Overview
Dean, College of Health
Oregon State University (OSU), Oregon’s land grant institution, seeks a strategic and experienced leader to serve as its next Dean of the https://health.oregonstate.edu/
Oregon State University serves over 38,000 students with more than 5,000 faculty and staff, including the fast-growing OSU Ecampus, which has ranked as a top 10 online program nationally by U.S. News & World Report for 10 consecutive years. With more NSF funding than all other Oregon comprehensive universities combined, OSU is one of only three institutions in the United States to hold land, sea, space, and sun grant designations, and it is Oregon’s only institution to hold both the Carnegie R1 (very research-intensive) designation and the Carnegie Community Engagement classification. OSU is an internationally renowned public research institution that attracts students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Through its Corvallis and Bend campuses, a leading marine science center in Newport, downtown facility in Portland, agricultural research experiment stations, Extension offices, and research forests, OSU has a presence in all 36 Oregon counties.
Central to OSU’s mission is its commitment to providing exceptional 21st-century teaching, scholarship, research, discovery, innovation, extension services and public engagement. As Oregon’s largest university, OSU offers more majors, minors, and special programs than any other institution in the state. OSU’s research enterprise is distinguished by excellence across various disciplines and a strong upward trajectory, with research expenditures rising 20 of the last 22 years, to a record $422 million in fiscal year 2024.
The next Dean will join Oregon State at an exciting time as the University welcomed Dr. Jayathi Murthy as its 16th president in fall of 2022 and, in 2024, launched its fifth consecutive university strategic plan – https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/strategic-plan Prosperity Widely Shared sets ambitious goals for research, student success, enrollment and public engagement and impact. Reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President, the next Dean will join a highly collaborative senior leadership team focused on executing the strategic plan and achieving the university’s ambitions as one of the nation’s top land grant research universities.
To submit a nomination or express personal interest in this position, please see Procedure for Candidacy at the end of this document.
COLLEGE OF HEALTH
The College of Health recently finalized its new strategic plan, https://health.oregonstate.edu/about/strategic-plan. The College trains the next generation of health and human sciences professionals in a world in which an exponential increase of current health graduates is needed to meet the needs of the future. The new Dean will lead a values-driven college in an innovative public land grant research university that prioritizes operating beyond functional silos, spanning disciplinary boundaries, and deeply integrating research, teaching, and public engagement.
The faculty and staff of the College of Health seek solutions to society’s greatest health challenges, using science and community engagement to ensure health and well-being for individuals, families, and communities in Oregon and beyond. In FY 2024, The College of Health faculty received nearly $38 million in sponsored grants and contracts. Two-thirds of its sponsored research is funded by federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Education. The funding portfolio also includes awards from the state of Oregon, non-profit organizations and foundations, and industry. Research awards represent the diverse disciplines of the college and reflect the commitment to embrace innovative approaches and methods, conduct both basic and applied research with diverse populations, and promote interdisciplinary collaboration. Findings from these research projects have the potential to improve health and well-being in Oregon and beyond.
In addition to the College’s growth and interdisciplinary focus on health across the lifespan, OSU College of Health is a standout among other schools and colleges of health and human sciences nationally and among land grant universities because of its level of community engagement – through the integrated Extension Family and Community Health program present on campus and throughout the state, and the connection to 4H Youth Development. The College is a national leader in transforming Extension programming to promote health, prioritizing local solutions and committed to authentic partnership with communities across Oregon.
The College of Health offers four main degree programs in Human Development and Family Sciences, Kinesiology, Nutrition, and Public Health. They are offered in Corvallis, with some programs also offered at OSU-Cascades in Bend, including the Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Multiple online degrees, minors, certificates and micro-credentials are taught by College of Health faculty via OSU’s Ecampus to meet the needs of a variety of learners. The College of Health also offers three MS programs, an MPH program, and four PhD programs. The Corvallis campus is home to nearly 1,500 undergraduate and just over 200 graduate students. Approximately 240 students are located at OSU-Cascades and just over 400 students are pursuing their degrees on Ecampus.
