Leadership Searches

Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the next Dean will demonstrate a commitment to academic excellence and dedication to interdisciplinary collaboration. Core responsibilities will include providing strategic leadership across USF’s three campuses and the recruitment, development, and retention of world-class faculty and staff. The Dean will also advance the research and teaching programs in the College and steward the College’s resources. The Dean must also build strong relationships with alumni, donors, and various USF stakeholders. The Dean will also work closely with the University community and collaborate with fellow Deans on interdisciplinary programs, joint faculty appointments, strategic academic initiatives, and advancing student success.

The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will be expected to focus on the following priorities:

• Coalescing a shared identity, cohesion, and collaboration among the varied units that comprise the College;
• Building and sustaining interdisciplinary academic connections between the College and other colleges within the University, and working with external partners to develop collaborative undergraduate and graduate programs;
• Advancing strategic and academic planning that inspires the College to envision and support a bold strategy for the future;
• Recruiting and retaining world-class faculty and staff committed to positively impacting student performance and increasing their sense of belonging;
• Leading the College in exploring new methods to promote student success and distinction that will further elevate the student experience in meaningful ways;
• Developing new opportunities for student access to research/scholarship/creative activity and partnership with the faculty;
• Advancing academic excellence through a demonstrated commitment to inclusion, in all aspects of college work;
• Strengthening interdisciplinary connections among the College’s units to promote growth in research/scholarship/creative activity and its attendant impact, as well as support unique academic programs;
• Supporting the University’s research mission, the Dean will advance the faculty’s scholarly activities and external sponsorship growth, and encourage and advocate for interdisciplinary opportunities;
• Encouraging and facilitating greater external support of primary, applied, community-oriented, translational and inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinary research/scholarship/creative activity;
• Enhancing partnerships with community-focused organizations and stakeholders on- and off-campus;
• Providing leadership in the area of fundraising and external relations as well as spearheading broader advancement efforts in communications and engagement with external stakeholders;
• Communicating the vision of the College to prospective students, alumni, foundations, industry, and external partners;
• Participating in campus-wide policy development and decision-making in an environment of shared governance;
• Persuasively articulating the vision, mission, goals, and programs of the College to the University community, external stakeholders, and the general public;
• Providing leadership to the faculty in developing, maintaining, and improving high-quality programs of instruction, research, creative activity, outreach, and public service.

The Dean of the College of Arts and Science will lead an academically varied organization committed to serving local, regional, and state communities. The Dean will also demonstrate a strong history of leadership in teaching, research, and service. In leading the College, the Dean must provide leadership in the following areas:

• Creating a Bold, Shared Vision for the Future – The new Dean will play a critical leadership role in developing a bold new vision for the future of the College. In partnership with dedicated faculty, staff, students, and community partners, the Dean will lead efforts to identify ways to best take advantage of the College’s strengths in teaching, research, and outreach to increase its impact within and outside USF.
• Increasing Interdisciplinary Research and Partnerships – The next Dean will identify new areas for academic partnerships at the University. The Dean will serve as the College’s champion in communicating across academic units and serve as a catalyst for facilitating interdisciplinary research, creative activities, and programmatic collaborations. The Dean must inspire and lead open communication between university and community stakeholders to increase research and creative productivity and enhance the College’s overall impact.
• Accelerating USF’s Strategic Plan Implementation – USF continues its institutional transformation that will further align all three campuses. The Dean will have the opportunity to work in close collaboration with the college’s departments and faculty to implement USF’s 2022-2027 strategic plan, In Pursuit of Excellence. 
• Promoting a Welcoming and Inclusive Campus Environment – the CAS’ faculty, staff and students have historically demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion. The next Dean must possess a strong passion and demonstrated commitment to these tenets and partner with the campus community to enhance existing and identify new opportunities for creating an environment that promotes these ideals. The Dean must also be prepared to lead the conversation in how the College can extend itself in to surrounding communities that have not previously engaged with the campus and develop relationships with key stakeholders.
• Supporting Student Success – USF has earned national accolades for achievements in student access for success through recruitment, retention, and graduation. To advance the campus’ work toward these important goals, the Dean must possess a deep, personal commitment to enhancing student success and serve as a visible leader who exemplifies these virtues and fosters an environment that supports student success as a central pillar of the campus experience.
• Promoting the College’s Academic Disciplines – USF’s next Dean must demonstrate an intellectual curiosity for the breadth of disciplines and programs offered by the College, as well as an understanding and appreciation of the impact each academic unit brings to the university, students, and community. The College’s next Dean will raise the College’s visibility and presence to showcase the College’s unique value proposition, engage external partners, and recruit and retain high-caliber faculty in an increasingly competitive academic environment.
• Commitment to Professional Development – The College’s dedicated faculty and staff bring energy, innovation, and positive perspectives to the College and the campus community. The Dean must be committed to creating opportunities for continued professional development for these individuals so they can achieve their professional goals and better serve the campus community. To do so, the Dean must clearly articulate and passionately advocate on behalf of the College to the administration and external constituents, particularly when securing resource support for the College’s activities.
• Community Engagement – USF has a long and well-known history as a focal point for community partnerships with local industry, non-profit organizations, and governmental stakeholders committed to enriching the region’s social fabric. In their role, the next Dean must be prepared to build upon the College’s foundation in this area and continue to expand its efforts with a focus on strengthening existing and creating new pathways for access to higher education, workforce development, and social mobility for the region’s diverse communities.
• Developing New Financial Resources – USF’s campus community are driven by their high aspirations for the future, and the next Dean will be responsible for leading efforts to secure additional financial support in a highly competitive higher education environment. The Dean must be a strategic and entrepreneurial leader who will partner with faculty and other USF academic and administrative units to create new revenue streams related to research, academic offerings, and industry partnerships. The Dean must leverage the College’ intellectual resources to develop new revenue producing initiatives to ensure the College’s long-term success and upward strategic trajectory.
• Increasing Philanthropic Activity – The Dean must demonstrate an ability to serve as a dynamic fundraiser and on behalf of the College at the local and national level. The next Dean will be tasked with further developing the College’s relationships with private donors, industry, governmental agencies, foundations, and other external stakeholders to enhance philanthropic activity and support innovation and the College’s aspirations.
• Advocating on Behalf of the College – In serving as the College’s most ardent champion, the Dean must possess a resonance with and understanding of its deep commitment to the success of its students and advancing the College’s endeavors in teaching, scholarship, access, and service. The Dean must serve as an advocate and primary spokesperson for the College to further define its role as an influential partner in USF’s efforts to strengthen its critical position as an academic, social, and economic driver within the region. 

Required Qualifications 

USF seeks a Dean with exemplary academic leadership skills. The successful candidate must possess an outstanding record of scholarly achievement commensurate with appointment as full professor with tenure in one of the departments in the College or a closely related field. The candidate must also possess a strong sense of professional ethics, a commitment to inclusion and demonstrated success as an innovative administrator. Additionally, the successful candidate should have the following: 

• Administrative and/or leadership experience in a university setting.
• Demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching, including online and multimodal learning.
• Experience working with faculty to develop a vision for the future in an environment of shared governance.
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a campus leadership team.
• A record of strategic thinking that brings together diverse groups of interests.
• Experience listening carefully and communicating effectively and with integrity.
• A record of success in recruiting, retaining, and mentoring talented and diverse faculty and staff.
• A demonstrated appreciation for the role staff plays in supporting faculty and students.
• Commitment to motivating and rewarding faculty excellence in teaching, research, and creative activities.
• Experience developing and implementing student success initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a multi-campus environment and addressing diverse stakeholder needs across the organization.
• Experience with and commitment to the development and management of graduate programs. 
• Knowledge of the changing landscape of higher education and the ability to adapt to changing demands.
• Demonstrated commitment to and support of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity.
• The ability to build morale among the College faculty, staff, and students.
• An appreciation for the importance of academic advising and its critical role to the success of the College.
• The ability to foster an inclusive environment that solicits input, seeks innovative solutions, and enables the implementation of new ideas.
• The ability to manage a large and complex organization with numerous budgets.  
• Commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship and programs.
• Knowledge of professional and local resources that can be utilized to support scholarly endeavors.
• The ability to build and help enable continued growth for the College.
• A track record of success in fundraising and securing private support from donors.
• A record of success in leading through innovative organizational change in a transparent and inclusive manner. 

