Careers @ MSU

Working/Functional Title

Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine

Position Summary

Michigan State University seeks an individual with a record of distinguished academic achievement and leadership of a complex organization.  The successful candidate will provide strong leadership at a premier academic institution and advocate for the College, and its faculty, staff, and students within the university community and beyond.

As a key member of the University’s leadership team, the Dean must be able to work across disciplinary boundaries. The successful candidate will demonstrate commitment to recruitment, retention, and placement of a diverse group of students, faculty and staff. The Dean of the College Veterinary Medicine is the executive administrator of the College and reports to and works with the Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs.  The Dean will be a visionary leader capable of building bridges between colleges, departments, and other units working with other colleges and the Provost’s office to develop and support strategic partnerships around the institution’s mission.  The Dean is a member of the Council of Deans and University Council. A unit if academic governance at Michigan State University and attends meetings regularly with and solicits the views of the College Advisory Council. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate -Veterinary Medicine

Minimum Requirements

• Earned Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine or equivalent from an accredited institution with outstanding scholarly accomplishments; and ability to meet standards for appointment at the rank of professor (with tenure) in an academic department of the university.
• Manage people and programs effectively in a complex academic environment—thinking strategically about the College’s programs and planning -- and use strong fiscal and business management skills to support the College’s mission. The next Dean will assume a leading role at the university level to facilitate collaborations and efficient and effective use of resources across colleges.
• Lead faculty, staff, and students and ensure an inclusive and transparent environment. The next Dean will be committed to recruiting and retaining a talented and culturally diverse faculty, staff and student body. The next Dean will provide visionary leadership to engage with the faculty and facilitate their capacities to identify and address challenges in public health, agriculture, and natural resources. The next Dean will balance the needs of curriculum, enrollment, financial and faculty resources to ensure innovative, excellent and inclusive instructional programs.
• Demonstrate a track record of success in curriculum development and / or management.  While there are positive steps being made in curriculum development, the Dean will lead this effort toward excellence in curriculum design to reflect the modern needs of the College. 
• Serve as the leader for development efforts. The next Dean will generate increased support and engagement from external partners, institutional supporters, alumni, state legislators, board members, and other key constituencies.
• The next Dean will work effectively with a diverse array of stakeholders including state lawmakers and the state veterinary association, whose interests and priorities intersect with College aspirations, and will create and maintain appropriate alliances with the private sector for research, teaching, and outreach opportunities. The next Dean will be a publicly-visible and publicly-engaged advocate, the primary representative, and a champion of the College’s mission and image, thus increasing the reputation of the College locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Demonstrate commitment to the Land Grant mission of excellence in teaching, research, and service. The next Dean will have an appreciation for the role of MSU Extension and an understanding and appreciation of the values of clinical practice, fundamental and applied research across the diverse range of disciplines represented within the College. The next Dean will appreciate and support creativity across the instructional curriculum, including effective teaching, experiential instruction, and faculty engagement with students and will recognize of the role of other colleges of the University in furthering the mission of the College.

Desired Qualifications

The successful candidate will bring the requisite experience and skills to build upon and shape the College’s strengths. Desired experience and qualifications will include:

• Leadership: Record of effective, stable and inspiring leadership and ability to develop and lead a vision that will expand the reach, impact, and reputation of the College;
• Fiscal Administration: Demonstrated fiscal stewardship with exceptional budgetary and academic acumen; including experience guiding units through difficult decision making and identifying additional funding streams;
• Decision Making: Ability to build consensus and show transparency around decision making with multiple stakeholder communities;
• Engagement & Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to engage and work collaboratively with faculty, students, staff, alumni, employers, and donors and other external constituencies at all levels in a complex and diverse environment; this includes collaboration between academic units at MSU as well as external partners;
• Communication: Exceptional written, oral and interpersonal communication skills; Ability to articulate the College’s strengths and effectively advocate for its needs;
• Diversity: Commitment and proven experience with DEI work that has shown promising results;
• Fundraising: Successful record of, or aptitude for, actively cultivating relationships with individuals, corporations, and foundations and soliciting philanthropy to support fulfillment of College’s goals as it relates to fundraising activities;
• A Commitment to Excellence: Strong commitment to; and understanding of quality undergraduate, graduate (e.g. master’s program, PhD programs and professional programs), student success, student needs and concerns, student engagement and support initiatives, including those for historically underrepresented and underserved populations;
• Visionary: Demonstrated ability for creating buy-in; inspiring collaboration through building bridges and pursue interdisciplinary partnerships with colleges across campus to identify connections and leverage new opportunities for faculty and students;
• People Centric:  Evidence of building an inclusive culture that honors and respects the experience and backgrounds of every member of the community and exhibits a high degree of global awareness;
• Research Focus: Demonstrated ability to foster innovative individual and team research in the basic biomedical and clinical sciences in order to improve animal and human health;
• Technology: Familiarity with, and appreciation for, the use of technology in creating and delivering outstanding academic programs;

Required Application Materials

All applications, nominations and expressions of interest are invited. Please provide a letter of interest addressing the themes in the profile, CV, and a statement on how past and/or potential contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion will advance MSU’s commitment to inclusive excellence. Priority consideration will be given to those materials received by November 27, 2023.

KornFerry is assisting Michigan State University in this search. For priority consideration, candidate materials should be received by November 27, 2023.

Nominations and inquires can be directed to: Paul H.L. Chou and Lori Hemmer at: CVMdean@KornFerry.com. 

Review of Applications Begins On

11/27/2023

Website

https://cvm.msu.edu/

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.