Texas A&M University-Commerce seeks an outstanding and experienced leader to serve as Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR).
The Dean, who reports directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, is responsible for all aspects of academic life within the College, including teaching, research, personnel matters, and budgets. The Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of CASNR, overseeing operational, fiscal, and strategic matters of the College. The Dean develops and maintains the highest standards for academic excellence and accomplishment and serves as the spokesperson of the College to external partners.
To ensure full consideration by the CASNR Dean Search Committee, applicants should apply by September 6, 2024. The search will continue until a new dean is appointed.
Interested applicants should submit:
All application materials should be submitted through the AGB Search Portal System at: Texas A&M University-Commerce-Agriculture.
Questions regarding the application process should be directed to TAMUC-agriculture@agbsearch.com.
Nominations and inquiries should be directed to:
A&M-Commerce is a rapidly growing university, with a rising profile, making positive strides toward innovation and the future. Driving the ascending trajectory is the university's commitment to providing high-quality educational opportunities that prepare students for success, including those from low-income and first-generation backgrounds. Located just outside of Dallas, the university offers 130 affordable degree programs and is becoming the school of choice for urban and rural Northeast Texas. Embracing a mission to transform lives, A&M-Commerce has seen a 7% increase in overall enrollment compared to the same time last year, with 11,983 students enrolled for Fall 2023, including over 8,200 undergraduates and 3,740 graduate students. The most significant increase was among first-time freshmen, a remarkable 22.1% increase over last year. This is a significant increase and one of the highest across the Texas A&M University System.
The main campus, located in the city of Commerce, covers 2,094 acres. The new 8750 North Central Expressway location in Dallas invites an urban audience, for whom convenience and accessibility are important considerations. Additional education sites include Bryan, Corsicana, Dallas, Frisco, McKinney, Mesquite and online.
Students work with world-class professors who dedicate themselves to excellence in teaching and research. The university maintains strong relationships with local industries to create relevant academic programs and valuable internship and networking opportunities that prepare career-ready graduates. As an Adobe campus, focus is given to digital literacy, with an approach to career preparedness that begins at the time of enrollment. Student success remains at the core of this university, offering students the opportunity to work with academic advisors, college life coaches, and career navigators.
With the focus on belonging, A&M-Commerce is one of the most distinctive universities in the A&M System. The institution aims to transform the lives of students, faculty, and staff. All enjoy the opportunity to continue their education and take advantage of professional development opportunities, such as the courses offered each semester through the Presidential Initiative, “Investing in Us.”
The Lion Athletics program recently joined NCAA Division I, competing in 14 sports. The university supports a thriving Greek system and more than 140 clubs and organizations.
From classes in the academic core curriculum, to selected major area of study, to outstanding endeavors both within and beyond the traditional classroom setting, students find themselves uniquely placed in the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts, the cultural hub of Northeast Texas. CHSSA departments represent both traditional and emerging areas of study that not only support current interests but also define new areas of enrichment. These departments reflect a wide range of thought and discipline encompassing the social sciences, fine arts, and humanities. Disciplines include many of the traditional pillars of a university education (e.g., history, English) but also newer interdisciplinary visions of how to investigate our complex world (e.g., liberal studies, gender studies). Whether they are undergraduate, masters, or doctoral level (i.e., Ph.D. in English), students engage with nationally and internationally recognized faculty members and participate in rigorous academic, artistic, and aesthetic experiences on their path to becoming informed citizens.
CHSSA enrolls 1340 students; 976 undergraduates and 364 graduate students.
The gender distribution is 40% male and 60% female. Over 30% identify as first generation, with 24% of the student population identifying as Hispanic, and 18% as Black/African American.
The city of Commerce is located in Northeast Texas, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas. With a population of 9,293, Commerce is a close-knit community of involved citizens. The city’s historic downtown features family-owned boutiques, a coffee shop and eateries. Commerce has a high school, middle school and elementary school close to A&M-Commerce’s campus. The area is a peaceful and rural region.
Texas A&M University-Commerce's Division of Academic Affairs oversees administrative support and results-based accountability to ensure academic excellence and nurture a sense of belonging. Our mission is to empower individuals to explore and pursue their passions, transforming their lives for the better. We achieve this by investing in an array of teaching, classroom experiences, research, service, partnership, and professional development initiatives that encourage innovation. We strive to create a conducive environment where our faculty and staff can prepare students with the necessary skills and behaviors to become career-ready graduates of the 21st century. Through our collaborative efforts, we aim to add value and impact to the Northeast Texas region.
