Dean, School of Education - Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the School of Education (SOE).  The Dean will serve as the chief academic and administrative officer of the School, which seeks to advance innovative, impactful solutions that address real-world challenges and to prepare the next generation of leaders with an interdisciplinary, experiential education.  The Dean, faculty, staff, and students will collaborate, work across multiple academic disciplines, and leverage their advantageous location in the capital city of Richmond.  The School of Education seeks an ambitious, visionary, and collaborative leader who can advance and distinguish the research, teaching, and public engagement missions of the unit and contribute to the University's new strategic plan Quest 2028, which emphasizes a rich academic environment driven by diversity, equity, and inclusion-centered action, student success, collaborative research and innovation, and deep, meaningful community engagement with the city of Richmond, Commonwealth of Virginia, nation, and world.

Today, VCU offers comprehensive undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and professional programs and encompasses one of the largest academic health centers in the nation.  With $464 million in externally-funded research awards for the 2023 fiscal year, VCU is one of only 71 institutions in the country with an academic medical center to be designated by the Carnegie Foundation as "Community Engaged" with "Highest Research Activity."  Its centers and institutes of excellence support the University's research mission and involve faculty from multiple disciplines in the arts, public policy, biotechnology, and health care discoveries.  VCU enrolls more than 28,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences, and humanities.  Twenty-two of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU's 11 schools and five colleges.  VCU has a full-time instructional faculty of more than 2,500 who are nationally and internationally recognized for excellence in the arts, business, education, engineering, the humanities, the life sciences, social work, and all the health care professions.  

The School of Education is a community of 978 students who are taught and mentored by 132 full-time faculty and 412 staff members across four departments - Counseling and Special Education, Educational Leadership, Foundations of Education, and Teaching and Learning.  Over the past three years, the School has experienced a 49% enrollment growth, with 35.8% of students identified as underrepresented minorities in the fall of 2023.  In addition, the School of Education has eight affiliated centers, facilitating strong connections with the School of Education, the city of Richmond, and beyond.  

This past year, VCU School of Education continued to soar in national rankings, solidifying its reputation as an education powerhouse.  For 2024-25, U.S. News & World Report recognized the School as the 16th best public graduate school of education and the #2 best education school in Virginia.  Beyond accolades, its external research funding surged past $40 million, reinforcing its position as the highest-funded academic unit on VCU's Monroe Park campus and 9th nationally in external funding per faculty member.  As an urban-serving R1 institution, the School's expertise in education catalyzes groundbreaking research and educational innovation which our graduates use to shape the future.  

The School's growth includes the expansion to the undergraduate level over the last five years, adding six bachelors degrees (five B.S.Ed.'s (Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Special Education) and one B.A. in Human and Organizational Development), one undergraduate certificate, and several new minors (Instructional Design and Technology, Recreation and Wellness, Health Education, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).  The School also introduced a Certificate in Culturally Responsive Leadership and two new M.Ed. in Educational Leadership concentrations - Culturally Responsive Leadership and Higher Education.  

The Dean of the School of Education sits as the Ruth Harris Professor in Dyslexia Studies.  The charge of this professorship is to support the community outreach related to dyslexia and language-based reading problems; this role is supported by the Ruth Harris Fellow, a PhD-level graduate assistant, and an administrative-focused student worker.

Reporting to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Fotis Sotiropoulos, the Dean of the SOE serves as a member of the VCU senior leadership team, working with the President, Provost, Deans, and other senior leaders to advance the University's mission. The Dean is responsible for enhancing the School profile, visibility, and effectiveness. With the input of and support from faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders, the Dean sets the strategic direction for the SOE and further defines the College's vision and priorities. With the responsibility for advancing the SOE's mission, the Dean oversees daily operations through thoughtful personnel decisions, general administration and management, prudent budgeting and resource management, academic program support, and fundraising. The Dean represents the School and leads the effort to create and strengthen partnerships within and outside of the University. The Dean also fosters high-quality academic teaching and research. In addition to creating opportunities for more robust research, the Dean will promote excellence in education, including the development of collaborative academic programs and experiential learning opportunities.

Please visit here for the full position description.

Priority consideration will be given to materials received by August 1, 2024. Applications should include a 1) current CV and 2) letter of interest that addresses the responsibilities and qualifications described above.

Buffkin/Baker, an executive search firm, is assisting the university in the search. Inquiries of interest, nominations, and applications should be submitted electronically, in confidence, to:

Mr. Martin M. Baker, Managing Partner

Dr. Pelema Ellis, Associate Partner

Buffkin / Baker