Job Announcement: Dean of the Division of Social Sciences

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) invites inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of dean of the Division of Social Sciences. The largest of the four academic divisions of the UCLA College of Letters and Science (the College), the Division of Social Sciences includes the departments of African American studies, American Indian studies, anthropology, Asian American studies, Chicana/o and Central American studies, communication, economics, gender studies, geography, history, political science and sociology, and four interdepartmental degree programs in archaeology, conservation of cultural heritage, social science and labor studies. The division is home to aerospace studies (ROTC), military sciences and naval sciences, as well as the Bedari Kindness Institute, the Center for the Study of Women, the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. The division has 292 ladder faculty, 8,200 undergraduate majors, 900 graduate students and $160 million in annual expenditures. The faculty includes 37 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, seven members of the National Academy of Sciences, 78 Guggenheim Fellows, eight MacArthur Fellows and three Pulitzer Prize winners. The division attracts approximately $25 million in external research funding and gifts annually, and has a total endowment of $170 million.

The dean provides strategic vision and operational leadership for the social sciences division, creating an environment and community that supports its faculty and students. Building on deep academic strength, the dean sets the standard for intellectual engagement and scholarly accomplishment, advancing research and education in the social sciences, encouraging distinctive programmatic innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration, and providing leadership to ensure excellence through diversity in undergraduate and graduate programs and faculty recruitment. The dean serves as the division’s public voice, articulating its contributions to local, state, regional, national and international communities, and pursuing an aggressive development program to build the division’s resources. Reporting to the executive vice chancellor and provost (EVCP), the dean serves on the deans council and collaborates with the chancellor, EVCP, vice chancellors, vice provosts, and other deans and department chairs at UCLA and throughout the University of California system. As a member of the College Cabinet, the dean works closely with the deans of humanities, life sciences, physical sciences and undergraduate education to promote synergies within the College.

The successful candidate will be nationally recognized with strong scholarly visibility; demonstrated leadership in teaching, research and public service; and the capacity to exercise policy leadership at local, state, national and international levels. Minimum requirements include substantial administrative leadership experience at a research university; a record of distinguished teaching, research and intellectual leadership in a field in the social sciences division; success in — or aptitude for — external and alumni relations and development; an established record of advancing equity, diversity and inclusion; and credentials that merit appointment at the rank of full professor. Experience in, and/or significant knowledge of, the University of California is preferred.

With its 419-acre campus in Westwood, and recent site acquisitions in Downtown L.A. and the South Bay, 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 more than 5,500 faculty members who teach approximately 47,800 students in the UCLA College and 12 professional schools. UCLA is consistently ranked among the top institutions nationally for research funding, having generated nearly $1.7 billion in research grants and contracts in the last fiscal year alone.

Confidential review of applications, nominations and expressions of interest will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. To be ensured full consideration, email a letter of interest — including a diversity statement — and curriculum vitae to SocialSciencesDeanSearch@conet.ucla.edu by February 8, 2024. Address inquiries to Traci Considine, manager of executive recruitment in the Office of the Chancellor (310-206-8003).

The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $360,000 – $480,000, commensurate with related experience and qualifications. UCLA offers an inspiring higher education environment and excellent benefits. Learn more about the University of California and UCLA.

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.