Major units in the College of Health include:
• School of Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences
• School of Human Development and Family Sciences
• School of Nutrition and Public Health
• Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families
• Center for Global Health
• Center for Healthy Aging Research
• Moore Family Center for Whole Grain Foods, Nutrition and Preventive Health
• Extension Family and Community Health
• Team Oregon
ROLE OF THE DEAN
Appointed by and reporting to the Provost and Executive Vice President, the Dean is the College’s chief academic and administrative officer responsible for overall leadership, academic program and research stewardship, management, budgeting, and operations. The Dean serves as the lead in representing the College to the University, its leadership, and to the outside world, including alumni, donors, and stakeholders. The Dean is a member of the Provost’s Council of Deans and is responsible for being a productive and collaborative participant in many aspects of institution-wide planning and policy development.
The Dean of Health:
• Works closely with COH faculty, staff, students, leadership team, and external stakeholders to identify, track, and respond creatively and productively to emerging opportunities and challenges facing health and human sciences and higher education in general.
• Crafts a vision and plan to realize the faculty’s aspirations and the University’s expectation that COH be a leader in research consistent with the College’s academic programs and signature areas, deepening the College’s research enterprise by setting and assessing strategic priorities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and securing resources.
• Oversees the college budget, which has an annual E&G budget of $22.2 million and total annual expenditures of approximately $47M across all fund types. The Dean oversees 15 direct reports, and the College has 215 academic faculty in Corvallis and 35 at OSU-Cascades.
• Oversees a well-designed and delivered mix of academic programs that achieve strong results for enrollment, student success, and career placement.
• Responds effectively to—and captures opportunity associated with—changing trends in health, including the use of new modalities, emergence of alternative credentials, rising need for lifelong learning, proliferation of digital learning technologies and artificial intelligence tools, growth of alternative careers for doctoral program graduates, and growing demand for education among non-traditional learners.
• Builds and stewards a culture of continuous innovation and excellence in academic program design and delivery, the development of research programs, and outreach and engaged scholarship.
• Leads COH’s contributions to advancing the University’s goals, actions, and targets as articulated in OSU’s current strategic plan, with a special focus on setting and achieving appropriate enrollment, retention, graduation rate, and external research awards goals.
• Develops and leads a compelling internationalization strategy for the College, and contributes to the University’s internationalization goals in research, teaching, and engagement.
• Manages COH revenue sources and costs effectively to ensure resources are used to the maximum benefit and within budget and allocates resources soundly and transparently so that guidelines and incentives for efficient resource use are reinforced at every level within the College.
• Ensures COH meets appropriate accreditation requirements and contributes to the achievement of the University’s institutional accreditation.
• Operationalizes COH’s and University priorities in inclusive excellence, including the College’s role in the accomplishment of OSU’s diversity action plan and the College’s own diversity action plan, which is being developed to complement Health and Well-Being for All.
• Increases the visibility, reach, and impact of COH in the Pacific Northwest and nation.
• In close and productive partnership with University leadership and the OSU Foundation, actively raises funds from private, foundation, and corporate sources to support the work and students of the College; achieves shared University-level objectives; and contributes to the success of the University’s capital campaigns.
• In close and productive partnership with University leadership and the OSU Foundation, implements an active and successful program of alumni engagement.
• Works collaboratively and productively with other University senior leaders, including deans, vice presidents, vice provosts, and active participation in University-level events and initiatives.
• Works in partnership with faculty, federal agencies, and other organizations, as well as other potential external partners, including health programs at Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University.
• Keeps the Provost and Executive Vice President apprised of plans, major issues of concern, and achievements.
KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE DEAN
In carrying out these broad duties, the Dean will be expected to address several key opportunities and challenges:
Raise the prominence and impact of the College of Health through the implementation of its new strategic plan, Health and Well-Being for All
The Dean will work with the leadership team and college to actively monitor and achieve the goals, actions, and tactics of the College strategic plan, which also reinforces the goals of the University’s strategic plan, Prosperity Widely Shared.
Further research and scholarship across the College’s various disciplines
The Dean will foster continued growth in research and scholarship across the variety of disciplines represented within the College. The Dean must appreciate the breadth of research across disciplines and the differences in which scholarship is evaluated – from bench science to community engagement and extension in Oregon and globally.
