Leadership Profile

The College of Charleston cordially invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The Dean will collaborate with the Provost, Faculty, Staff, Students, and Stakeholders in developing and implementing the School’s strategic plan to achieve institutional goals and objectives and will serve as a key strategic partner in enhancing the profile and prominence of the School.

The College of Charleston

Located in the heart of historic Charleston, South Carolina, the College is a nationally recognized public university. Founded in 1770, the College is the oldest educational institution south of Virginia and the 13th oldest in the U.S. The College of Charleston is among the nation's top universities for quality education, student life, and affordability. It’s beautiful and historic campus, combined with contemporary facilities, cutting-edge programs, and accessible faculty, attracts students from across the U.S. and around the world.

Over 10,000 undergraduates and approximately 1,000 graduate students at the College enjoy a small campus feel blended with the advantages and diversity of a mid-sized, urban university. They work closely with a committed faculty that is made up of more than 500 distinguished teacher-scholars. And the city of Charleston – world-renowned for its history, architecture, culture, and coastal environment – serves as a living and learning laboratory for experiences in business, science, technology, teaching, the humanities, languages, and the arts.

The College of Charleston is unlike any other public university. It has built a culture that celebrates the power of diverse thought. Where different and unique perspectives unite to shape a brighter, better future.

Mission Statement

The College of Charleston’s Core Purpose is to pursue and share knowledge through study, inquiry, and creation in order to empower the individual and enrich society.

 

Vision

The College of Charleston will be a transformative national university redefining liberal arts education through innovation.

Core Values

  • Integrity – The College of Charleston takes accountability for its actions and adheres to the highest ethical standards in all of its professional obligations and personal responsibilities.
  • Academic Excellence – The College of Charleston is committed to a dynamic intellectual community, high academic standards, strong academic programs, exceptional teacher-scholars, engaged students, and lifelong learners.
  • Liberal Arts Education – The College of Charleston encourages intellectual curiosity and fosters each student’s ability to think creatively and analyze, synthesize, apply and communicate knowledge from many sources.
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – The College of Charleston creates and nurtures a diverse and inclusive community demonstrated through its thoughts, words and actions. The College values and respects the unique perspectives, backgrounds and experiences every individual has to offer.
  • Student-Centeredness – The College of Charleston is devoted to nurturing thriving scholar-citizens through the intellectual, ethical and social development of each individual student.
  • Innovation – The College of Charleston acts with an entrepreneurial spirit to imagine and implement creative, bold and sustainable solutions in its pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement.
  • Public Mission – The College of Charleston demonstrates social responsibility in meeting the educational and professional needs of its community, state, nation, and world.

 

College of Charleston by the Numbers:

Academic Programs

#

 

Majors

67

 

Minors

81

 

Undergraduate Certificate Programs

3

 

Graduate Certificate Programs

9

 

Master’s Degree Programs

20

 

Academic Schools

9

 

Enrollment and Admissions

#

 

Undergraduate Students

10,660

 

Graduate Students

1,069

 

Total Enrollment

11,729

 

Student:Faculty Ratio

16.3:1

 

Percentage of Minority Students

19%

 

Percentage of in-state Students

53.2%

 

Percentage of out-of-state Students

46.8%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) is the largest of the academic schools at the College of Charleston. Our world-class faculty offers some of the college's most popular and multifaceted programs. As the College’s liberal arts core, HSS explores what makes us human. Students critically examine their own ideas and those of others so they may lead lives of awareness, compassion, and purpose.

HSS is home to thirteen popular academic majors:

  • Anthropology
  • Communication
  • English
  • Environmental and Sustainability Studies
  • History
  • Integrated Studies
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Sociology
  • Urban Studies
  • Women's and Gender Studies

 

In the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, we strive to support our faculty in their pursuit of excellence. We are committed to providing the outstanding teacher-scholars in HSS with the resources and leadership they need to achieve success in their academic and professional journeys.

