Dean for Traditional Undergraduate Education

OBU Mission Statement
OBU transforms lives by equipping students to pursue academic excellence, integrate faith with all areas
of knowledge, engage a diverse world, and live worthy of the high calling of God in Christ.
Expectations for all Employees
Oklahoma Baptist University achieves its mission through a shared commitment to the following
expectations. All employees must embrace these expectations and model them in their behavior.
• Demonstrate commitment to the essentials of the Christian faith.
• Commit to the mission and vision of Oklahoma Baptist University.
• Treat people with dignity and respect.
• Build relationships on honesty, integrity, and trust.
• Strive for excellence through teamwork, leadership, and a strong work ethic.
• Manage human and financial resources wisely and efficiently.

Purpose:

Oklahoma Baptist University invites applications for the position of Dean of Undergraduate Residential Education. The Dean will serve as the primary administrative leader for traditional undergraduate academic faculty and programs at OBU. Salary and Rank will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The anticipated start date for the position is January 1, 2026.
Essential Functions:
•Champion the academic vision/strategy regarding good pedagogy and faith integration
•Advocate for academic units and faculty to VPs
•Support division/school chairs by holding regular 1:1 meeting, providing leadership development, and attending division meetings to represent administrative perspective (as needed)
•Drive academic administrative work to completion by liaising with academic VPs, academic leadership, and other university offices on behalf of division/school chairs
•Support academic budget work, policy development, program assessment, and accreditation processes
•Lead Undergraduate Council meetings
•Conduct annual evaluation of traditional undergraduate faculty in collaboration with the associate dean of faculty development
•Supervise the hiring process for new faculty and staff in traditional UG academics
•Support external partnerships and engage division/school chairs as needed
•Support recruitment and marketing efforts and engage division/school chairs as needed
•Lead academic units in annual program health checks and cyclical program review and develop new programs as needed
•Address student concerns as needed
•Address faculty concerns as needed

Other Duties:
Additional duties related to service as Dean may include:
•Represent OBU and individual academic divisions/schools at recruiting & advancement-related events.
•Serve in public speaking capacities.
•University committee service and institutional duties as assigned; and,
•Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:
•Earned PhD or terminal degree in an academic field
•Higher education experience
•Ability to travel as needed to perform job duties
•Be able to communicate clearly and effectively.
•Possess and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills.
•Possess and demonstrate the ability to identify, pursue, and supervise strategic partnerships related to academic programs.
•Possess and demonstrate the ability to work in advancement-related capacities for academic programs.
•Possess and demonstrate the ability to think creatively about marketing & communication for academic programs.
•Be able to relate to colleagues in the OBU community and serve as a representative to the professional community beyond OBU.

Preferred Qualifications:
•Experience as a faculty member and administrator, preferably in ways that are clearly related to the required job duties listed above

Special Requirements:
•Must be a member of a local evangelical* Christian church. Preference will be given to those candidates who are members of a local Southern Baptist church.
•*Evangelical is a broad term referring to segment within Christianity which maintains the authority of the Bible and the belief in salvation by faith in Jesus alone.
•**Please apply using the link for “Administrative Applications” on the OBU website at https://www.okbu.edu/hr/jobs.html 

OBU Benefits Summary:
OBU understands that our employees are our most valuable assets when fulfilling our mission. We strive to offer an extensive array of benefits and opportunities for employees to choose from. OBU contributes generously to the monthly premiums for nationwide family-friendly Health and Dental coverages and provides free life insurance with accidental death and dismemberment equal to an employee’s base salary. There is generous paid time off that includes annual granted vacation time, accrued sick leave, six annual holidays, and week-long breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is an employer matching opportunity for retirement investments in a 403(b)(9) plan administered by GuideStone. OBU gives access to optional employee-paid ancillary benefits like vision, hospitalization, critical illness, accident, and additional family life insurance coverages. There are numerous other perks and opportunities like FREE family membership to the OBU Recreation and Wellness Center or RAWC, Global outreach university mission trips, education benefits at OBU and other institutions of higher education, cafeteria discounts, and parking privileges to name a few. For a complete list of current OBU employee benefits and opportunities, please visit our Employees Benefits page on our website.