The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD),
University of Minnesota, invites nominations and applications for the position
of Director of School of Kinesiology (KIN). We are looking for candidates who
are established leaders in one or more of the disciplines represented in the
department, who have a clear and articulated vision for the work of an academic
department, and who have the administrative skills and experience to organize
and effectively guide faculty and staff efforts to achieve this vision. The
department is especially interested in candidates who can help maintain and
refine its academic mission, innovation, integrity, and vitality by providing
leadership in instruction, research, program development, outreach/community
engagement, and Extension education.
The School of Kinesiology at the
University of Minnesota has a rich tradition of exceptional scholarship and
academic excellence. Our research supports the interdisciplinary study of the
physiological, biological, developmental, social, and behavioral bases of
exercise, sport, and human movement. Faculty are committed to excellence in
research, teaching, and service as they strive to understand the lifespan
impact of physical activity and sport on health, disease and society as a whole.
This exceptional scholarship is being noticed. In 2015, the School of
Kinesiology was awarded 10 research grants and published 75 journal articles
and two books. The School is also experiencing growing enrollment numbers, with
660 undergraduate students combined between our Kinesiology, Sport Management,
Coaching, and Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Studies programs. A large graduate
student population is also present within the School. Masters’ degree-seeking
students total 104, with students enrolling in a Sport Management M.A. program,
Kinesiology M.S., M.A., and Minor programs, and M.Ed. programs in Applied
Kinesiology, Sport and Exercise Science, and Sport Management. The Kinesiology
Ph.D. program has 41 students across five concentrations, with the National
Academy of Kinesiology ranking this program 6th in the nation in 2015 (http://news.cehd.umn.edu/kinesiology-doctoral-program-jumps-into-top-10-ranking/).
Finally, the School is home to the Physical Activity Program, which annually
enrolls over 6,000 students from across campus in 1-credit PE classes. Complete
information on the School can be found on the website, http://www.cehd.umn.edu/kin/.
Located in the culturally diverse cities of Minneapolis and
St. Paul, the University offers unique opportunities for research and
participation in varied cultural communities. The College of Education and
Human Development is one of the top ranked professional schools of education in
the nation. We are an inclusive, nationally distinctive college that explores
education and human development across the life span to increase the
intellectual synergy and cooperative inquiry required to address the complexity
of educational and social issues facing children, youth, and families in the
21st century. Further information about the U of M can be found at http://twin-cities.umn.edu/about-us
and on the Relocation Assistance Program site http://www.umn.edu/ohr/rap/.
Additional information about the college can be found at http://www.cehd.umn.edu/.
Position
Overview
The Director provides leadership both as an active scholar
and by supporting department scholarship. The Director formulates and
implements departmental policies and practices, nurtures the professional
growth of individual faculty, professional and administrative (P&A), and
Civil Service/Bargaining Unit (CSBU) staff, creates a welcoming environment for
diverse students, faculty, P&A and CS/BU staff and works to improve the
quality of department climate, instruction, disciplined inquiry, and
outreach/community engagement. The Director provides academic leadership to KIN
in consultation with the CEHD Dean and Associate Deans and has general
administrative authority over the department, including budget. The Director
represents KIN in college-wide administrative planning and is a member of the
CEHD Academic Leadership Team.
Key
Responsibilities
- Serve as chief administrative,
academic, and research officer of the School by operating in alignment with the
UMN land grant mission, and KIN, CEHD, and UMN strategic goals and governing
policies. - Serve as chief administrative
officer of the School, with authority and responsibility for programs and
resources, personnel, budget development and oversight, development and
fundraising, and administrative planning.
o
Provide vision and leadership for
strategic short-term and long-range goals, objectives, and plans
o
Establish, communicate, administer,
and adhere to UMN fiscal, programmatic, space, workload, and personnel policies
o
Provide leadership in faculty and
staff development: orient new faculty and staff, evaluate and mentor continuing
faculty and staff, and manage faculty and staff tenure and promotion processes
as required by CEHD and UMN policies
o
Nurture the professional development
of faculty and staff toward excellence and national distinction in research,
teaching, and community engagement
o
Prepare, prioritize, and monitor
budget requests and expenditures
o
Schedule, set agenda for, and
preside at School faculty, all-school, and administration team meetings
o
Represent the School in its internal
and external affairs, including on the CEHD Dean’s academic leadership team,
and in other CEHD forums
o
Delegate authority appropriately and
equitably to other leadership in the School
o
Promote an open, respectful,
transparent, and inclusive work environment
o
Provide impetus and guidance to the
School in development and fundraising
- Serve as chief academic officer of
the School, with oversight and accountability for academic program vision,
curricular development, effective teaching, and high quality advising
environments
o
Develop and maintain familiarity
with the School’s academic programs and educational policies, as applied to
teaching, advising, and support staffing
o
Teach at least one course per year
and mentor graduate students in area of expertise
o
Promote and maintain a high-quality
and safe learning environment for students
o
Practice principles of affirmative
action and equal opportunity, and strive for diversity in the student body and
workforce
o
Designate and collaborate with
academic program area heads, committee members and chairs, and directors of
undergraduate and graduate studies
- Serve as chief research officer of
the School, providing leadership and mentoring regarding scholarly development,
support, and productivity
o
Establish goals and provide
equitable resources such as space and personnel that support the scholarly
efforts of faculty, research staff, and students
o
Nurture a climate geared toward
achieving success in external funding support for research
o
Cultivate the professional and
community engagement of researchers and scholars in the School
o
Maintain line of scholarly productivity
in area of expertise and fulfill research responsibilities as a faculty member
This position is supported by a School administrator
(Assistant to the Director) who effectively manages the day-to-day
administrative operations of the School, provides supervision and oversight to
staff who provide support to the School and the Director, and handles projects
as assigned.
