DEAN FOR THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

DEAN FOR THE COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Texas Woman’s University (TWU) invites applications and nominations for an innovative, experienced leader to serve as the Dean for the College of Health Sciences. This presents an opportune moment as the university has garnered remarkable recognition in academics, research, and service. The Texas Legislature, recognizing TWU’s distinctive mission, established the Texas Woman’s University System as the first university system in the nation with a woman-focused mission just two years ago.

The Dean for the College of Health Sciences will play a pivotal role in advancing the university’s curriculum, providing effective leadership for the faculty, overseeing research endeavors, and spearheading the development of strategic and innovative programs that align with and enhance TWU’s mission and strengths. The Dean will report to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost.

Texas Woman’s University:

Founded in 1901 as a women’s college, the university has grown its mission of serving marginalized populations in higher education over the past 120-plus years. For eight consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report recognized the university as having one of the top 10 most ethnically diverse student bodies in the nation and in 2023 ranked the university among the nation’s best for social mobility. Additionally, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal recognized the university as a top pick in 2023, and the Wall Street Journal ranked the university 7th in the nation for overall student experience. Also in 2023, Texas Woman’s earned the coveted Seal of Excelencia, a certification that demonstrates a university’s commitment to accelerating Latino student success. Less than 1% of colleges and universities have earned this distinction.

The nation’s largest woman-focused university system, TWU produces leaders in the fields of education, the arts, sciences, business, nursing and the health professions. Students have described their experience on the picturesque, flagship Denton campus as “a private feel at a public cost.”

It is the only public, general academic university in Texas to offer doctoral degrees in occupational therapy, physical therapy, dance and multicultural women’s and gender studies. Men account for about 10% of the student population.

Since becoming a system in 2021, the university plans to form independent universities for its health science centers in Houston and Dallas.

Denton, just north of the DFW area, is consistently named one of the nation’s best college towns, and Dallas and Houston have world-class museums, performing art centers, entertainment districts and professional and collegiate sports venues. As a whole, the university has a $1.8 billion annual economic impact on the state.

The College of Health Sciences:

The College of Health Sciences transforms learners into ethical, inclusive and compassionate leaders who advance the health and well-being of diverse communities through evidence-based practice and interdisciplinary innovation. Faculty and students of the College of Health Sciences are making significant contributions to the body of research that not only enhances the healthcare profession and health sciences education, but has also helped transform the delivery of quality of healthcare. Seeking to advance the College of Health Sciences as a nationally-ranked program in federal funding, the faculty have submitted a combined 85 proposals for a total of $16.6 million for 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Areas of Research:

• Microencapsulation of red wine pomace to modulate gut health in coronary artery disease
• Early detection of cerebral palsy in children
• Treatments for post-stroke fatigue
• Diet related behaviors and physical activity among preschoolers and their caregivers
• Physiological assessment of firefighters
• Effects of a nut-based spread in weight management among teenagers

The Dean:

The Dean will work with a Provost who is a very positive, optimistic leader who is looking for the same! There are so many great things happening – for students, for leaders, AND for faculty.

Poised at the threshold of R2 designation, TWU seeks a Dean who will build on this momentum to advance both our distinguished teaching tradition and our expanding research enterprise. The successful candidate will implement innovative approaches to help faculty balance these complementary missions, ensuring sustainable workload models that enable both high- impact teaching and productive scholarship. This leadership will be crucial in furthering our dual commitment to student success and research excellence.

Among a wide array of leadership opportunities, the Dean will lead the transition into a new Interprofessional Health Sciences Building . They will assist in building System Identity Across Campuses (Denton, Dallas, and Houston). With interprofessional education already a part of the college’s culture, the new Dean will have the opportunity to build on this by fostering deeper collaboration across disciplines, leveraging the diverse range of health sciences majors. The dean will work to implement strategies to attract high-quality students, enhance academic offerings, and create a welcoming and supportive environment that encourages students to stay through graduation. The dean will be key in continuing to create industry partnerships and expanding clinical services. As healthcare rapidly evolves, the new Dean can focus on modernizing the curriculum to meet emerging healthcare needs and technological advancements. And, they will create a long-term vision for the college.

