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Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Undergraduate Education, College of Letters & Science

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Position overview

Position title: Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Undergraduate Education, College of Letters & Science
Percent time: 100%
Anticipated start: July 1, 2023

Position description

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) seeks a collaborative, visionary administrator and distinguished scholar to serve as its Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Undergraduate Education and Dean of Undergraduate Education in the College of Letters and Science (AVC/Dean). The AVC/Dean oversees and is a campus-wide advocate for undergraduate education, promoting the highest quality of teaching and learning, and supervising a wide array of programs directed at enhancing the undergraduate experience.

Founded in 1944, UC Santa Barbara is a member of the 10-campus University of California (UC) system and one of the top public research universities in the country. The University serves approximately 25,000 students, including approximately 3,000 graduate students, who are enrolled in the more than 200 majors, degrees, and credentials offered by the College of Creative Studies, College of Letters and Science, College of Engineering, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, and the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. UC Santa Barbara offers the benefits of a premier research university with a focus on the undergraduate learning experience.

As the first member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) to be designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), the campus takes pride in its student diversity, which includes the largest percentage of Latino/a/x students in the AAU. The campus has been particularly successful in gaining federal support for research, and the Campaign for UC Santa Barbara has raised over $1.1 billion to ensure the excellence of the campus and its programs for future generations.

The AVC/Dean at UC Santa Barbara leads the campus-wide Office of Undergraduate Education, which includes the Education Abroad Program and Summer Sessions, and the Division of Undergraduate Education in the College of Letters and Science. This senior administrative position, which combines campus-wide and College of Letters and Science responsibilities, reports to the Executive Vice Chancellor, and is filled by a current University of California Full Professor or Senior Lecturer with Security of Employment.

The AVC/Dean has a campus-wide responsibility for undergraduate education, working closely with senior campus leadership on a wide variety of campus issues. The AVC/Dean collaborates closely with the deans in Divisions of Humanities and Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Mathematical, Life and Physical Sciences in the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering, and the College of Creative Studies, as well as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, to support undergraduate education.

The AVC/Dean works closely with the UC Santa Barbara Academic Senate, in particular with the Committee on Admissions, Enrollment and Relations with Schools, and the Undergraduate Council, serving as the administrative liaison to Undergraduate Council. The AVC/Dean also works closely with the Registrar, the Director of Admissions, the Disabled Students Program, and other relevant units in Student Affairs. When needed, the AVC/Dean works with Student Health on policies and implementation measures related to public health. The AVC/Dean is also a member of the Chancellor’s Enrollment Advisory Committee and other senior administrative and planning committees. The AVC/Dean also interacts and meets with counterparts on other UC campuses, as well as system-wide programs, such as UC Online. The AVC/Dean collaborates with the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and other offices to align undergraduate education with the vision and goals of a Minority-Serving Institution.

The AVC/Dean provides leadership for the Office of Undergraduate Education, which promotes programs that support excellence across the undergraduate curriculum. It is the administrative home for programs that enhance the undergraduate experience campus-wide, including: the UC Washington Center (UCDC), the UCSB Education Abroad Program office, UC in Sacramento, and Summer Sessions. The Office of Undergraduate Education currently has a budget of close to $3 million.

To meet the goals and responsibilities of the Office of Undergraduate Education, The AVC/Dean and the office:

• Work closely with Letters and Science, Engineering, and College of Creative Studies deans, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, and the Executive Vice Chancellor to develop and implement a strategic vision for undergraduate education at UC Santa Barbara;
• Partner with the Office of Teaching and Learning to ensure that the most effective pedagogies and instructional practices are employed in undergraduate education across the campus;
• With the Office of Teaching and Learning, ensure that academic program reviews properly assess undergraduate education.
• Work with the other deans, the Executive Vice Chancellor, the Office of Teaching and Learning, and the Office of Admissions to develop enrollment plans for freshmen and transfer students, and participate in enrollment management.
• Work closely with Academic Senate (particularly with the Undergraduate Council, the Committee on Admissions, Enrollment, and Relations with Schools, and the College Faculty Executive Committees), and the Program Review Panel.
• Provide opportunities for undergraduate students across the campus to enhance their educational experience through Education Abroad, UCDC, UC in Sacramento, and Summer Sessions.
• Work with the deans and chairs to develop and implement policies and best practices for curriculum planning and course scheduling, as well as advise departments on degree program requirements and student success strategies.
• Work with the Academic Senate, the Office of Teaching and Learning, and Summer Sessions to develop high-quality online courses that will increase access to undergraduate courses.

As a dean in the College of Letters and Science, the AVC/Dean sits on the L&S Council of Deans and oversees academic advising for undergraduates in the College, as well as programs aimed at enhancing the educational experience of students in the College. The AVC/Dean also serves along with the College of Letters and Science Executive Dean ex officio on the Letters and Science Faculty Executive Committee. The AVC/Dean also advises the deans on curricular planning insofar as it impacts student study loads and enrollment management issues.

The AVC/Dean provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for the Division of Undergraduate Education in the College of Letters and Science, collaborating with all of the L&S academic deans. This division provides academic advising to undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science, and oversees the Honors Program and the Discovery@UCSB Program in the College. (The College of Engineering and the College of Creative Studies maintain their own undergraduate advising programs.) The L&S Division of Undergraduate Education has a current budget of approximately $2.5 million. There are currently three Associate Deans. There are 8 staff and 16 academic advisors.

To meet the goals and responsibilities of the Division of Undergraduate Education in the College of Letters and Science, the AVC/Dean and the office:

• Work with the Office of Admissions and the Office of Teaching and Learning to implement practices that optimally align student interests and abilities with academic majors in the College of Letters and Science to maximize both retention and graduation rates, consistent with UC and campus goals;
• Work with the Registrar to ensure that student progress, completion of requirements, and time to degree are monitored and reported efficiently, and that classroom assignments and scheduling of courses are aligned with departmental and Divisional academic priorities;
• Work with College of Letters and Science Divisional Deans to ensure that departmental curricula meet the needs of undergraduate students to allow them to fulfil major and university requirements in a timely manner;
• Provide effective advising to assist students in the College of Letters and Science in graduating with a major of their choice in a timely way, and coordinate with departmental advisors;
• Provide opportunities for undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science to enhance their educational experience through programs such as Discovery@UCSB Program and the L&S Honors program;
• Establish and manage College undergraduate scholarship and prizes designed to promote engagement in educational enrichment programs.

The University is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching, and service as appropriate to the position.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Current UC Full Professor or UC Senior LSOE.

Preferred qualifications

Demonstrated administrative or academic senate experience within the University of California that is relevant to undergraduate education.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • Statement of Research (Optional)

  • Statement of Teaching (Optional)

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity through research, teaching, and/or service.

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)

References would be contacted for finalists.

Apply link: https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02348

Help contact: hyeyoon.cho@ucsb.edu

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs, as may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

Job location

Santa Barbara, CA