Four competencies (observable skills and behaviors) anchor our collaborative efforts and decision-making:
The Search Committee identified three specific competencies they believe are critical to the dean’s success: balancing stakeholders, valuing differences and cultivating innovation.
The Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs has published seven clear expectations for leadership at the Dean level. In the coming year, the expectations for driving results through ambiguity to bring about change are:
Deans are expected to embrace these expectations in the course of making difficult choices, implementing effective budget strategies and facilitating professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. The goal is leadership that is proactive and adaptable, able to achieve positive outcomes in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment.
Ask students what they value most about CHSSA and the response will be that faculty genuinely care about students and their success. Students cite examples of faculty members offering assistance and support in the classroom and through experiential learning that prepares students to secure employment following graduation and achieve success in their careers. They recount stories of teachers who listened to their non-academic concerns and helped them find answers.
The dean will value the extraordinary relationships faculty and staff maintain with students and will be committed to supporting the special bond between faculty, staff and students that is the hallmark of a CHSSA education.
The dean will also acknowledge that most students come to value engagement with CHSSA faculty only after they have enrolled. It is a reason that students stay and complete their degrees. The dean will recognize the need to communicate the value of the relationship between faculty and students as a key component of CHSSA’s recruitment strategy.
In an atmosphere of increased pressure on students to forego the liberal arts in favor of professionally oriented courses and majors, the dean will need to actively promote the relevance of CHSSA, demonstrating the intrinsic value of CHSSA programs, while pursuing cross-disciplinary alliances that incorporate CHSSA courses in non-CHSSA majors. While CHSSA’s reputation is strong, there is increased competition for students within as well as outside the campus. Encouraging students to pursue CHSSA majors is important. Retaining CHSSA students in those majors is critical. Special emphasis needs to be placed on attracting and retaining students who may not be of traditional age and who may not find living on campus to be a viable alternative. To increase enrollment the dean must be prepared to expand the reach of CHSSA’s in-person, online and hybrid programs, both credit and non-credit.
The dean will engage in strategic enrollment management planning and implementation as a key function of the position.
Recent years have marked a period of significant change for CHSSA. Students – and their parents – are more likely to think of themselves as customers and consumers. COVID has changed attitudes toward online and hybrid education. Convenience may now be of greater value than residing on a rural residential campus, especially for urban dwellers and working adults.
The new dean will provide transformative leadership for CHSSA at a time when increased competition for students and funding renders “the way we’ve always done it” unsustainable.
The dean will provide leadership to initiatives such as the development in Dallas that foster and enhance student and faculty engagement with the urban community. Looking beyond Commerce, the dean will engage academic and non-academic stakeholders in planning for the future. The dean will be a representative and enthusiastic spokesperson for CHSSA and the university at the local, regional, and national level, with the College serving as the cultural hub for Northeast Texas.
Within the college, the dean will provide leadership and mentorship to department chairs, faculty, staff, and students. The dean will foster an environment of integrity and united purpose that contributes to the development of new academic programs within the college and interdisciplinary pursuits across the university.
The dean will identify, attract, and strategically manage financial resources for CHSSA. This begins with effectively managing an approximate $9 million annual budget, a faculty of 96, including 87 assistant, associate and full professors, and a staff of 37.
Understanding that maintaining state-of-the-art programs and facilities is essential, the dean will assume responsibility for community outreach and engagement on a significant scale. The dean will build on past successes and engage in fundraising.
The dean will apply cutting edge knowledge of national trends and priorities for CHSSA related fields to develop new and improved academic programs and continuing education opportunities. This includes developing interdisciplinary programs offered across departments and colleges, with focused efforts to attract and retain quality faculty and students.
The dean will ensure that all regional and peer accreditation requirements continue to be met.
The dean will ensure ongoing quality and continuous improvement in the school’s academic program array at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and in in-person, hybrid and online programs, by supporting and advancing progressive assessment efforts and strategies. The dean will continue to build CHSSA’s research portfolio while enthusiastically supporting the school’s teaching mission.
The successful candidate will be an entrepreneurial, innovative visionary who values all CHSSA programs, students, faculty, and staff and celebrates their successes. Candidates with significant academic leadership success are welcome to apply. A terminal degree in a CHSSA field is required and credentials that merit appointment at the rank of full professor.
The Dean will practice results-based accountability, drive engagement by empowering others, drive vision and purpose to achieve excellence, and promote access through customer focus.
In addition, the new dean will exhibit the following qualities and experiences:
Dean of the College of Education and Human Services
Department of History
Department of Liberal Studies
Department of History
Department of Educational Leadership
Department of Literature and Languages
Department of Music
Department of Art
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Department of Theatre
Department of Political Science
Alumna & CEO of Hite Digital
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
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