Integrate disciplines across the College while balancing program accreditation
The Dean will inspire synergies and facilitate interdisciplinary work while also understanding that the College is home to six separately accredited programs that require distinct areas of emphasis to maintain accreditation.
Center issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the College’s culture
The Dean will work to ensure that issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, fairness, and justice are central to the mission of the College and that the organization supports the university’s broader inclusive excellence goals. The Dean will take steps to recruit and retain a diverse workforce including faculty, staff, and student employees, and to ensure the community is welcoming and inclusive.
Manage the College budget in alignment with College and University goals
The Dean will continue to ensure transparency and accountability in budget management and resource allocation The Dean will manage the budget through a lens of shared governance and transparency, seeking appropriate input from university and community partners. The Dean will assume ultimate responsibility for budget and management decisions, delegate as appropriate, optimize space and other limited resources, and serve as an effective advocate for the College in the context of OSU’s overall strategic goals and plans.
Prioritize enrollment growth and student persistence to bolster enrollment and graduation trends
The Dean will examine recent enrollment and student persistence trends across all College programs and work to develop innovative solutions to address challenges that have led to limited undergraduate and graduate growth in both onsite and Ecampus environments. The Dean will be a champion of high-quality learning and student success. The Dean will work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students to ensure that programs and experiences meet the needs of students, faculty, and external stakeholders.
Partner with the OSU Foundation and OSU Alumni Association to develop fundraising and engagement initiatives that contribute to the mission of the College and University
The Dean will emphasize interactions and relationship building with alumni, donors, and supporters of the College.
Further integrate extension and OSU-Cascades to impact the reputation and success of the College
As one of the few Colleges of Health in the country with a land-grant mission and deep involvement in Extension programming, the College is uniquely positioned to leverage outreach and engagement into the community to differentiate their programs and impact. OSU-Cascades also plays an integral role in the overall College and the Dean will work to expand OSU-Cascades programs while further integrating them into the mission and vision of the College.
QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
The successful candidate will possess an earned doctorate with a distinguished record of professional and scholarly accomplishments and contributions that justify an appointment as a professor with tenure in the College of Health. In addition, they will bring most of the following qualifications:
• A record of excellence in leadership positions of increasing responsibility;
• Experience in developing and executing academic and research strategies across disciplines;
• A proven ability to serve as an executive and provide strategic, innovative, and entrepreneurial leadership;
• An awareness of and respect for the values and mission of land-grant universities;
• Demonstrated experience in promoting diverse and inclusive environments and improving access to higher education for all;
• A commitment to students and an understanding of pedagogical approaches, mentoring, and support systems and programs necessary for their success;
• A record of successful recruitment and retention of superb faculty, administrators, and staff;
• A collegial, accessible, and consultative approach to leadership with a track record of building meaningful partnerships and relationships internally and externally;
• The capacity to listen thoughtfully, consult with others, build consensus, and develop an overarching vision and strategy for moving forward;
• Intellectual curiosity and the ability to be a thought leader and mentor;
• Excellent financial management skills; demonstrated experience working with complex budgeting and an understanding of the relationships among academic priorities and available resources;
• A commitment to transparency in policy, strategy, and financial management;
• A commitment to shared governance and a proven capacity to effectively implement and communicate decisions within a shared governance framework;
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills and ability to represent both OSU and the College of Health to internal and external stakeholders;
• Experience in growing and sustaining fundraising efforts and building and strengthening alumni relations; and
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and the highest degree of personal integrity.
OSU LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE
https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/board-trustee/jayathi-y-murthy, a national leader in higher education engineering teaching, research, and service, began her service as Oregon State University’s 16th President on September 9, 2022. As OSU’s President, Murthy is committed to improving access to college for all learners; advancing student success, undergraduate graduation rates, and inclusive excellence throughout the University; expanding OSU’s strong research portfolio by investing in research infrastructure; and supporting faculty excellence in teaching, scholarship, research, and Extension and engagement programs.
