Dean, Waters College of Health Professions
Georgia Southern University
Position Description

Georgia Southern University (GSU) seeks a dedicated and innovative academic health professional to serve as its next Dean of the Waters College of Health Professions (WCHP).

Position

Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer and spokesperson for the Waters College of Health Professions. The Dean will serve as a strong advocate for the College, its faculty, and its students to work toward strengthening inter-disciplinary efforts within the University and other community partners within the State of Georgia. In addition, the Dean will work closely with the provost and all relevant stakeholders to support the institution’s transition to Carnegie R1 status. As its champion, the Dean will play a key role in further strengthening an organization committed to its mission to prepare future health professionals through academic excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration while advancing knowledge through scholarship and serving culturally diverse communities.

Qualifications

The successful candidate must possess an earned doctorate in a related field and a record of distinguished research, teaching, and scholarly activities commensurate with appointment as full professor with tenure in one of the departments in the College. The candidate must also possess a strong sense of professional ethics and demonstrated academic leadership and administrative experience. Additionally, it is preferred the successful candidate demonstrates:

• A successful record of progressive academic administration at institutions with graduate research programs, preferably at the Carnegie R1 level
• In-depth knowledge of clinical programs and placements
• A proven track record of addressing stakeholders needs across a multi-campus environment
• Collaboration with faculty to develop a vision and strategic plans for the future within an environment of shared governance
• The ability to communicate effectively to build and enhance relationships with the staff, community, and various constituent groups
• Oversight of the college’s budget and financial allocations
• A record of success in recruiting, retaining, and mentoring talented faculty and staff
• The ability to inspire faculty to excel in teaching, research, and creative activities and to reward excellence in these areas
• Deep knowledge and experience in addressing health issues unique to rural and urban communities
• A commitment developing and implementing student success initiatives
• The ability to function well as part of the campus leadership team
• A track record of success in fundraising and securing private support from donors
• Leadership through innovative organizational change in a transparent and inclusive manner
• A desire and skill to serve as both the internal and external face of the College
• Expertise in raising WCHP visibility and reputation within and beyond the University by engaging diverse groups to strengthen its standing locally, regionally, and nationally
• Advocacy for the College when engaging with University stakeholders and healthcare agencies
• The ability to promote interdisciplinary collaboration within WCHP and among other Colleges throughout the University
• A transparent and approachable leadership style, serving as highly visible leader at each campus
• Engagement with the community through the cultivation of partnerships with nonprofit organizations, industry leaders, alumni, and others
• Effective management of human and financial resources while respecting shared governance in the decision-making process

Opportunities

The Dean of the WCHP will have the opportunity to lead an organization that is committed to serving communities, locally, regionally, and statewide. The Dean will have a strong history of leadership in teaching, research, and service. In leading the college, the Dean must provide direction in the following areas:

• Developing new and existing partnerships with community-focused and health-related organizations and stakeholders at each campus – Statesboro, Armstrong, and Liberty
• Cultivating and implementing a unified strategic plan that inspires the WCHP
• Providing leadership in the area of fundraising and external relations as well as spearheading broader advancement efforts in communications and engagement with external stakeholders
• Enhancing and developing novel advancement opportunities to fund new and existing programs, promote faculty development, increase research productivity, and enhance student support
• Leveraging the College’s academically diverse offerings by exploring opportunities to promote interdisciplinary academic collaboration and scholarship between the WCHP and other colleges within the University to foster and strengthen current academic programs that will elevate student success and experience
• Creating an environment that inspires creativity and strengthens the quality of service, reputation and status of the College’s programs
• Coalescing a shared identity, cohesion, and collaboration among the varied units to advance the quality and reputation of the College and to better serve the campus community and regions
• Recruiting and retaining excellent faculty and staff committed to positively impacting student performance and increasing their sense of belonging
• Developing new opportunities for student access to research and partnership with the faculty
• Strengthening interdisciplinary connections among the units of the College to promote research growth and impact, as well as support unique academic programs
• Supporting and growing the University’s research mission, the Dean will advance the faculty’s scholarly activities and external sponsorship growth, and encourage and advocate for interdisciplinary opportunities that increase impact
• Providing leadership to the faculty in developing, maintaining, and improving high-quality programs of instruction, research, creative activity, outreach, and public service

The Waters College of Health Professions

The Waters College of Health Professions (WCHP) is one of the eight academic colleges that comprise Georgia Southern University. The College was established to provide comprehensive and innovative programs to enhance the health and quality of life for individuals, families, and communities within a global society. The College’s nationally accredited programs train outstanding leaders through engaged teaching and learning opportunities, scholarly and creative research, and socially responsive service activities. With a commitment to interdisciplinary learning and professional excellence, WCHP prepares the next generation for success. The College’s mission is to prepare future health professionals through academic excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration while advancing knowledge through scholarship and serving our communities.

