General Summary of Position:
The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) seeks a visionary, creative, and inspirational leader for the position of Dean of the College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. As one of the top 100 public universities in the country and the No. 1 ranked public university in Massachusetts (WSJ) with deep and mutually reinforcing ties to the technological and cultural nexus of Greater Boston, UMass Lowell has enjoyed dramatic growth in student applications, research funding and private giving over the past eight years.
Located just 30 miles north of Boston, UMass Lowell is a Carnegie Classification High Research University and conducts more than $95 million in sponsored research annually, in large part due to innovative partnerships with industry, including many of the Boston area’s most well-known high-technology companies situated in close proximity to the university’s campus. UMass Lowell has a proud history of providing education in a variety of fields to qualified first-generation college students throughout Massachusetts and working closely with industry to contribute to the economic health of the region. Recent years have seen advancements in nearly every institutional metric, with notable examples including a 20 percent increase in six-year graduation rate, a 56 percent increase in research and development expenditures, and over a ten percent increase in enrollment of both undergraduate and graduate students of color. The 2028 Strategic Plan has even higher aspirations.
The College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (FAHSS) is the largest college on campus and has been a key driver of UMass Lowell’s mission of access and excellence. The next dean will inherit and have the opportunity to propel forward a college poised for continued strong growth in the numbers and quality of its undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. Reporting to the provost, the dean is the principal academic and administrative officer for the College, including its two schools and ten departments. The dean will lead with a deep appreciation for UMass Lowell, its history, its strengths, and its unique opportunities. Guided by an unyielding focus on student transformation, a lived commitment to the power of diversity and belonging for all, and the confidence derived from the institution’s ability to chart goals and exceed them, as demonstrated by the 2010 strategic plan’s success, the Dean will provide leadership for college-wide efforts in contributing to the advancement of UMass Lowell as a university that operates at the highest levels of research, teaching and scholarship. The Dean will be responsible for creating a comprehensive and distinguishing identity for the college; promoting and celebrating the vitality of the liberal arts in the delivery of a well-rounded education; fostering the continued excellence and innovation in teaching, research, creative scholarship, and career-connected opportunities; investing in measures to ensure the success and advancement of a diverse slate of students, faculty, and staff; furthering community collaboration; forging external partnerships while growing resources and advancing fundraising efforts for the College; and advancing the goals of the UMass Lowell strategic plan: enrollment growth and student success; cultivation of a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive campus; research excellence, and continued community partnership for the mutual benefit of both university and city.
Minimum Qualifications (Required):
- UMass Lowell seeks a dean with broad intellectual insights, top-tier scholarly credentials, and strong management and leadership skills. The selected candidate will bring successful experience in a university, industry, or government environment with a distinguished record of leadership and intellectual achievement. The position requires a leader with strategic capacity and an outstanding record in research and education, superior communication skills, and the political skill and entrepreneurial capacity to inspire the FAHSS community. Experience should also include leading undergraduate and graduate programs as well as experience and knowledge in large grant administration.
- The successful candidate should have an earned doctorate or equivalent terminal degree and a record of scholarship, research, and teaching suitable for appointment as a tenured full professor.
Special Instructions to Applicants: