The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Associate Dean/Professor Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs_Fall 2
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, 37955
Overview
Associate Dean/Professor Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs_Fall 2025 Location: Baker School Open Date: Nov 26, 2024 Description: The Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (the School) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) seeks an accomplished and entrepreneurial academic administrator to serve as Associate Dean. The School serves nearly 150 students in its second year of operation. The School’s graduate programs are growing rapidly, and the undergraduate degree, in its inaugural year, has shown strong interest among first-year students at UTK. The Associate Dean will serve as the School’s chief academic officer, overseeing faculty and programs to position the School for long-term success. In partnership with the Dean, the Associate Dean will operationalize strategic initiatives, lead faculty oversight including recruitment, retention, and development, curricular enhancements, and serve as the School’s liaison to the broader UTK campus, especially programs with cross-listed offerings and joint appointments. The Baker School has retained Isaacson, Miller to assist in this recruitment effort. All applications, inquiries, and nominations, which will remain confidential, should be directed to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document. Role of the Associate Dean
The Associate Dean will shape the Baker School’s trajectory at a pivotal moment. Reporting to the Dean, the Associate Dean provides leadership and direction for the School’s faculty and academic programs, sets strategic hiring goals, mentors and retains faculty, oversees tenure and promotion processes and annual reviews, and aligns academic programs with faculty affairs. Directors of graduate and undergraduate studies report to the Associate Dean, and the allocation of teaching and research resources to meet program growth is a key part of the portfolio. Key Opportunities and Challenges for the Associate Dean
The Associate Dean will be a collaborative and strategic leader with a track record of elevating academic excellence and making informed administrative decisions. Key areas include: Partner with the Baker School Dean to drive strategy The Associate Dean will help shape and drive the School’s vision, serve on the Dean's cabinet, provide advice on faculty, academic programs, and curriculum, and represent the faculty perspective in strategic conversations. The Associate Dean may also support fundraising with the Dean and the School’s Director of Advancement for academic priorities. The role includes conducting national surveys, events related to faculty and students, benchmarking, and academic development to support growth. Serve as the chief faculty affairs administrator for the Baker School The Associate Dean will guide professional growth and development of current and future faculty, including recruiting, retention, promotion and tenure, and annual reviews. The role requires being highly visible to faculty and communicating with the Dean and faculty. The Associate Dean will translate strategic goals into actionable initiatives, establish governance processes, and support collaboration across disciplines. The School is interdisciplinary, with faculty from business, economics, international relations, political science, public administration, and other fields; governance systems will be refined to support collaboration while maintaining rigor, particularly during the first five years of senior hires. Further develop academic program infrastructure and student support systems With Graduate and Undergraduate Program Directors, the Associate Dean will oversee curricula, instructional resources, and processes, support assessment and accreditation readiness, and establish policies for curricula and programs. Working with Student Success staff, the role includes ensuring academic policies support student success while maintaining rigor. Liaise with the broader UTK community The Associate Dean will advocate for the School within the UTK community and serve as liaison to UTK’s Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, ensuring alignment with campus practices. The role includes building relationships across departments, schools, and colleges to enhance the School’s reputation and partnerships with cross-listed programs and joint appointments. About the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs Information about the Baker School can be found at the Baker School overview. (http://baker.utk.edu/overview/) Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS The ideal candidate will be a distinguished public policy/public affairs leader and scholar with substantive experience in academic administrative leadership. While no single candidate will possess all ideal attributes, the following experiences and qualities are encouraged: Required: Professional and academic credentials: Demonstrated scholarly output and excellence in teaching and research. Qualifications appropriate to hold the rank of full professor in the Baker School. Doctoral degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Public Affairs, Public Administration, Economics, or a related field required. Demonstrated success in executing a strategic vision and understanding of shared governance. Proven ability to attract, retain, and mentor faculty; collegiality; experience assessing annual performance and overseeing promotion and tenure processes; commitment to faculty support. Strong written, oral, and interpersonal communication; high emotional intelligence; ability to engage internal and external stakeholders; diplomatic; commitment to diversity; integrity and dependability; leadership with fairness and optimism; commitment to public policy and public affairs education and civic service values. Preferred: Leadership experience with cross-institution collaboration to align activities with institutional goals; executive management experience with policy development and implementation. Administrative experience: Oversight and refinement of curricula and leadership in accreditation processes. Application Instructions