WCHP offers a broad range of majors, minors, and certificates to over 4,900 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. The College has an operating budget of $16+ million and is comprised of two departments and one school:

• The Department of Clinical Sciences offers undergraduate degree programs in Communication Sciences, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiologic Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Respiratory Therapy. At the graduate level, the Department offers a degree in Athletic Training and Communication Sciences and Disorders. At the doctoral level, the Department offers a program in Physical Therapy.

• The Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology offers undergraduate degree programs in health sciences, nutrition and food science, sport management, athletic training, and exercise science. At the graduate level, the Department offers degree programs in health administration, athletic training, coaching, exercise science, physical education, sport and exercise psychology, sport management and sports medicine and a graduate certificate program in dietetics.

• The School of Nursing offers the following undergraduate nursing programs: Bachelors of Science in Nursing, Accelerated Bachelors of Science in Nursing (Bachelors of Science in Nursing for 2nd degree students), LPN-BSN (Bachelors of Science in Nursing for LPNs), and RN-BSN (Online Bachelors of Science in Nursing for RNs). At the graduate level, a BSN to DNP with MSN opt out, Post-MSN Certificate, MSN, and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) are offered.

WCHP is home to approximately 119 full-time faculty, 98 part-time faculty,16 staff, and 70 graduate assistants that are dedicated to the development of its students and serving the community. Additionally, the College houses several centers and outreach programs for students to have the opportunity to participate in research and work alongside faculty. Following are several examples:

• Magnolia Coastlands Area Health Education Center - Magnolia Coastlands AHEC (MCAHEC) is a private, non-profit, community-based organization governed by a Board of Directors. MCAHEC is committed to providing high quality, accessible, educational programs and services designed to meet the specific needs of the health care practitioners, students and health professions’ faculty residing and working in its 39-county service area through community and academic partnerships.

• Waters College of Health Professions Advisement Center - The Waters College of Health Professions Advisement Center provides students housed within the WCHP with academic advisement. The Center assists students with course selection and scheduling, provides major and minor information, provides change of major and/or major application assistance, and verifies/grants approval for transient coursework.

• Biodynamics and Human Performance Center - The Biodynamics and Human Performance Center is dedicated to studying the prevention, evaluation and treatment of movement related diseases and injury. The Center is divided into three sections: the Biomechanics Laboratory, the Muscle Performance Laboratory and the Exercise Physiology Laboratory.

• RiteCare Center for Communication Disorders - The RiteCare Center for Communication Disorders is a teaching communication disorder center with a mission to enhance the lives of children and adults with communication impairments through excellence in client care, research and education and to provide knowledge, training and relevant practical experiences for developing clinical-fellowship-ready speech-language pathologists.

• Center for Rehabilitation and Independent Living - The Center for Rehabilitation and Independent Living (CRIL) focuses on enhancing community-engaged research and service to the Coastal region while promoting interdisciplinary and cross-campus research within the WCHP. By combining the expertise of faculty in the human movement sciences and clinical rehabilitation, we aim to improve the health and functioning of individuals in the region. CRIL emphasizes research and service in the assessment, rehabilitation, and enhancement of human movement across the lifespan.

For more information about the Waters College of Health Professions, please use the following link: https://chp.georgiasouthern.edu/.

Georgia Southern University

Georgia Southern University is the state’s largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta. With more than 140-degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, Georgia Southern has been designated a Carnegie Doctoral/R2 “high research” university and serves over 27,000 students from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico as well as 140 nations. Founded in 1906 as a small agricultural school, Georgia Southern has grown exponentially in almost 120 years as an institution and experienced historic milestones in its history. The most significant of these milestones was the consolidation of Georgia Southern University and Armstrong State University in January 2018 to create the new Georgia Southern University.

Now with three vibrant campuses — the Statesboro Campus, the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and the Liberty Campus in Hinesville — Georgia Southern offers a dynamic environment which encourages learning, discovery and personal growth. The University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and has earned special accreditation from professional and academic associations that set standards in their fields. Georgia Southern is an influencer and intellectual catalyst in southeast Georgia, a rapidly expanding region that is home to international companies such as Hyundai, Gulfstream and JCB, as well as the Port of Savannah and Georgia Ports Authority.

With a focus on hands-on learning, Georgia Southern is supporting the demand for highly skilled workers by providing academic excellence and creative innovation in a supportive, student-centered environment that empowers the next generation of leaders to succeed. Recently named one of the Best U.S. Colleges by The Wall Street Journal, Georgia Southern is nationally ranked for the caliber of its programs and services. For more information on the university profile, please visit the following link.

Nomination and Application Process

The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred that all nominations and applications be submitted by January 28, 2025. For additional information, please contact:

Laurie Wilder, President
Porsha Williams, Vice President
Jacob Anderson, Senior Principal
Scott Gaffney, Executive Recruiting Coordinator
Parker Executive Search
Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875
Atlanta, GA 30328
(770) 804-1996 ext. 111
pwilliams@parkersearch.com || janderson@parkersearch.com || sgaffney@parkersearch.com

An equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.