Dean, College of Liberal Arts

Position Announcement
Dean, College of Liberal Arts

Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (CoLA). The Dean is the chief administrative and academic officer of CoLA and reports to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The successful candidate is expected to offer strategic leadership, a focus on innovation, and a vision for the future that will inspire the faculty, students, and staff to greater academic excellence, including protecting and expanding the role of the liberal arts at SIU; building a strong sense of community and enhancing morale; increasing the number of students served while elevating the quality of their academic experience; and providing mentoring and support that enables college staff, school directors, and faculty to reach their full potential.

The College of Liberal Arts consists of six Schools: the School of Africana and Multicultural Studies, the School of Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology, the School of Communication Studies, the School of History and Philosophy, the School of Languages and Linguistics, and the School of Literature, Writing, and Digital Humanities. CoLA offers a wide range of academic programming including 12 undergraduate, 11 master’s and 7 doctoral degree programs. The College offers courses both on-campus and online and its curriculum works across fields, bridging multiple disciplines.

Through the Center for Virtual Expression, CoLA facilitates access to current technologies for research and teaching in the liberal arts. Students select—or even design—majors to suit their preferences and needs, and student-faculty research collaborations are encouraged. The college features teacher education and second-language acquisition programs, and several research Centers: the Center for Archaeological Investigation, the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL), and the aforementioned Center Communication for Virtual Expression (CVeX). We provide outstanding academic experience to students with diverse interests and career and professional goals. Additional information is available at https://CoLA.siu.edu.

Nestled in the beautiful hills of Southern Illinois, SIUC is one of only 21 institutions nationwide classified by Carnegie as both an R1 and an Opportunity institution. With an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students from throughout the nation and the world, SIU offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in seven colleges and schools, as well as professional practice degrees in the Schools of Medicine and Law. SIU embraces a unique tradition of access and opportunity, inclusive excellence, innovation in research and creativity, and outstanding teaching and services focused on student success. The University is committed to a mission of successfully educating and graduating a diverse student population including minority students, international students, first-generation students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities.

Carbondale is located in an area of great natural beauty, just north of Giant City Park and the Shawnee National Forest. The city is a hub for the region, yet maintains a small town feel with college town amenities. It is also easily accessible to a host of midwestern (e.g., St. Louis, Indianapolis) and southern (e.g., Nashville, Memphis) cities within a 2 to 4-hour drive. The local airport offers a direct flight to Chicago’s O'Hare International airport.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Dean’s primary roles are centered around academic, fiscal, human resources, management, and development matters. It is expected that the Dean will:

• Provide visionary leadership for the College in the spirit of shared governance.
• Enhance and support high-quality undergraduate and graduate academic programs.
• Strengthen scholarship and research activities and the infrastructure that supports them.
• Lead strategic planning, budgeting, and continuous program improvement initiatives.
• Support a culture of degree completion and career placement through coordinated student recruitment, advisement, service and retention efforts.
• Provide leadership in the areas of faculty and staff recruitment, retention and professional development.
• Work with faculty, staff, and graduate students through their respective collective bargaining agreements.
• Maintain, grow, and develop programs that enhance college resources.
• Enhance program and college resources through fundraising (SIU Foundation http://www.siuf.org).
• Serve as an officer of the University with a commitment to the goals and aspirations of SIU, as set forth under the leadership of the Chancellor and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
• Represent the College's interests and perspectives while serving as official spokesperson between the College and other units within the University and community.
• Allocate resources in the most effective way that supports academic excellence.
• Conduct the affairs of the College in accordance with all relevant statutes, directives, bylaws, operating papers, contracts, policies and procedures.
• Foster a commitment to diversity and an environment that advances SIU's policies on inclusive excellence and intolerance of discrimination.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate must possess an earned terminal degree in an appropriate discipline for the College and a distinguished record of teaching, an outstanding record of peer-reviewed scholarship/creative activity and substantial professional service consistent with appointment at the rank of Professor with tenure at a R1 university. In addition, the next Dean should demonstrate:

• Leadership experience in higher education administration at the level of a department chair, school director, associate dean, dean or other academic leadership position of similar responsibility.
• Experience in budget, planning, personnel, promotion, tenure and program review.
• Involvement with student success initiatives.
• Fund and friend raising experience.
• Excellent organizational, motivational, and communication skills
• The ability to effectively articulate CoLA and SIU's missions to students, faculty, staff, alums, external constituencies, funding agencies, industry partners, and other decision-making bodies.
• A commitment to ethical and high standards in education, cultural diversity, and equal opportunity.

NOMINATION AND APPLICATION PROCESS

The Search Committee invites applications, inquiries, and nominations for the position of Dean of the College of Liberal at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The position is available July 1, 2026. Review of applications will begin immediately following the preferred application deadline of March 10, 2026. Applications must include a letter of interest addressing the specific qualifications listed herein, a current curriculum vitae and the names, titles, relationships and contact information (phone numbers and email addresses) for five professional references. For more information, please contact Parker Executive Search:

Porsha Williams, Vice President
Jacob Anderson, Senior Principal
Scott Gaffney, Associate
Parker Executive Search
Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875 Atlanta, GA 30328
(678) 775-4564
pwilliams@parkersearch.com || janderson@parkersearch.com || sgaffney@parkerserch.com

This is a security-sensitive position. Before any offer of employment is made, the University will conduct a pre-employment background investigation that includes a criminal background check.

***SIU Carbondale is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans that strives to enhance its ability to develop a diverse faculty and staff and to increase its potential to serve a diverse student population. All applications are welcomed and encouraged and will receive consideration.