Applications, Inquiries, and Nominations Screening of complete applications will begin on December 16, 2024 and continue until the search is completed. Anticipated start date is August 1, 2025. Inquiries, nominations, and CVs with cover letters should be submitted via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: Jeff Kessner, Partner; Stephen Kalogeras, Associate; Jenny Rubin, Senior Search Coordinator; Isaacson, Miller. (Note: remove hyperlinks when sharing externally.) Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or other protected characteristics. The University of Tennessee does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment. Requests for accommodation should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, eoa@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-2498. Inquiries and charges of discrimination should be directed to the Office of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business Incubator Building, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, investigations@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-0717.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Associate Dean/Professor Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs_Fall 2025 Location: Baker School Open Date: Nov 26, 2024 Description: The Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (the School) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) seeks an accomplished and entrepreneurial academic administrator to serve as Associate Dean. The School serves nearly 150 students in its second year of operation. The School’s graduate programs are growing rapidly, and the undergraduate degree, in its inaugural year, has shown strong interest among first-year students at UTK. The Associate Dean will serve as the School’s chief academic officer, overseeing faculty and programs to position the School for long-term success. In partnership with the Dean, the Associate Dean will operationalize strategic initiatives, lead faculty oversight including recruitment, retention, and development, curricular enhancements, and serve as the School’s liaison to the broader UTK campus, especially programs with cross-listed offerings and joint appointments. The Baker School has retained Isaacson, Miller to assist in this recruitment effort. All applications, inquiries, and nominations, which will remain confidential, should be directed to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document. Role of the Associate Dean
The Associate Dean will shape the Baker School’s trajectory at a pivotal moment. Reporting to the Dean, the Associate Dean provides leadership and direction for the School’s faculty and academic programs, sets strategic hiring goals, mentors and retains faculty, oversees tenure and promotion processes and annual reviews, and aligns academic programs with faculty affairs. Directors of graduate and undergraduate studies report to the Associate Dean, and the allocation of teaching and research resources to meet program growth is a key part of the portfolio. Key Opportunities and Challenges for the Associate Dean
The Associate Dean will be a collaborative and strategic leader with a track record of elevating academic excellence and making informed administrative decisions. Key areas include: Partner with the Baker School Dean to drive strategy The Associate Dean will help shape and drive the School’s vision, serve on the Dean's cabinet, provide advice on faculty, academic programs, and curriculum, and represent the faculty perspective in strategic conversations. The Associate Dean may also support fundraising with the Dean and the School’s Director of Advancement for academic priorities. The role includes conducting national surveys, events related to faculty and students, benchmarking, and academic development to support growth. Serve as the chief faculty affairs administrator for the Baker School The Associate Dean will guide professional growth and development of current and future faculty, including recruiting, retention, promotion and tenure, and annual reviews. The role requires being highly visible to faculty and communicating with the Dean and faculty. The Associate Dean will translate strategic goals into actionable initiatives, establish governance processes, and support collaboration across disciplines. The School is interdisciplinary, with faculty from business, economics, international relations, political science, public administration, and other fields; governance systems will be refined to support collaboration while maintaining rigor, particularly during the first five years of senior hires. Further develop academic program infrastructure and student support systems With Graduate and Undergraduate Program Directors, the Associate Dean will oversee curricula, instructional resources, and processes, support assessment and accreditation readiness, and establish policies for curricula and programs. Working with Student Success staff, the role includes ensuring academic policies support student success while maintaining rigor. Liaise with the broader UTK community The Associate Dean will advocate for the School within the UTK community and serve as liaison to UTK’s Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, ensuring alignment with campus practices. The role includes building relationships across departments, schools, and colleges to enhance the School’s reputation and partnerships with cross-listed programs and joint appointments. About the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs Information about the Baker School can be found at the Baker School overview. (http://baker.utk.edu/overview/) Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS The ideal candidate will be a distinguished public policy/public affairs leader and scholar with substantive experience in academic administrative leadership. While no single candidate will possess all ideal attributes, the following experiences and qualities are encouraged: Required: Professional and academic credentials: Demonstrated scholarly output and excellence in teaching and research. Qualifications appropriate to hold the rank of full professor in the Baker School. Doctoral degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Public Affairs, Public Administration, Economics, or a related field required. Demonstrated success in executing a strategic vision and understanding of shared governance. Proven ability to attract, retain, and mentor faculty; collegiality; experience assessing annual performance and overseeing promotion and tenure processes; commitment to faculty support. Strong written, oral, and interpersonal communication; high emotional intelligence; ability to engage internal and external stakeholders; diplomatic; commitment to diversity; integrity and dependability; leadership with fairness and optimism; commitment to public policy and public affairs education and civic service values. Preferred: Leadership experience with cross-institution collaboration to align activities with institutional goals; executive management experience with policy development and implementation. Administrative experience: Oversight and refinement of curricula and leadership in accreditation processes. Application Instructions
Applications, Inquiries, and Nominations Screening of complete applications will begin on December 16, 2024 and continue until the search is completed. Anticipated start date is August 1, 2025. Inquiries, nominations, and CVs with cover letters should be submitted via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: Jeff Kessner, Partner; Stephen Kalogeras, Associate; Jenny Rubin, Senior Search Coordinator; Isaacson, Miller. (Note: remove hyperlinks when sharing externally.) Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or other protected characteristics. The University of Tennessee does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in its education programs and activities, and this policy extends to employment. Requests for accommodation should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at Equal Opportunity and Accessibility, 1840 Melrose Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, eoa@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-2498. Inquiries and charges of discrimination should be directed to the Office of Investigation and Resolution, 216 Business Incubator Building, E J. Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-3560, investigations@utk.edu, or by phone at 865-974-0717.
#J-18808-Ljbffr