The University of West Alabama seeks a Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Click here to view position profile: https://summitsearchsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/UWA_Dean_COLA_Profile.pdf

Location:

Livingston, Alabama The University of West Alabama invites applicants for the position of Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. The Dean is responsible for all matters relating to the instructional programs within the college, including the various courses of study, the teaching faculty, class scheduling, student registration, and physical and financial resources. The Dean works in cooperation with the Department Chairpersons, the other Deans, the Provost, University committees and councils, and other members of the faculty and staff to meet these responsibilities.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinates and participates in a continuing, systematic, and broad-based process of planning and evaluation of the educational activities of teaching, advising, research, and public service.
• Coordinates the preparation of departmental budgets and supervises spending within the college, approving specific expenditures when required by State law or University policy.
• Coordinates the scheduling of the necessary courses, preparing class schedules each term and submitting them to the Provost, and supervises all instruction offered by the college, both on campus and off.
• Allots the space and other physical resources assigned to the college for the support of the instructional programs, continuing education activities, and other approved purposes, ensuring compliance with space management policies and procedures.
• Assigns faculty mentors and supervises the registration of all students in the college.
• Coordinates curriculum development within the college, aligned with relevant workforce data and the University mission, and ensuring timely student degree completion.
• Ensures appropriate opportunities for student experiential learning within the college, aligned with program outcomes, workforce needs, and post-graduation student success.
• Evaluates and approves official student records and requests, including transcripts of transfer students, applications for graduation, exceptional class schedules, and such special requests as those relating to transient student status, correspondence work, etc.
• Supervises the recruitment of faculty and academic staff, accepting applications, receiving recommendations from Department Chairpersons and search committees, and making recommendations to the Provost.
• Provides orientation for new faculty and continuing opportunities for faculty development through in-service meetings, consultants, counseling, travel, etc.
• Participates in the ongoing evaluation of faculty for purposes of development, promotion and tenure decisions, and re-appointment.
• Maintains records on faculty qualifications, faculty workloads, faculty absences, and related matters and, as required, submits to the appropriate administrative offices the necessary forms and reports relating to faculty, such as faculty evaluation documents, annual sick leave records, payroll forms, travel requests, etc.
• Coordinates, with the Department Chairperson, the employment of adjunct faculty.
• Coordinates the annual review of the Planning and Assessment documents for the college.
• Encourages and coordinates college fundraising and grant writing efforts.
• Establishes and maintains meaningful relationships with college alumni to support engagement, collaboration, and advancement of the college's mission.
• Coordinates student recruitment for the college, working with the Office of Student Recruitment.
• Submits each year to the Provost a corrected and updated copy of the appropriate sections of the General Catalogue and the Graduate Catalogue.
• Promotes a culture of active engagement by encouraging and demonstrating regular, visible presence and participation in college-sponsored events, programs, and activities.
• Provides a means of communication between the faculty and the central administration and oversees internal college communication processes, as well as external communication with institutional leadership.
• Coordinates the Freshman Studies Program.
• Coordinates the University Honors Program.
• Coordinates continuing education and community service programs, workshops, conferences, and related activities within the college.
• Provides liaison with the public and with the higher education community, serving as a University representative to appropriate professional groups within the State and elsewhere.
• Performs other duties as requested by the Provost and the President.

Qualifications:

Minimum

• The terminal degree in a discipline in which the college offers programs.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching at the university level.
• Proven administrative skills.
• Demonstrated scholarship, research, and/or the equivalent creative professional experiences.
• Successful experience with grants.
• Proven communication and interpersonal skills that will enable the candidate to work effectively with students, faculty, other administrators, and external constituencies. Preferred
• Successful experience in university administration at chairperson level or above.
• Experience with accrediting agencies on regional and national levels.
• Experience at a regional university.
• Experience in online academic offerings.

Before hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation, including information obtained from social media and other internet sources.