Dean, Health Sciences
Location: Hickory, North Carolina
Lenoir-Rhyne University seeks an experienced, visionary leader to serve as the Dean of the College of Health Sciences. The Dean will provide strategic direction, academic leadership, and administrative oversight for the College's diverse programs, fostering an environment of excellence in teaching, research and service. This role requires a commitment to collaborative governance, faculty development and student success.
Lenoir-Rhyne University promotes a welcoming campus environment that is integral to the university's commitment to excellence in engagement and education. We are particularly interested in candidates who have demonstrated experience nurturing a welcoming community, working with faculty, staff, and/or students from all walks of life and/or incorporating varied perspectives and traditions in their current or previous positions. This commitment is rooted in our Lutheran tradition of fostering wisdom, nurturing vocation and preparing students for lives of purpose while serving the common good.
Key Responsibilities:
- Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a forward-thinking vision for the College, aligning with the University's mission and strategic plan.
- Academic Oversight: Ensure the quality and integrity of academic programs, promoting innovative curricula and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Accreditation and Compliance: Lead accreditation efforts for programs such as Occupational Therapy (OT), Nursing, Public Health, and Physician Assistant (PA) studies, maintaining compliance with relevant accrediting bodies.
- Faculty Development: Recruit, mentor, and retain a diverse and distinguished faculty, fostering a culture of academic excellence and professional growth.
- Student Success: Enhance student recruitment, retention, and graduation rates through supportive policies and initiatives.
- Resource Management: Oversee budgeting and resource allocation, ensuring fiscal responsibility and advocating for the College's needs.
- External Engagement: Build partnerships with healthcare organizations, community stakeholders, and alumni to advance the College's mission and secure external funding.
Qualifications:
- Educational Background: An earned doctorate in a health sciences-related field, eligible for tenure in a program at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
- Administrative Experience: Progressive experience in academic leadership roles, such as Department Chair, Associate Dean, or Dean, with demonstrated success in managing complex units.
- Accreditation Expertise: Extensive experience with health program accreditations, particularly in OT, Nursing, Public Health, and PA programs.
- Collaborative Leadership: Proven ability to work effectively with chairs, faculty, staff, students, administrators, and external partners, promoting a collegial and inclusive environment.
- Commitment to Work-Life Balance: Awareness of workload challenges in academic leadership and a proactive approach to promoting work-life balance among faculty and staff.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Building External Partnerships: Success in building relationships with external stakeholders, such as hospitals and other health care organizations to support the college's efforts related to clinical and fieldwork sites. Success in building partnerships with community colleges and four-year institutions to support transfer pipelines and pipelines into graduate programs.
- Marketing Acumen: Understanding of program marketing and enrollment strategies to enhance the College's visibility and attract a diverse student body.
- Advocacy Skills: Ability to effectively advocate for faculty, staff, and programs, balancing institutional priorities with departmental needs.
Compensation:
Lenoir-Rhyne University offers a competitive salary and benefits package. Salary transparency is a priority; detailed information will be provided to candidates during the interview process.
Application Process:
Interested candidates should submit the following:
- A cover letter addressing qualifications and interest in the position.
- A current curriculum vitae.
- Contact information for three professional references.
To ensure full consideration, please submit materials by July 14, 2025. The position will remain open until filled. For any questions, please contact Dr. Michael McGee, Assistant Provost, at mcgee@lr.edu.
About Lenoir-Rhyne University
Lenoir-Rhyne University is a co-educational, private masters comprehensive liberal arts institution founded in 1891, with its traditional campus located in Hickory, North Carolina, a town of more than 40,000. The university has additional graduate centers in Asheville, N.C., and Columbia, S.C. Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lenoir-Rhyne is less than an hour’s drive from Charlotte, and the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metropolitan statistical area has a population of about 365,000. The university now offers more than 45 undergraduate and 20 graduate degree programs to approximately 2,400 students. Lenoir-Rhyne University seeks to liberate mind and spirit, clarify personal faith, foster physical wholeness, build community, and promote responsible leadership for service worldwide. Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Lenoir-Rhyne is open to people from all religious and non-religious backgrounds.
About the College of Health Sciences
The College of Health Sciences at Lenoir-Rhyne University provides current and practical knowledge and skills that prepare students for success in differing health science careers. The college offers four undergraduate degrees: Exercise Science, Nursing, Public Health, and Sports Management. At the graduate level the College of Health Sciences offers: Master of Science Exercise Science, Master of Public Health, and Doctorate (DNP), and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.
Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Policy
Lenoir-Rhyne University does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, political affiliation, age, marital status, sex, gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, disability status, genetics, pregnancy or veteran status. Lenoir-Rhyne’s Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Policy extends to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, reassignment, demotion, discipline, discharge, performance evaluations, compensation and benefits as well as the education setting. Lenoir-Rhyne is committed to providing an environment that promotes equity, inclusion and belonging for faculty, staff, students, contractors, volunteers and visitors.