Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies 271754-AS
The Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies provides overall leadership for graduate studies in the College of Engineering (CoE). This leadership role includes oversight of graduate student services, responsibility for support and professional development of graduate students and postdocs, resolution of advisor and student grievances, and shaping of CoE policies and practices related to graduate affairs. A priority for this role is enhancing the graduate student experience at all levels through proactive measures such as increasing professional development opportunities for students, post docs, and faculty.
This position serves as the primary liaison between the CoE and the Office of the Provost, the Graduate School, and the Office of the Dean of Students and provides support of post-doctoral candidates in the College in collaboration with the Office for Post-doctoral studies for issues related to:
- Graduate student services;
- Professional development for graduate students and postdocs;
- Assessment of graduate student outcomes;
- Campus policies and practices impacting the graduate student experience;
- Graduate student grievances and academic issues;
- Post-doctoral studies support.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering has a deep and profound commitment to equity and inclusion. As such, we strongly encourage applications from candidates who foster and promote these values.
Responsibilities:
Serves as a senior academic officer within a school or college. Plans, organizes, and directs the day-to-day operations and strategic direction of an academic program or function within the school or college.
- 25% Establishes priorities that align with the strategic directives of the assigned school or college and ensures units effectively carry out duties in a way that best supports the academic mission of the university; provides direct supervision of department /program leadership staff and monitors compliance with laws, regulations, university policies, procedures, and relevant contractual obligations
- 10% Advises and collaborates with the Dean, Associate Dean, and/or Office of the Provost on critical issues, representing the functional area of supervision at appropriate meetings and events as requested; and serves on and/or leads various program and/or university committees as directed
- 15% Monitors on-going assessment and continuous improvement of academic programs and services by guiding the establishment of annual goals, ensuring progress towards goals is met, articulating challenges, and reporting on annual outcomes and achievements for programs and services
- 5% Supports special initiatives and/or grant-funded programs that require senior leadership attention with respect to program design, planning, coordination, and interaction with internal and external stakeholders
- 10% Facilitates collegial, collaborative working relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, partners with administrative and academic departments to support initiatives, and gathers input from key stakeholders to support recommendations
- 10% May exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees
- 5% Serves on various university review committees, working with a wide range of constituencies including the Faculty Senate, Deans and Associate Deans, General Counsel, and University Leadership
- 15% Meets with students and faculty to provide support related to communication, climate, hostile or intimidating behavior, expectations for research progress and work hours, mentoring, work-life balance, factors limiting academic progress
- 5% Ensures inclusion, diversity, and equity is central in all policies, hiring, and decision making; engages in practices that build inclusive teams; and promotes environments that are welcoming and inclusive
Education:
- Master's degree required; PhD preferred. Degree in engineering, science, math, STEM education, higher education or related degree.
Qualifications:
Required:
- A minimum of 5 years experience with pertinent expertise in the field of graduate education. Familiarity with pathways and milestones for graduate students in R1 institutions.
- Strategic leader with excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to work effectively with faculty, staff and students.
- Knowledge of and commitment to employing best practices of advising and counseling, and a high degree of cultural sensitivity and awareness in working with students from first generation, underrepresented, and other targeted populations.
- Evidence of exemplary commitment to graduate student mentoring and graduate education.
- Proven ability in decision making, policy interpretation, and policy implementation.
- Mature and balanced judgment; able to manage conflict.
- Strong leadership skills and relevant professional service, including supervision.
- Experience with evaluation, quantitative and qualitative analysis and demonstrated ability to use data to evaluate program effectiveness, inform policies and practices, and guide program development.
- Experience with conflict resolution and conflict management.
- Demonstrated commitment to, and experience working in collaboration with, students, faculty, and staff of diverse ethnicities, cultures, social and economic backgrounds.
- Candidates must be committed to sustaining high quality graduate programs, expanding professional development opportunities for graduate students, supporting graduate student services, and building collaborative partnerships within the College and across campus.
- Excellent communication skills
Preferred:
- Relevant experience in managing and overseeing graduate programs.