Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College

Applications and nominations are invited for the position of Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, appointment to begin July 1, 2010. The Dean of the College is directly responsible to the President, is the second-ranking administrative officer of the college, and serves as a member of the President's Council. The Dean is the principal administrator who directs the educational mission of the College; oversees College operations pertaining to the academic program, the faculty and academic administration; and serves as liaison between the faculty and the President. The following administrative officers are responsible to the Dean: the Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, Registrar, and the College Librarian.

Cornell is a selective, independent, undergraduate institution with a tradition of faculty participation in institutional decision making. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1150 students from nearly 40 states and numerous countries. The College has recently renovated and added to its teaching and performance facilities and expanded the faculty. The College has made several recent changes to the curriculum and anticipates further changes as it considers the role of liberal education in a rapidly changing environment.

Cornell is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and is distinguished by its combination of liberal arts study and the One Course At A Time academic calendar. The campus is located on a beautiful, wooded hilltop in Mount Vernon, Iowa, 20 miles north of Iowa City and 15 miles east of Cedar Rapids. Founded in 1853, Cornell College is one of two campuses listed in its entirety on the National Register of Historic Places and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Cornell College was the first college west of the Mississippi to grant degrees to women.

Qualifications: doctoral degree, record of excellence in teaching and scholarship, and significant academic administrative experience.

The successful candidate will be a creative leader who has:

• an understanding of and commitment to the mission of residential liberal arts colleges;
• the capacity to inspire and support excellence in teaching, scholarship, and artistic pursuits among faculty;
• the ability to articulate a coherent vision for the college and, in consultation with faculty, to encourage curricular development and innovation;
• the ability to advocate effectively for the faculty and the academic program;
• experience with the academic budgeting process and personnel matters;
• an open, democratic, and collegial style in working with students, staff, faculty, administrators, and trustees;
• a commitment to recruitment and retention of historically underrepresented groups for faculty and staff positions;
• familiarity with assessment of educational outcomes.

Candidates should submit a letter of application, curriculum vita, and names and contact information of five references. Review of applications will begin on September 15, 2009, and will continue until the position is filled. Applications and nominations should be sent to:

Dean Search Committee

c/o Vickie Farmer, Director of Human Resources

Cornell College

600 First Street SW

Mount Vernon, IA 52314-1098

The Search Committee will keep applications and nominations confidential.

Cornell is an AA/EO employer and encourages applications from women and minorities.

Cornell complies with Iowa's Smoke Free Air Act.