Dean, Arts and Sciences

DEAN, ARTS AND SCIENCES

AT NORTHWEST FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE

Northwest Florida State College, located in the coastal heart of the Florida panhandle, announces an executive search for a strategic and collaborative administrative leader to serve as Dean, Arts and Sciences at the Niceville campus. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean, Arts and Sciences is the principal administrator of all instructional programs in the Arts and Sciences Division.

For more information, view the Search Profile

https://myersmcrae.com/skins/userfiles/files/NWFSC-DeanArts(1).pdf

ABOUT THE COLLEGE

Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC) is a multi-campus institution serving more than 12,300 credit and non-credit students. The College offers 30 associate and five baccalaureate degree programs, 37 certificate and other programs, adult education, and dual enrollment for public, private, and home-schooled high school students. The College also provides courses and programs fully online.

     The primary service district of the College is Okaloosa and Walton County, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alabama state line. In addition to a 264-acre campus in Niceville, NWFSC operates a joint campus with the University of West Florida in Fort Walton Beach, the Chautauqua Center in DeFuniak Springs, the Robert L. F. Sikes Education Center in Crestview, the Aviation Center of Excellence in Crestview, a center at Hurlburt Field, and the South Walton Center.

     Three military installations, Eglin AFB, Duke Field, and Hurlburt Field, are in the service area. More than six percent of NWFSC students are receiving post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, which is greater than the Florida College System average.

     The College is also home to The Collegiate High School, which consistently ranks among the top high schools in Florida and has been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School twice.

     Part of Florida’s public system of 28 state colleges, NWFSC employs more than 700 administrators, faculty, and staff, all of whom are committed to the success of every student. Located in the coastal heart of the Florida panhandle, the College has earned a reputation for educational excellence and community involvement.

     In addition to a record of regional and national accolades, NWFSC offers state-of-the-art student computer labs, a top-rated sports complex, a full program of intercollegiate and intramural sports, a child development center, and a criminal justice training center. The 120,000-square-foot Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center on the Niceville Campus provides students the finest in instructional facilities for dance, music, theater, the visual arts, and the humanities and hosts a full theatrical season each year for the community to enjoy.

     The College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The programs within the College are accredited by professional agencies, including the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), American Welding Society (AWS), Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission/FDLE, American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation, Florida Department of Education, Florida Department of Health/Bureau of EMS, Bureau of Fire Standards and Training, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT).

     The College offers intercollegiate baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s basketball programs that consistently compete for conference, regional, and national titles. To date, the Raiders have won six national NJCAA Division I championships, 17 regional championships, and 36 conference championships.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean, Arts and Sciences is responsible for providing effective planning and vision, comprehensive leadership, program review, budget oversight, data analysis, and institutional coordination, supervision and oversight of all affairs and activities for all General Education programs including the Associate in Arts and coursework in Mathematics, English, Communications, Languages, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Fine & Performing Arts, Physical Education and Wellness, the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, the Mattie Kelly Environmental Institute, and other ancillary programs.

     The individual filling this position is expected to play a positive role in helping the College change as necessary to effectively carry out its mission.  

