Job Description

Position Information

Position Title

Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies (Internal Posting)

Posting Number

F694P

Type of position

Limited Term

Department/Unit

Provost & VP Academic, General

Location

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

About the opportunity

Dalhousie University is seeking a new Dean of Graduate Studies. This will be a two-year, full-time appointment, with potential for renewal, commencing on July 1, 2025. The appointment will be internal, and open to current Dalhousie faculty members only. Reporting to the Provost and Vice President Academic, the Dean will provide visionary and strategic leadership to support the continued success of graduate studies and functional alignment of the Faculty within the Dalhousie community.

Faculty of Graduate Studies

The Faculty of Graduate Studies is responsible for graduate student administration from admissions to convocation. The Faculty also has an important role in encouraging and facilitating the development of innovative programs and promoting the continued quality of existing strengths in professional and research-oriented graduate programs. Graduate students play an important role in our community and the array of graduate student programs at Dalhousie sets it apart from other universities in the region.

The Dean

The Dean's responsibilities include championing excellence in graduate scholarship, research, and teaching. The Dean will drive administrative success by optimizing resources, improving processes and practices, and ensuring the Faculty supports both the evolving needs of its students and the university's strategic priorities. The Dean helps to ensure assessment reviews and approvals of graduate programs are objective, expeditious, and appropriate for the type of program and that review feedback is acted upon in a timely manner.

Guided by the Provost, the Dean works with senior university leaders such as the Vice-President Research and Innovation, and other Deans to ensure graduate programs complement and reinforce academic and research activities across the institution. The Dean will foster a collegial and respectful environment and, as with all senior leaders at Dalhousie, it is expected that they will lead and champion equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) initiatives and programs, and work with other senior leaders and the incoming Vice-Provost Indigenous Relations to promote reconciliation and Indigenization.

In addition, the Dean works to promote and develop strategies for the professional development of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to help prepare them for future careers. The new Dean will be expected to build upon the Faculty's current strengths, optimize processes, and uphold Dalhousie's position as a leader in graduate education.

Ideal Candidate

As with any leadership position at Dalhousie, candidates must demonstrate

Dalhousie's leadership competencies

. Although few individuals are likely to possess all attributes listed below, the below qualities and experience are desired in the new Dean of Graduate Studies.

The ideal candidate will hold a doctoral degree or equivalent in a relevant field and have a proven commitment to excellence in both teaching and scholarship. They should bring administrative leadership experience including strong financial acumen and knowledge of university governance structures. The ideal candidate will have experience navigating financial challenges, improving efficiencies, and securing funding to ensure long-term stability. Exceptional strategic planning skills and a proven ability to build consensus and lead teams through change are required. The candidate must demonstrate flexibility, empathy, transparency, and decisiveness, particularly when faced with difficult decisions.

A strong track record of success in scholarly and professional pursuits alongside a broad understanding and appreciation for diverse disciplines and interdisciplinary programs, is essential. In addition, the ideal candidate will have experience in supervising students from diverse backgrounds, graduate teaching and research, and a strong understanding of the evolving role of graduate studies in today's academic landscape. A dedication to fostering student-centered graduate education is essential along with the capacity to guide, support, and enhance the development of graduate programs.

The candidate should have a track record of building internal and external partnerships and possess excellent communication skills. The candidate must demonstrate a commitment to advancing Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) initiatives, as well as championing reconciliation and Indigenization efforts.

Assets for this position include an appreciation of innovative technologies and distributed learning roles in shaping academic environments. Additionally, experience in addressing key issues related to academic integrity--particularly in relation to the use of AI--and a commitment to finding effective solutions for these evolving challenges would be valuable assets for the role.

How to Apply:

This is an internal search only. If you are current Dalhousie faculty member and are passionate about academic excellence, innovation, and making a difference in the lives of graduate students and our community, we invite you to apply for the position of Dean of Graduate Studies at Dalhousie University. A complete application will include a full CV and cover letter describing how you meet the selection criteria, why the appointment is of interest, and what you believe you can bring to the role. To be considered, please submit your application by

March 13, 2025

through this posting.

For more information, please contact the leadership recruitment team at

exec.search@dal.ca

.

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi'kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. For more information, please visit

www.dal.ca/hiringfordiversity.



If we contact you for an interview and you are a person with a disability who requires technical aids or alternative arrangements, please let us know of these needs and any way in which we can be of assistance. Dalhousie University recognizes its obligation to accommodate candidates in order to ensure full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed

here.


Posting Detail Information

Open Date

02/20/2025

Close Date

03/13/2025

Open Until Filled

No

Quick Link for Direct Access to Posting

https://dal.peopleadmin.ca/postings/18301