Associate Dean and Director of the Wellstar School of Nursing

Employer: Kennesaw State University

Location: Georgia, United States

Salary: Salary Not specified

Date posted: Dec 16, 2025

Position Type: Deans, Executive

Employment Level: Senior-Level

Employment Type: Full Time

Job Details

ASSOCIATE DEAN and the DIRECTOR OF THE
WELLSTAR SCHOOL OF NURSING

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The Wellstar College of Health and Human Services (WCHHS) at Kennesaw State University (KSU) is seeking a visionary and collaborative leader to assume the role of Associate Dean and Director of the Wellstar School of Nursing and the Thomas M. and Elizabeth D. Holder Endowed Chair of Nursing with an expected start date of July 1, 2026.

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY

For over 60 years, Kennesaw State University has been recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and strong sense of community. As a leader in innovative teaching and learning, KSU offers over 190 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees and certificates. With 11 colleges, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and one of Georgia's largest universities, serving over 50,000 students.

With high-impact research initiatives and NCAA Division I athletics, Kennesaw State University attracts students from across the region and around the world. As a Carnegie-designated R2 doctoral research institution, KSU is committed to becoming a world-class academic leader by broadening its academic and research missions and expanding its impact locally, regionally, and nationally.

Kennesaw State University is more than just a place to learn and work-KSU's vibrant culture, meaningful career opportunities, mission-driven values, and comprehensive benefits make KSU an employer of choice. Guided by core institutional values-respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability-and aligned with the University System of Georgia's commitment to accountability, excellence, integrity, and respect, KSU is a student-centered, research-driven institution with a bold vision for the future.

In Fall 2024, the University launched a new strategic plan to guide its next chapter of growth and impact. To learn more, visit: KSU Strategic Plan. For general information about the University, visit https://kennesaw.edu/.

THE LOCATION

Kennesaw State University is located on two suburban campuses in Kennesaw and Marietta, approximately 30 minutes northwest of downtown Atlanta. The metro-Atlanta region is distinguished by its rich historical heritage and continues to grow as a dynamic hub of culture, innovation, and opportunity. Due to KSU's unique location, faculty, staff, and students benefit from the advantages of both a suburban campus environment and direct access to the professional and cultural resources of a major urban center.

ACADEMIC STRUCTURE

Wellstar College of Health and Human Services was created for the purpose of transforming lives through its commitment and focus on the community's health, physical fitness, and human service needs. Comprised of three departments and a school plus the Academy for Inclusive Learning and Social Growth, the College empowers students, faculty, and staff to thrive by fostering resilience, building confidence, and nurturing a commitment to lifelong learning that addresses the diverse needs of all learners. The Wellstar College of Health and Human Services offers a targeted and applied education as is demonstrated through the success of our graduates in the job market.

The Wellstar School of Nursing (WSON) prioritizes student success, respect, community engagement, innovation, and research. The School continues to experience significant growth in enrollment with the goal of supporting the growing need for nurses throughout the state and the country. WSON students come from across Georgia as well as other states and countries, and our graduates are employed primarily in the world-class medical facilities of metropolitan Atlanta and throughout the southeast, including medically underserved regions and the United States military. WSON students consistently perform well on national licensing exams with a pass rate of 97%.

The Wellstar School of Nursing (WSON) enrolls 1,264 students and is supported by 271 faculty members-77 full-time and 194 part-time-along with 19 full-time staff. WSON is home to one of the nation's largest in-person Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs, delivering exceptional, hands-on educational experiences that prepare graduates to enter the workforce ready to practice. In addition to its robust undergraduate program, WSON offers two Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs: the Family Nurse Practitioner program and the Leadership in Nursing program, which includes both Education and Administration tracks. WSON also offers post-graduate certificates in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Nurse Educator.

The Wellstar School of Nursing (WSON) is engaged in a formal Academic-Practice Partnership with the Wellstar Health System, working together to align academic preparation with workforce needs and to address shared challenges impacting the nursing profession. Through this partnership, students benefit from coordinated clinical learning experiences, faculty engagement opportunities, and practice-informed curriculum development. Clinical placements for both BSN and MSN students occur not only within the Wellstar Health System but also with numerous additional clinical partners across all spheres of care. These diverse experiential learning environments provide students with invaluable, hands-on learning opportunities that strengthen their clinical judgment, professional readiness, and transition to practice.

