Chair, Department of Kinesiology

Chair, Department of Kinesiology
College of Education, Michigan State University

 Position Summary:

The Michigan State University College of Education is seeking nominations and applications for the position of Chair of the Department of Kinesiology (education.msu.edu/kin). The Chair serves as the chief officer of the Department and, as such, is expected to provide strong strategic and visionary leadership across all facets of Department missions. Responsibilities include guiding the overall direction of the Department (including fiscal management), facilitation and mentoring of the faculty to enhance its research, teaching, outreach, and professional service activities, in addition to serving as a promoter of institutional collaborations. The Chair will work collaboratively with the faculty to provide strategic leadership in performing a shared vision for the Department. The Chair must also demonstrate transparency; be committed to diversity, equity and inclusion; and be responsible to support and work with its faculty, staff, and students to maintain accreditation of programs in the Department.

The ideal candidate should be committed to leadership of a department that is research- and grant-oriented while also being dedicated to quality teaching, outreach, and the optimal development of undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degree students. Candidates should be accomplished scholars with active nationally and/or internationally recognized research programs, have a strong record in securing extramural funding, have proven administrative and leadership skills, and a commitment to excellence in training/education.

It is expected that the individual hired for this position will interface with ongoing departmental efforts (e.g., the Center for Physical Activity and Health, Institute for the Study of Youth Sports) and with campus units that share facilities or in which faculty have joint appointments. The position is an annual year appointment with an August 2022 start date.

Duties:

• Leading and facilitating the faculty in carrying out its stated mission and, in so doing, helping the Department to continue to thrive and advance.
• Fostering faculty and graduate students’ success in obtaining external funding.
• Facilitating excellence in scholarship, teaching, outreach.
• Advocating Department priorities to the College and University leadership.
• Facilitating effective collaboration within the Department and, as appropriate, across the College and University.
• Overseeing departmental fiduciary responsibilities. 
• Fostering a collegial and productive work environment for faculty, staff, and graduate assistants.
• Supporting the recruitment and development of outstanding students and faculty.
• Promoting faculty professional development and enrichment.

About the MSU Department of Kinesiology:

The Department of Kinesiology at Michigan State University is one of four departments in the College of Education. The faculty is comprised of 15 tenure-stream and 5 fixed-term/academic specialists who conduct basic and applied/translational research, teaching, and outreach across four thematic areas encompassing: Athletic Injury and Rehabilitation, Cognitive and Motor Neuroscience, Exercise Physiology, and Psychosocial Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity. The mission of the Department is to (1) engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborative research that focuses on physical activity and sport across the lifespan, with a special emphasis on youth; (2) prepare individuals for positions of research and leadership in educational, sport, and clinical settings; and (3) educate individuals to lead physically active, healthy lives. The Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology is one of the top 5 most popular majors at Michigan State University, with the Department also offering minors in Health Promotion and Coaching. The Department offers Master of Science programs in both Athletic Training and Kinesiology, as well as an online Master of Science program in Sport Coaching, Leadership, and Administration. The Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology program provides specializations within each of the four thematic departmental areas. Altogether, the degree programs offered serve over 1,000 undergraduate students and 100 graduate students.

About MSU:
As one of the top research universities in the world, Michigan State University is home to nationally ranked and recognized academic, residential college, and service-learning programs within a diverse community of dedicated students and scholars, athletes and artists, scientists and leaders. The university offers over 200 academic programs across 17 colleges which serve almost 50,000 undergraduate students and over 10,000 graduate/professional students. The park-like campus with outlying research facilities and natural areas is located in East Lansing, adjacent to the capital city of Lansing. The Lansing metropolitan area has a diverse population of approximately 450,000. Local communities have excellent school systems and place a high value on education. MSU is proactive in exploring opportunities for employment for dual career families, both inside and outside the university, and respects all family forms.

Required Qualifications:

• Doctorate in Kinesiology or a related field.
• Full Professor or a record of accomplishment consistent with appointment as a tenure system Full Professor at Michigan State University.
• A record of scholarship and professional activity in the field of Kinesiology or a highly-related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A record of effective leadership and/or experience relative to planning, budgeting, and administration.
• A record of external funding/grant activity and/or the ability to support grant-active faculty.
• An understanding and commitment to the array of thematic areas in the field of Kinesiology.
• Demonstrated commitment to recruiting and supporting faculty and students from diverse backgrounds.
• An ability to articulate and lead strategic and visionary initiatives.
• An ability to engage faculty in professional growth and development.

Instructions to Applicants:

Online application via careers.msu.edu is required, see posting #724517. Applicants must submit a letter of application highlighting their qualifications for the position; curriculum vitae; and names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers of three references. Formal acknowledgement of candidacy is not required until a candidate is asked to make a public presentation (in person or virtual).

Questions regarding the position may be directed to members of the search committee:

• Tracey Covassin, Search Committee Co-Chair, Kinesiology Faculty, covassin@msu.edu
• Matthew Pontifex, Search Committee Co-Chair, Kinesiology Faculty, pontifex@msu.edu
• Andy Driska, Kinesiology Faculty, driska@msu.edu
• David Ferguson, Kinesiology Faculty, fergu312@msu.edu
• Rajiv Ranganathan, Kinesiology Faculty, rrangana@msu.edu
• Christina Ebmeyer, Kinesiology Staff, cmazuca@msu.edu
• Kylee Ault, Kinesiology Graduate Student, aultkyle@msu.edu
• Terah Venzant Chambers, Associate Dean, Equity and Inclusion, terah@msu.edu

Review of applications will begin October 15, 2021 and continue until a candidate is selected to fill the position. 

Department Web Address: education.msu.edu/kin

Michigan State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and is committed to achieving excellence through cultural diversity. The university actively encourages applications and/or nominations of women, persons of color, veterans, and persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.

We collectively acknowledge that Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. We at Michigan State University recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan’s twelve federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold Michigan State University more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.