Job Announcement: Dean of the School of Education and Information Studies
Dean of the School of Education and Information Studies
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) invites inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the School of Education and Information Studies (Ed&IS).
One of UCLA’s 12 professional schools, Ed&IS includes the highly ranked departments of education and information studies and 16 nationally renowned research enterprises. Ed&IS is also closely affiliated with UCLA’s preK-12 schools, including the UCLA Lab School, a university-based laboratory school for pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, and the UCLA Community School at RFK and the Mann UCLA Community School — both UCLA-Los Angeles Unified School District partnership schools. The school’s academic departments offer a variety of professional and academic degrees, and the department of education recently launched a new undergraduate degree program in education and social transformation. The department of education offers B.A., M.A., M.Ed., Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs. The department of information studies offers M.L.I.S. and Ph.D. programs, as well as a post-master’s certificate of specialization.
Ed&IS is preeminent in the areas of equity, access and social justice; preK-12 and higher education; and library, archival and information studies. The school’s mission statement emphasizes making a difference in the education and information fields through both scholarship and professional practice. Ed&IS scholars, educators and practitioners research, teach and prepare students in learning and information fields with a shared goal to enhance the life experience of all individuals through inquiry, professional practice and policy that lead to equitable access to quality education and useful information. Ed&IS is a member of the iSchool consortium, an organization of information schools dedicated to advancing the information field.
As the chief executive and academic officer for Ed&IS, the dean provides strategic vision for and operational leadership of the school, which has an annual operating budget of approximately $26 million. The dean works to advance scholarship, education and civic engagement, promoting initiatives within and outside of UCLA; enhancing excellence through diversity in educational programs and faculty and student recruitment; and linking the work of Ed&IS faculty and students to other disciplines, communities and interests within and outside of the academy. The dean serves as the school’s public voice, articulating its contributions to local, state, regional, national and international communities, and pursuing an aggressive development program to build the school’s resources. Reporting to the executive vice chancellor and provost, the dean serves both on the deans council and the council of professional school deans, and collaborates with the chancellor, executive vice chancellor and provost, vice chancellors, vice provosts, deans and department chairs at UCLA and across the University of California system.
The successful candidate will be nationally recognized with substantial administrative experience at a research university; strong scholarly visibility within the education and/or information studies research communities; and the capacity to exercise policy leadership at the local, state, national and international levels. Minimum requirements include a strong commitment to research, teaching and public service; administrative leadership experience; a record of distinguished scholarly accomplishment; demonstrated intellectual leadership in the areas of education and/or information studies; proven success in — or aptitude for — external and alumni relations and development; a record of advancing equity, diversity and inclusion; and credentials that merit appointment at the rank of full professor.
Situated on 419 acres, five miles from the Pacific Ocean, UCLA is enriched by the cultural diversity of the dynamic greater Los Angeles area, as well as the geographic advantages of Southern California. One of the world’s preeminent public research universities, UCLA is an international leader in breadth and quality of academic, research, health care, wellness, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs, with approximately 5,100 faculty members who teach nearly 46,000 students in the UCLA College and 12 professional schools. UCLA is consistently ranked among the top institutions nationally for research funding, having generated more than $1 billion in research grants and contracts annually in nine of the last 11 years.
Confidential review of applications, nominations and expressions of interest will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. Address inquiries and nominations to our WittKieffer consultants Robin Mamlet, Suzanne Teer and Alejandra Gillette-Teran (UCLASEISDean@wittkieffer.com). To be ensured full consideration, please submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae at the WittKieffer Candidate Portal by February 12, 2021.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy (PDF).