The WSON Learning Resource Center is a busy and dynamic training environment. The center allows for active student engagement in a realistic patient-care setting and utilizes innovative educational practices and state-of-the-art technology to create a realistic, hands-on clinical learning environment to enhance skills and clinical reasoning, provide the opportunity for research, and deliver service to the community.

LEADERSHIP AGENDA

The Associate Dean and Director of the Wellstar School of Nursing reports to the Dean of the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services, who serves as WSON's chief administrative officer, and leads all operational functions of the School. The Associate Dean and Director is responsible for setting the vision for the School in alignment with the University/College vision, faculty hiring and development, enrollment, and retention, CCNE accreditation, student success, fiscal management, and external engagements. The Associate Dean and Director directly oversee a highly collaborative and supportive team.

The next Associate Dean and Director of the Wellstar School of Nursing will establish a vision of continued growth and success and will be expected to perform the following functions:

• Direct all aspects of the Wellstar School of Nursing.
• Ensure a highly engaging and rewarding student experience and implement strategies to facilitate student success.
• Articulate a compelling vision and align the School's strategic plan with institutional plans and priorities.
• Administer and oversee all financial operations of the School to ensure that funding priorities and budgets align with near and long-term strategic objectives in conjunction with university administrators and faculty leadership at the School.
• Represent and advocate for WSON in internal relations with administration and with other colleges and units within Kennesaw State University.
• Represent WSON and Kennesaw State University in external relations with alums, donors, the community, clinical partners, state and national organizations, and other relevant professional bodies.
• Develop and implement entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives to foster collaboration, curriculum, and programs with external and community-based partners and enhance the reputation of WSON as a producer of qualified and caring nurses in the regional community and beyond.
• Provide leadership in fundraising, revenue generation, external grant acquisitions, and resource allocation to support the School's aspirations and priorities.
• Foster a supportive academic environment through the active recruitment, retention, and mentorship of faculty, staff, and students, while advancing career development opportunities for graduates.
• Provide strategic oversight of faculty hiring, retention, and academic program growth.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with CCNE accreditation standards and support successful reaccreditation efforts.
• Strengthen existing research and scholarship and emphasize interdisciplinary collaborations to promote excellence in education and scholarship.
• Develop and implement strategies to create innovative and market-driven academic programs aimed at increasing on-campus and online undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral student enrollment.
• Create and advocate for nursing policies at the local, state, and federal levels.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• An earned doctoral degree, or the foreign equivalent, in Nursing or a closely related field, with an academic background and appropriate credentials to be a tenured full professor in the Wellstar School of Nursing
• Eligibility for a Georgia Nursing License
• A minimum of three years of teaching experience in a nursing education program
• Experience in higher education administration and leadership including personnel, budgeting, procurement management

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated transformational and visionary leadership, with experience leading through growth and transition
• Ability to foster effective relationships within and beyond the School and university based on excellent interpersonal communication and transparency
• Excellent skills in initiative, teamwork, problem-solving, independent judgment, organization, communication (verbal and written), time management, and project management
• Experience in clinical practice
• Evidence of facilitating student success initiatives
• Established record of research or scholarship, with external funding
• Experience with fiscal management and budgeting in a complex environment
• Experience with curricular innovation and accreditation
• Demonstrated experience in fostering faculty and staff recruitment and development

PROCEDURES FOR NOMINATION AND APPLICATION

Kennesaw State University has retained Buffkin/Baker, a national executive search firm, to assist the Wellstar School of Nursing Search Committee in its identification and review of candidates.

Confidential inquiries, nominations, and applications are invited. While applications will be accepted until the position is filled, interested parties are encouraged to transmit their materials by March 1, 2026, for full consideration. Applications should include a CV, a letter of application, and contact information for five references.

Inquiries, nominations, and application materials should be sent electronically via email to the University's search consultants:

Buffkin/Baker
Ann Yates, Partner, or Dinah DeWitt, Associate
KSUWSON@buffkinbaker.com

For more information about Kennesaw State University, please visit: https://www.kennesaw.edu/

For the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services: https://www.kennesaw.edu/wellstar/index.php

For the Wellstar School of Nursing:
https://www.kennesaw.edu/wellstar/academics/nursing/index.php