• Julie Serovich, Dean, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
• Liza Aranda, Professor of Sociology, School of Social Sciences
• Allison Cleveland-Roberts, Associate Dean, Graduate and Undergraduate Studies
• Michael DeJonge, Professor and Chair, Department of Religious Studies, School of Humanities
• Cindy DeLuca, Vice President of Student Success
• Liana Fernandez Fox, President, Liana Fox Consulting, Inc., Dean's Advisory Council
• Antoinette Jackson, Professor and Chair, Department of Anthropology, School of Social Sciences
• Liz Kicak, Associate Professor of Instruction, Department of English, School of Humanities
• Randy Larsen, Associate Dean of Research
• Jim Leahy, Professor and Chair, Chemistry Department, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• Pritish Mukherjee, Vice Provost for Strategy and Institutional Excellence Professor, Department of Physics
• Jennifer O'Brien, Associate Professor and St. Petersburg campus Chair, Department of Psychology, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• Jonathan Scott Perry, Associate Professor, Department of History, School of Humanities
• Thomas Smith, St. Petersburg campus Dean
• Hari Srikanth, Distinguished University Professor, Department of Physics, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• Stephen Stark, Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• Michelle Turman, Founder & CEO of Catalyst Consulting Services, Dean's Advisory Council

CAS Advisory Committee Meeting - Roger Thompson
April 30, 2024
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Details Here

CAS Advisory Committee Meeting - Elizabeth Spiller
April 26, 2024
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Details Here

CAS Advisory Committee Meeting - Bradley Heim
April 22, 2024
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Details Here

CAS Advisory Committee Meeting – Dan Knopf
April 15, 2024
9:00 - 10:00 am
Details Here

CAS Dean Search - Airport Interviews - Day 1
April 1, 2024
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Details here
Minutes

CAS Dean Search - Airport Interviews - Day 2
April 1, 2024
8:45 am - 2:30 pm
Details here
Minutes

CAS Dean Search Candidate Review Meeting
March 1, 2023
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Call in Details:
+1 669 444 9171 US
Passcode: 769477
Agenda
Minutes

Advisory Committee Kickoff Meeting
November 3, 2023
Agenda
Minutes

Tampa campus Listening Session
November 13, 2023
Judy Genshaft Honors College Atrium
12260 USF Genshaft Dr., Tampa, Florida

9:00 - 9:45am:  College Leadership
10:00 - 10:45am:  Faculty & Staff
11:00 - 11:30am:  Students

Virtual Teams Link 
Meeting ID: 220 534 495 727
Passcode: 8GuWf5

St. Petersburg campus Listening Session
November 13, 2023
Lynn Pippenger Hall, Room 128
700 4th Street South, St. Petersburg, Florida

1:00 - 1:45pm:  Campus Leadership
2:00 - 2:45pm:  Faculty & Staff
3:00 - 3:30pm:  Students

Virtual Teams Link 
Meeting ID: 263 625 921 52 
Passcode: uwc3dQ 

Sarasota-Manatee campus Listening Session
November 14, 2023
Classroom A320A
8350 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida

1:00 - 1:45pm:  Campus & College Leadership
2:00 - 2:45pm:  Faculty & Staff
3:00 - 3:30pm:  Students

Virtual Teams Link 
Meeting ID: 218 740 119 164
Passcode: LMAa83

Candidate: Dan Knopf
View CV

April 15, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Tampa campus
PCGS Auditorium or Microsoft Teams

April 16, 2024 at 11:00 am
Sarasota-Manatee campus
B226 or Microsoft Teams

April 16, 2024 at 4:00 pm
St. Petersburg campus
LPH 128 or Microsoft Teams

Provide Feedback on Dan Knopf

Candidate: Bradley Heim
View CV

April 22, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Tampa campus
PCGS Auditorium or Microsoft Teams

April 23, 2024 at 10:00 am
Sarasota-Manatee campus
B226 or Microsoft Teams

April 23, 2024 at 3:00 pm
St. Petersburg campus
LPH 128 or Microsoft Teams

Provide Feedback on Bradley Heim

Candidate: Elizabeth Spiller
View CV

April 25, 2024 at 11:00 am
Sarasota-Manatee campus
B226 or Teams

April 25, 2024 at 4:00 pm
St. Petersburg campus
LPH 128 or Teams

April 26, 2024 at 4:15 pm
Tampa campus
PCGS Auditorium or Teams

Provide Feedback on Elizabeth Spiller

Candidate: Roger Thompson
View CV

April 29, 2024 at 9:00 am 
St. Petersburg campus
SLC 2100 or Teams

April 29, 2024 at 3:00 pm
Sarasota-Manatee campus
B226 or Teams

April 30, 2024 at 11:15 am 
Tampa campus
PCGS Auditorium or Teams

 Provide Feedback on Roger Thompson

Access the most current Search Timeline here. Please note these dates are subject to change.