Academic Department Head/Agricultural & Extension Education

About the role

We are seeking candidates with an understanding of and appreciation for undergraduate/graduate education, research, and outreach, with a strong commitment to the Land Grant mission. The Department Head serves as the chief academic and administrative officer and principal advocate for the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, reporting to the Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

Responsibilities

• Faculty recruitment and development; faculty annual evaluation; program development; program review; curriculum development; student recruitment and retention; departmental fiscal management; and secure external funding, fundraising, or partnership development.
• Provide strategic leadership for the department’s teaching, research, Extension, outreach, and service missions while fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment for faculty, staff, and students.
• Advance departmental, college, and university priorities; lead strategic planning and organizational improvement; communicate departmental needs and accomplishments; resolve concerns; and use data to guide decisions and allocate resources.
• Oversee departmental facilities, equipment, technology, and operations.
• Provide strategic leadership for undergraduate and graduate programs, ensuring quality, relevance, and continuous improvement of curricula, instruction, assessment, and experiential learning opportunities.
• Oversee faculty and staff workload assignments, promote the effective allocation of departmental resources, and teach at least one upper-division or graduate course each academic semester.
• Lead proactive, data-informed efforts to recruit a diverse and academically prepared student body; strengthen student engagement, belonging, and persistence; and improve retention, degree progression, and graduation rates.
• Recruit, supervise, support, and evaluate faculty and staff in accordance with university policies, including conducting annual evaluations, mentoring faculty through promotion and tenure, supporting professional development, addressing performance or workplace concerns, and administering personnel actions fairly and consistently.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, personnel resources, accounts, grants, contracts, and revenue-generating activities in coordination with college personnel, ensuring compliance with university policies and standards of ethical stewardship.
• Champion faculty research agendas; support the development, funding, implementation, and dissemination of high-quality research; and promote interdisciplinary collaboration within the department and across the college, university, and external partners.
• Serve as an ambassador for the department by building relationships with alumni, donors, schools, government agencies, industry, professional associations, and community organizations to support fundraising, student recruitment, program visibility, and responsible communications.
• Remain knowledgeable about university policies, academic administration, fiscal and personnel management, research administration, and regulatory requirements, pursuing relevant training and consulting university professionals as needed.
• Foster collaborations and participate in activities and on research teams that support the work of the Center for Excellence in Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems (CESFAS).

Requirements

• Earned Ph.D. in Agricultural Education, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Communications, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrable record of academic achievement and professional experience consistent with the university rank of Full Professor or Associate Professor eligible for promotion to Professor within the department.
• Evidence of leadership, team-building skills, strong interpersonal and communication skills, administrative experience, and a strong record of academic teaching and advising proficiency.
• Interest or experience in actively recruiting and mentoring students and/or faculty from diverse cultures and promoting an academic program to the community, university, industry, granting agencies, government, and other stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of land-grant university missions, academic programs, student success, personnel management, budgeting, promotion and tenure, grants and contracts, and research compliance.
• Familiarity with agricultural and Extension education and/or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated integrity, sound judgment, emotional intelligence, collaboration, and commitment to student success.
• Strong leadership, communication, planning, problem-solving, conflict-management, personnel-supervision, and resource-management skills.
• Ability to build trust, establish priorities, manage competing responsibilities, use data to guide decisions, apply policies consistently, develop partnerships, advocate for the department and its faculty while leading organizational improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Special Certification/Licensure

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment.
• No or very limited physical effort required; lifting requirements include handling of average-weight objects up to 10 pounds or some standing or walking.
• No or very limited exposure to physical risk.