Prior to joining OSU, Murthy served as the first woman Dean of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science since January 2016. She has held academic appointments at a number of leading U.S. universities. From 1988 to 1998, Murthy worked at New Hampshire-based Fluent, Inc., a developer and vendor of the world’s most-widely used computational fluid dynamics software. President Murthy is a recipient of numerous awards and recognitions and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/provost/about/provost-edward-feser serves as Provost and Executive Vice President, the chief academic and operating officer of Oregon State University. He oversees progress toward the University’s goals in enrollment, education, scholarship and faculty excellence, public engagement, internationalization, technology and leadership development. Since his appointment in 2017, Provost Feser has guided the development and implementation of the University’s institutional strategy, as articulated in https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/sites/leadership.oregonstate.edu/files/vision_2030.pdf (2017), https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/sp40-transformation-excellence-and-impact (OSU’s 2019-23 strategic plan); and https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/strategic-plan (OSU’s 2024-30 strategic plan). Provost Feser is a specialist in regional economic development, innovation, and technology policy. Prior to joining OSU, he held faculty and leadership roles at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a Fulbright Senior Specialist at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria and has served in state government as Assistant Secretary for Policy, Research, and Strategic Planning in the North Carolina Department of Commerce. He holds a BA in government from the University of San Francisco and Ph.D. and master’s degrees in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
OSU is governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Oregon Legislature, guiding the University’s mission to serve the state, the nation and the world.
CORVALLIS, OREGON
OSU’s main campus is in Corvallis, a community of 58,000 located in the heart of western Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Corvallis is 90 miles south of Portland and 36 miles south of Salem, the state capital. The Pacific Coast and the Cascade Mountains are nearby. Corvallis is a vibrant college town; WalletHub recently ranked it as the fourth-best overall college city in America. The https://imaginecorvallis.org/2040-vision campaign demonstrates Corvallis’s commitment to making itself a livable, diverse community. Known for prioritizing environmental responsibility, Corvallis sits within easy access to Oregon’s finest natural recreational and scenic areas: ocean beaches, lakes, rivers, forests, high desert, wine country, and the rugged Cascade Mountain and Coast ranges. The University’s branch campus, OSU-Cascades, is located in Bend, which is world-famous for both its outdoor pursuits and pristine beauty. Today, Bend and Central Oregon represent Oregon’s fastest-growing region and one of its most dynamic economies.
Land acknowledgement
As one of the nation’s Land Grant institutions, Oregon State University benefitted from resources derived from the taking and sale of lands occupied by Native peoples, specifically the Klamath, Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw and Coquille people. In addition, OSU’s Corvallis campus is located within the traditional homelands of the Mary’s River or Ampinefu Band of the Kalapuya people, whose descendants are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians. Indigenous people are valued, contributing members of the Oregon State community and represent multiple sovereign tribes among students, faculty, staff and alumni. To learn more visit: https://oregonstate.edu/land-acknowledgment.
INQUIRIES AND PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY
Inquiries, nominations and referrals, should be sent directly to Bonny Ray, Executive Director of University Human Resources, at bonny.ray@oregonstate.edu. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search. Interested candidates should submit the following materials to bonny.ray@oregonstate.edu by Jan. 17, 2025:
• A cover letter outlining your interest in the position and your qualifications.
• A current curriculum vitae.
• A statement of leadership philosophy.
• Contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without notifying the candidate.
Once these documents are received a confidential link to fill out an abbreviated application will be provided. Questions may be directed to Bonny Ray at bonny.ray@oregonstate.edu
Dr. Susan Gardner, Dean of the College of Education, will chair the Search Advisory Committee. She may be reached at susan.k.gardner@oregonstate.edu.
Dates of note: Semifinalist interviews are currently planned for the week of February 10 to 14, 2025. Finalists will be invited to participate in in-person interviews in Corvallis during the week of March 3 to 7, 2025.
OSU commits to inclusive excellence by advancing equity and diversity in all that we do. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.
This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.
Final candidates for this position must complete a sexual misconduct reference check, per University Policy 05-010. An offer of employment will be contingent upon satisfactory results from the sexual misconduct reference check.
