theology formally integrated with Santa Clara University. JST ­SCU is the only school west of Chicago with an ecclesiastical faculty approved by the Dicastery for Catholic Education to grant degrees. It offers the Master of Divinity; Master of Theological Studies; Master of Theology; and Ecclesiastical degrees at the Bachelor, Licentiate, and Doctoral levels in Sacred Theology. The PhD and Master of Arts in Theology are offered in conjunction with the Graduate Theological Union. There are approximately 15 full time faculty, approximately 10 regular adjunct faculty, and 18 staff members who contribute significantly to the various programs. The faculty provides instruction, advising, and mentoring to approximately 120 JST SCU graduate students as well as a significant number of the other 900 GTU students.

The School's world class faculty, rigorous academic programs, motivated students, and access to the bountiful theological resources at the GTU, University of California at Berkeley, and SCU libraries exemplify the JST­SCU educational experience. Intellectually engaged students come from over 35 countries and receive prestigious awards and fellowships from an array of noteworthy foundations and organizations. The School's reputation for academic excellence and pastoral and leadership preparation enables its students to succeed in their professional activities. The School is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), the American Association of Theological Schools, and the Vatican Dicastery of Catholic Education as an Ecclesiastical Faculty of Theology.

Position Description and Responsibilities

The Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the School. As such, the Dean is charged with final administrative authority over the faculty members offering degrees through the WSCUC and as an ecclesiastical faculty of the Roman Catholic Church pursuant to the requirements of Veritatis Gaudium and its Norms of Application. The Dean reports to the Executive Vice President and Provost, and is responsible to the President of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States in the discharge of the ecclesiastical duties and Jesuit formation, and to the President of Santa Clara University in all other matters.

The Dean has direct responsibility for strategic planning, external relations, philanthropic advancement, faculty development, curriculum development, and finances. Working through senior staff members and their units, the Dean has final oversight for assessment, accreditation, degree curricula, non-degree programming, student advising, enrollment management, marketing, and the community and liturgical life of the School. In the capacity as Dean of the ecclesiastical faculty and a member of the Society of Jesus, maintaining the School’s relationship with the Vatican Dicastery of Catholic Education and with the Society of Jesus is another vital responsibility.

The Dean is responsible for hiring and evaluating the teaching performance, scholarship, and professional achievements of the faculty of JST ­SCU; managing and contributing to both the hiring and professional development of the staff; administering the approved JST­ SCU budget; presiding at all regular and special meetings of the faculty of JST ­SCU; and appointing such faculty committees as may be appropriate; and, in cooperation with appropriate faculty committees, recommending to the Provost candidates for faculty appointments. The Dean serves as a member of Santa Clara's President’ Cabinet, Provost’s Council, and Planning Action Council. The Dean, or a delegate, sits on the GTU Council of Deans. The Dean’s direct reports include the Associate Dean, Sr. Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management, Marketing, and Non-Degree Programs, Assistant Dean of Finance and Administration, and the Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean. The Dean is expected to excel in the following areas:

• Institutional Vision: Articulate to broad external and internal constituencies how JST SCU achieves its mission through: the academic, pastoral, and personal formation of Jesuit, lay, and religious students preparing for ministry in the Roman Catholic Church; the advancement of theology through scholarly contributions to academy, Church, and society; and the theological, spiritual, and personal renewal of those already engaged in ministry.
• External Relations and Fundraising: Enhance the external relations and public profile of the School in collaboration with other University programs; generate financial support for the School both through stimulating interest in the School's programs and through personal involvement in fundraising; and participate in prioritization of fundraising goals for the University's capital campaign.
• Strategic Planning: Provide leadership for the School in strategic planning, direction setting, and policy development within the context of the University strategic plan and institutional policies; and provide leadership towards conclusion of the current strategic plan and development of a new strategic plan.
• Leadership: Oversee ongoing operations of the School, including curriculum development, assessment, faculty recruitment and development, staff hiring and management, student recruitment, budget management, and outreach programs; and allocate resources to most effectively achieve the vision and goals of the School and the University.
• Relations within the University: Integrate and represent the School within the University, serving on the President’s Cabinet and Provost’s Council, seeking opportunities for cross disciplinary collaborations with other academic units; articulate the unique role of the School in achieving the University's mission; and work with the University to secure resources for the School.
• Academic Quality: Stimulate, guide, and support the development of high-quality educational programs aimed at academic, pastoral, and personal formation; continually enhance the academic quality of the School by recruiting and retaining an exceptional faculty and student body, by refining the School's rigorous academic programs, and by promoting strategic partnerships that will advance the School's scholarship and impact.
• Scholarship: Promote and support rigorous inquiry and innovative scholarship; and maintain and enhance an environment that fosters faculty commitment to both teaching and scholarship, in accordance with the University's teaching scholar model.
• Relations within the GTU and University of California, Berkeley: Serve on the board of trustees and consortia council. Provide input directly or indirectly to other administrative councils and committees that govern the GTU and its members’ shared interests.
• Relations with the Church:  Maintain excellent relations with the Bishop of Oakland and with the Church in the U.S. and globally.

 The ideal candidate for Dean of the Jesuit School of Theology: 

• Demonstrates a commitment to both strong visionary leadership and possesses a CV that reflects proven experience in management and administration, ideally in higher education.
• Possesses an entrepreneurial spirit, and generates and applies resources in ways that will help realize the priorities of both the School and University.
• Demonstrates a commitment to excellence in professional education as integral to the Jesuit educational vision of forming men and women of professional competence, conscience, and compassion.
• Enhances the School's capacity to be an international theological center for the study of culturally contextualized theology and ministry.
• Advocates for the School and University and engages our diverse community in constructive dialogue.
• Possesses strong academic credentials, preferably those that merit appointment at the rank of associate or full professor of theology at the University, as well as a Licentiate in a Sacred Theology.
• Is committed to fostering the mission of the Society of Jesus, especially with respect to the formation of Jesuits.