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as principal administrator of instructional programs including the Associate in Arts program and certificate programs in the Arts and Sciences Division.
• Create and administer departmental budgets in accordance with college strategic plan, policies, and budget hearings.
• Conduct trend and data analysis.
• Prepare capital, operating, personnel and grant requests; generate budget reports, and respond to requests for information.
• Facilitate/initiate respectful and effective communications internally/externally; provide staff with information and interpretation of College policies and procedures.
• Schedule and preside at College meetings/work groups; create and distribute written communications internally/externally in a timely manner.
• Serve as essential link to administration in communicating needs of departments, faculty, staff, and community groups.
• Provide strategic leadership and management including planning, developing, and directing activities of multifaceted, and multi-subject division including but not limited to compliance with legislation.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislative matters as regards curriculum, instruction, and the delivery of postsecondary academic programs.
• Communicate legislation as changes occur to inform, advise, and supervise faculty and staff appropriately and to ensure compliance with legislation.
• Coordinate program, department, and division reviews, accreditation, and evaluation.
• Delegate and monitor administrative responsibilities of chairs and other employees as appropriate.
• Coordinate administrative duties with the Vice President of Academic Affairs and College constituencies.
• Supervise full and part-time faculty and staff.
• Implement systems to maintain, centralize academic administration and division record/forms/procedures.
• Assist in review of terms of operational contracts.
• Develop and recommend policies and procedures to the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
• Oversee all processes associated with semesterly and yearly schedule of courses.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate courses, programs, student learning outcomes, distance learning offerings, and related curricular matters, in cooperation with faculty and other college staff as appropriate.
• Create and analyze cost/benefit analysis of programs and operations within the programs as directed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Participate in and submit program feasibility studies for all new proposed programs and all programs recommended for sunsetting.
• Communicate and interact with officials and agencies of the state and local government; serve on community teams, committees on behalf of the College; represent the College at state-level committees and councils and other higher education institutions as assigned. Represent the college as a delegate to the Council of Instructional Affairs.
• Create strategic and operational plans for programs within academics and the division to provide safe, efficient, effective programming and services; develop and implement long-range academic administration, division, and program goals; facilitate and support alternative curriculum development and delivery options; plan for faculty professional development; investigate and support grant opportunities; develop and review Academic Catalog; complete assigned, state reports.
• Handle disciplinary matters within the division.
• Guide, supervise, mentor, and evaluate faculty, administrative, and support staff as appropriate.
• Serve as a member of the College Curriculum Committee.
• Chair the Academic Program Recruitment and Retention Work Group, providing recommendations to advance Guided Pathways work at the institution.
• Manage the resolution of student, faculty, and staff issues as related to academics within the division.
• Participate in SACSCOC requirements, visits, and requests as well as adhere to all SACSCOC principles of accreditation.
• Serve as a College representative during engagements with outside regulatory agencies as related to programs and support College processes to maintain specialized accreditation where appropriate.
• Maintain credentials and knowledge of educational technology and College’s infrastructure related to technology and the position; provide professional development activities as appropriate.
• In coordination with the VPAA, lead professional development sessions through the New Faculty Workshop series.
• Hire and supervise staff; anticipate and plan for personnel needs; evaluate support staff; oversee preparation and review of contracts; chair hiring recommendation committees; review and approve staff appointments.
• As a part of the college’s risk management tool, annual mandatory compliance training is required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution; doctorate strongly preferred
• At least three years of academic administrative experience in a postsecondary setting
• At least three years of postsecondary teaching experience or the equivalent of such experience in a primary education field represented in the Arts and Sciences fields
• Demonstrated excellence in written and oral communication skills, and the ability to design and implement effective programs in the area of supervision
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain positive, professional, interpersonal relationships with students, faculty, staff, and administrators in all areas of College and community
• Demonstrated ability to communicate programmatic accountability and quality student learning

NORTHWEST FLORIDA

Home to the College’s picturesque 264-acre main campus, Niceville offers towering pine trees, majestic oaks, unspoiled streams, cold water creeks, and the scenic bayous of Northwest Florida. The city is known for living up to its name to residents and visitors alike.

Niceville has welcoming neighborhoods, top-ranked schools, a responsive city government, and mild weather. Outdoor and indoor recreation are plentiful, and the popular white sand Gulf beach is only 18 miles away.

Named the “Best Place to Raise Kids in Florida” by Bloomberg Businessweek, Niceville has numerous youth programs and activities, sports leagues, parks, outdoor recreation, church youth ministries, outstanding schools, a thriving arts and entertainment center, and residents who support and care about young people.

Okaloosa and Walton counties are the primary service areas of the College. Okaloosa County has a population of nearly 213,000 with Walton County having more than 80,000 residents.

APPLICATION & NOMINATION PROCESS

Confidential inquiries are welcomed, and nominations are invited.

Applications

1) Application packet must include:

a) A letter of interest

b) Curriculum vitae or résumé

c) At least four references with full contact information including e-mails (References will not be contacted without consent from applicant.)

2) Submit application packet (preferably as PDFs) to NWFSC-DeanArts@myersmcrae.com.
Additional information will be requested upon receipt of application. Review of applications will begin October 10, 2023. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Nominations

Submit nominations to NWFSC-DeanArts-nominate@myersmcrae.com with complete contact and e-mail information for the individual being nominated.

Consultant

Kenny Daugherty, President of Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting, is assisting Northwest Florida State College with this search. Request a conversation regarding this search at kennydaugherty@myersmcrae.com.

Northwest Florida State College does not discriminate based on age, color, ethnicity, race, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy, religion, genetic information, sex, gender, or any other legally protected classification in its employment practices or its educational programs or activities. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, NWFSC strictly prohibits the discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms and conditions of employment. Visit nwfsc.edu for more information.

Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting 

478-330-6222 | www.myersmcrae.com