Dean & Professor, College of Education & Social Services

About the role

The Dean of the College of Education and Social Services (CESS) will serve as the chief academic and administrative officer, reporting to the Provost and leading nearly 150 faculty and staff. The Dean will act as a compelling advocate for the College’s disciplines, highlighting their critical role in higher education and society, and will serve as a coalition builder skilled at fostering trust and relationships across campus with students, alumni, donors, and external partners. A central responsibility will be advancing the College’s fundraising and development priorities by articulating a compelling vision for investment in CESS’s mission, programs, and people. The Dean will also strengthen the College’s scholarly enterprise in ways that complement its longstanding teaching and service mission, while leading with a deep commitment to UVM’s “Common Ground” values of respect, integrity, innovation, openness, justice, and responsibility. Experience navigating complex institutions, along with a thoughtful approach to strategic planning and resource management, will be essential. The College enrolls 696 undergraduate and 413 graduate students, employs 48 tenure‑track, 37 non‑tenure‑track faculty, and 58 staff, and operates with an AY25‑26 budget of approximately $29.6 M plus $11.5 M in sponsored support. CESS’s academic units include the Departments of Education, Social Work, and Counseling, Human Development, and Family Science, and it hosts outreach centers such as the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion, the Catamount Community Schools Collaborative, and the Vermont Child Welfare Training Partnership.

Responsibilities

• Lead nearly 150 faculty and staff as the chief academic and administrative officer.
• Advocate for the College’s disciplines and their impact on higher education and society.
• Build coalitions and foster trust with campus constituents, students, alumni, donors, and external partners.
• Advance fundraising and development priorities, articulating a compelling vision for investment.
• Strengthen the College’s scholarly enterprise while upholding its teaching and service mission.
• Model and champion UVM’s Common Ground values (respect, integrity, innovation, openness, justice, responsibility).
• Navigate complex institutions, engage in strategic planning, and manage resources effectively.

Requirements

• Proven experience navigating complex institutions.
• Demonstrated ability in strategic planning and resource management.

Qualifications

Candidates must hold an earned doctorate in a relevant academic discipline in education or social services (e.g., social work, human development and family science, counseling) and possess an outstanding record of teaching, service, and scholarship that meets the standards for Full Professor with tenure.

Skills

• Coalition building and relationship fostering across diverse stakeholders.
• Effective advocacy for academic disciplines and their societal relevance.
• Fundraising and development vision articulation.
• Strategic planning and execution.
• Resource management and fiscal stewardship.
• Deep commitment to equity, integrity, innovation, openness, justice, and responsibility (Common Ground values).