Dean, College of Health Sciences

The mission of The University of Bridgeport is to promote academic excellence, personal responsibility, and commitment to service. Distinctive curricula in an international, culturally diverse supportive learning environment prepare graduates for life and leadership in an increasingly interconnected world.

Position Description Summary/Purpose:

The Dean of the College of Health Sciences serves as the Chief Academic and Administrative Officer for one of the University's largest and most comprehensive divisions. At a time when the College is deepening workforce development partnerships with regional hospitals and healthcare systems and expanding interprofessional programming across the full degree spectrum — from associate through doctoral — the Dean provides the vision, governance, and operational leadership across all Schools, Institutes, and clinics of the College. Working in close collaboration with the Provost and faculty, and serving at the pleasure of the President, the Dean is responsible for all academics and operations within the College, assuring educational effectiveness and a comprehensive interprofessional education (IPE) synergy among its faculty and students, and administering a large and complex operating budget.

Essential Job Functions/Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide visionary academic and administrative leadership across the College's four Schools (Fones School of Dental Hygiene, School of Chiropractic, School of Health Professions, and School of Nursing), its Institutes (Acupuncture, Physician Assistant Studies, Nutrition, and Continuing Education), and its On-Campus Interprofessional Clinics (Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Dental), and supervise the College's faculty and staff.
  
  
• Develop and drive a strategic plan for the College's undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral curricula, as well as its associate-level programming.
  
  
• Cultivate and expand workforce development partnerships with regional hospitals and healthcare systems, and administer all clinical and community practicum contracts for supervised practice experiences.
  
  
• Champion interprofessional education (IPE) and academic innovation, including emerging trends in healthcare education, clinical simulation, and online teaching and learning.
  
  
• Direct Program Directors to ensure ongoing assessment of key performance indicators — persistence, retention, attainment, student learning, and program outcomes.
  
  
• Oversee management, operational delivery, and risk mitigation for the College's on-campus clinics.
  
  
• Prepare a proposed operating budget, administer the approved budget, and monitor all financial transactions for the College.
  
  
• In collaboration with School Directors, recommend to the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs the hiring, reappointment, and rank of School faculty, and advise the Provost on faculty dismissal recommendations.
  
  
• Represent the College of Health Sciences on University-wide committees and ad hoc task forces.
  
  
• Approve and help develop public relations and marketing materials for the College, and partner with the Office of Admissions to achieve enrollment goals in support of the Strategic Enrollment Management Plan.
  
  
• Lead fundraising and grant-writing efforts for the College in conjunction with the Vice President of Marketing, Vice President of Advancement, Vice President of Institutional Research, and the Institutional Grants Office.
  
  
• Represent the College at professional, public relations, and fundraising events.
  
  
• Advance a personal scholarly portfolio and encourage College faculty to pursue scholarship and creative work, supporting university, regional, or professional publication and presentation as appropriate to their discipline.
  
  
• Champion the scholarship of teaching and learning and academic innovation through the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching and external conferences.
  
  
• Support the Tutoring and Learning Center and other academic support services offered within the College.
  
  
• Plan and lead faculty School meetings, and ensure School Directors meet regularly with their faculty.
  
  
• Collaborate with fellow Deans on shared programming, faculty, facilities, and other strategic initiatives that advance the College's strategic plan.
  
  
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs or the President.
  
  

Knowledge, Ability and Skill:

• Demonstrated commitment to developing and fostering best practices and policies to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, and build an environment in which all members of the University community are treated with respect and dignity.
  
  
• Comprehensive knowledge of health sciences education, curricula, clinical training standards, accreditation, and professional practice across the College's program areas — dental hygiene, chiropractic, nursing, health professions, acupuncture, physician assistant studies, and nutrition.
  
  
• Knowledge of emerging trends in interprofessional and healthcare education, workforce development, and online teaching and learning.
  
  
• Skill in academic portfolio and budget management, organizational planning, and data-informed decision-making.
  
  
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to lead and contribute within cross-functional teams and to engage internal and external stakeholders.
  
  
• Strong analytical, presentation, writing, and research skills.
  
  
• Proven ability to lead within complex, collaborative environments.
  
  
• Self-motivated, independent thinker who can meet deadlines and manage competing and conflicting priorities.
  
  
• Ability to build cooperation and consensus with colleagues and departments throughout the University.
  
  
• Ability to work with an ethnically, culturally, and socially diverse community of students, staff, faculty, and other constituencies.
  
  

Qualifications

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Earned rank of Professor in a discipline housed within the College, or equivalent experience in clinical practice or administration.
  
  
• An earned doctoral or terminal degree in one of, or closely related to, the College's program areas — Dental Hygiene, Chiropractic, Nursing, Health Professions/Allied Health, Acupuncture, Physician Assistant Studies, or Nutrition — from a regionally accredited college or university.
  
  
• Demonstrated postsecondary teaching experience in a health sciences discipline, with a strong academic and clinical background in the field.
  
  
• Minimum of seven years of progressive, senior-level academic and administrative leadership directing complex health science and health care programs across all degree levels.
  
  
• Demonstrated success building and managing clinical education sites, patient care operations, and healthcare compliance.
  
  
• Experience with review and promotion processes.
  
  
• Documented success in discipline-specific and regional accreditation.
  
  
• Experience administering academic and clinical budgets across healthcare disciplines.
  
  

Physical and Mental Requirements:

Work Environment

None

Under 1/3

1/3 to 2/3

Over 2/3

Outdoor Weather Conditions

X

Work with fumes or airborne particles

X

Work near moving mechanical parts

X

Risk of electrical shock

X

Vibration

X

Physical Activity

None

Under 1/3

1/3 to 2/3

Over 2/3

Standing

X

Walking

X

Sitting

X

Talking & Hearing

X

Using hands/fingers to handle/feel

X

Climbing or balancing

X

Bending, pulling, pushing

X

Driving

X

Lifting Requirements

None

Under 1/3

1/3 to 2/3

Over 2/3

Up to 10 pounds

X

Up to 25 pounds

X

Up to 50 pounds

X

Up to 75 pounds

X

Up to 100 pounds

X

Over 100 pounds

X

Vision requirements (Especially relevant if driving is required by the job)

___ Close vision (i.e. clear vision at 20 inches or less)

___ Distance vision (i.e. clear vision at 20 feet or more)

___ Color vision (i.e. ability to identify and distinguish colors)

___ Peripheral vision (i.e. ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or left and right while the eyes are fixed on a given point)

___ Depth perception (i.e. three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances and spatial relationships)

_X_ No special vision requirements

Full-Time Employee Benefits:

• Medical Insurance
  
  
• Dental Insurance
  
  
• Vision Insurance
  
  
• Pet Insurance
  
  
• 401k employer match
  
  
• Employee & dependent life insurance
  
  
• Great tuition benefits for employee, spouse & dependents
  
  
• PTO program
  
  
• Flexible work schedules / work from home opportunities
  
  

(This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between The University of Bridgeport and employee. It is used as a guide for personnel actions and is subject to change by the University as the needs of the University and requirements of the job change.)

The University of Bridgeport provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. The University of Bridgeport complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.