Key Responsibilities:

• Maintains compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies and procedures and regulations.
• Establishes and implements policies and procedures for the College.
• Establishes priorities for resource utilization, including College budget creation and administration.
• Maintains a strategic plan for the College, including tracking of short- and long-range goals.
• Oversees college faculty workloads and faculty evaluation processes.
• Directs, mentors and evaluates department chairs and other direct subordinates within the College.
• Staff performance evaluations conducted in accordance with the University policies & procedures and according to established job standards.
• Represents the College on and off-campus, including evening and weekend College and University events.
• Actively promotes faculty and student research, scholarship and creative activity.
• Participates in advancement and fundraising activities as requested.
• Works with committees on policies and procedures that affect the governance within the college.
• Provides information to the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs on academic matters related to the College.
• Works across campus in the development of external grant proposals, access, campus climates issues, new program development (including interdisciplinary programming), promotion and tenure issues, and other areas as needed.
• Actively works to promote collaborative partnerships to include interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and health-related partnerships.
• Responsible for establishing job standards for subordinate staff and effectively evaluating staff under charge. The performance evaluation is conducted through the performance evaluation system and in accordance with the University Policies & Procedures.

Required Qualifications:

• Earned doctoral degree in an academic discipline represented in the College of Health Sciences.
• Established record of teaching, research, and service at a level consistent with TWU requirements for the rank of full professor.
• A minimum of five years of academic administrative leadership experience and achievement in positions of progressively increasing responsibility required.
• Substantial experience in curriculum development, budget management, research facilitation and funding, fundraising, and management of instruction strongly preferred.

Desired Qualifications:

• Ability to plan, direct, and evaluate a complex operation, using human resources power, time, funds, and other resources for the accomplishment of long-term and short- term goals of the institution.
• Academic and administrative expertise in areas appropriate to the college.
• Ability to organize work effectively, conceptualize and prioritize goals and objectives and to exercise informed judgment based on an understanding of organizational policies, procedures and activities.
• Ability to integrate resources, policies and information in order to develop procedures and to solve problems.
• Knowledge and understanding of current issues in higher education.
• Knowledge of management methods and the ability to provide administrative guidance, direct supervision and training as needed.
• Strong managerial skills, initiative, and vision in program development and administration.
• Ability to apply budgeting and fiscal planning techniques within fiscal constraints in order to maximize resources.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret financial reports and legal documents.
• Ability to present information effectively to administrators/ staff at all levels within the University, to public groups, and to the TWU Board of Regents.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, faculty, staff and the public.

Nominations and Expression of Interest:

Anthem Executive is pleased to assist Texas Woman’s with this national search. To express interest, you are requested to submit the following to Michael Ballew, Scott Watson, or Florene Stawowy at the following address:

TWUDeanCHS@anthemexecutive.com

A letter of interest stating how your experience is applicable to the position and its opportunities, responsibilities, and requirements; a curriculum vitae or resume; and five professional references with email addresses and telephone numbers. (References will not be contacted without your prior authorization.)

While letters of interest may be accepted until the position is filled, interested parties are strongly encouraged to submit their materials as soon as possible to assure full consideration. Anthem and the university reserve the right to end or extend the expression of interest, application, and nomination process at any time. Expressing interest is the first step in receiving consideration and does not make one an applicant for the position.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Texas Woman’s University, an AA/EEO employer, supports diversity. Men and women, and members of all racial and ethnic groups, are encouraged to apply. All offers of employment will be contingent on the candidate’s ability to provide documents which establish proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States. All positions at Texas Woman’s University are deemed security sensitive requiring background checks and verification of all academic credentials.