The Position

Reporting directly to the Provost, the Dean is responsible for providing the academic leadership and vision necessary for setting strategic, operational and financial directions. This includes strategic planning, personnel hiring and evaluation, student success, academic program development, professional accreditations, interdisciplinary collaborations, and fiscal management and efficiency. The Dean has overall responsibility for developing an effective collegial environment that supports excellence in teaching, research, and service.

The next Dean will have a remarkable opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from across campus to foster innovative teaching and research, build regional and international connections, foster industry collaborations, and develop internship opportunities and educational initiatives, addressing the needs of students and faculty with a global perspective.

The Dean will be a visionary leader and an integral part of the community, college, and surrounding region, with several opportunities to significantly impact the continuing growth and success of the School. As the Chief Academic and Administrative Officer of the School, the Dean oversees all matters related to educational, budgetary, and administrative affairs.

The Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences will:

  • Thoughtfully manage financial resources and budget allocations
  • Provide leadership and oversight for strategic planning and analysis of School operations
  • Support and enhance high quality, relevant, and innovative curricula
  • Encourage and incentivize research, scholarship, and creative activity among faculty
  • Forge new partnerships, while fostering existing relationships, and articulate a vision that promotes investment support from the community, private donors, and alumni
  • Shepherd academic program development and enrollment management at both the graduate and undergraduate levels
  • Promote and track student, faculty, and staff success and achievement
  • Positively represent the School to College administration and external stakeholders
  • Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment within the School, positively contributing to student life
  • Oversee the hiring and development of faculty and staff within the School

Qualifications

It is required that the Dean possess a Ph.D. or relevant terminal degree, and a record of scholarship and creative activity commensurate with the appointment to the rank of Full Professor with tenure. The Dean must also demonstrate a proven track-record of progressive and effective leadership within an academic setting. In addition, it is preferred that the Dean possesses the following:

  • Progressive academic administrative experience, such as associate/assistant dean, department chair, or equivalent position
  • Cross-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary administrative experience including significant budgetary, personnel, and programmatic innovation and experimentation
  • Demonstrated experience overseeing large, complex budgets, fiscal matters, enrollment management, strategic planning and personnel management
  • A comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the humanities and social sciences and how they fit more broadly into the mission of the College
  • Demonstrated accomplishment in fostering excellence in undergraduate and/or graduate teaching, learning and student success, including retention and graduation rates
  • Experience promoting the growth of research, scholarship, and creative activity amongst faculty
  • Commitment to encouraging and fostering an environment of collegiality, collaboration, and shared governance
  • Ability to foster external relations activities by cultivating relationships with alumni, individual donors, corporations, and other stakeholders while collaborating with local, statewide, national and international professional communities
  • Aptitude for and commitment to successfully initiating and managing fundraising activities for the School
  • Proven capability to formulate a bold vision and build consensus around the School’s direction
  • The capacity to effectively interface and collaborate with other academic leadership including Deans of other schools across campus
  • Oversee and maintain coordination between the School and College Facilities Management pertaining to allocation, renovation, and creation of physical space
  • Intimate understanding of the current higher education landscape and trends
  • Strong communication skills and a commitment to openness, collaboration and transparency
  • Visionary leadership skills needed to propel the School into its next phase of development and growth

 

Application Process

The Search Committee invites applications, inquiries, and nominations for the position of Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Applications should be accompanied by a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and the names and contact details of at least five professional references. Applications and nominations will be accepted until the position is filled and review of applications will begin immediately. For full consideration, interested candidates are encouraged to submit materials to Parker Executive Search prior to January 3, 2025.

Laurie Wilder, President

Porsha Williams, Vice President

Jacob C. Anderson, Senior Principal

Jack McGrew, Associate

Parker Executive Search

Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875 | Atlanta, GA 30328

(770) 804-1996 x 111

lwilder@parkersearch.com || pwilliams@parkersearch.com || janderson@parkersearch.com || jmcgrew@parkersearch.com

 

The College of Charleston is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of sex, gender (including gender identity and/or expression), pregnancy, race, religion, color, national origin, age, disability, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, and other classifications protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws. For more information, please visit eop.cofc.edu.