North Dakota State University (NDSU) invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences . Reporting to the Provost and serving as a member of the Deans Council and the President's Leadership Assembly, the Dean serves as chief academic and administrative officer of the college, leading its academic programs, faculty and staff, budget, research and creative activity, and student success work, and serving as the college's principal advocate on campus,…
across the region, and beyond.
The College of Arts and Sciences is one of NDSU's largest and most comprehensive academic units, enrolling 2,231 undergraduate and 563 graduate students in fall 2026 and teaching 48 percent of all student credit hours delivered at the University. The college was created in July 2023 through the merger of the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and today comprises four schools and 18 departments, along with NDSU Press, the Center for Social Research, and the Center for the Study of Digital Society. NDSU is a student-focused land-grant research university founded in 1890, holding the Carnegie R1 designation, with research expenditures reaching $215.5 million in fiscal year 2025, a seventh consecutive institutional record.
Leadership priorities include setting a clear and achievable direction for the college; advancing student recruitment, retention, and academic excellence; aligning academic programs with evolving workforce needs; strengthening the research and creative activity portfolio; and building a culture of trust, accountability, and professional respect among faculty and staff. The Dean will also serve as a strong advocate for the college with the NDSU Foundation and external constituencies, and will lead the college through its next chapter following the 2023 reorganization that reduced NDSU from seven colleges to five.
Preferred and Required Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- An earned terminal degree from an accredited institution in a discipline represented in the college, with a record meriting appointment as a tenured full professor;
- A minimum of five years of progressively responsible academic administrative experience, with a demonstrated record of strategic and responsible fiscal, human, and resource management in academia, industry, or government;
- Experience leading or working across disciplines with different methods, resource needs, and forms of scholarship and creative work; and
- Experience with fundraising and donor engagement in partnership with an institutional foundation or advancement office.
Application Details
The complete profile may be found at https://www.academicsearch.org/NDSU-DeanCAS
North Dakota State University is being assisted by Academic Search. Prospective candidates or nominators may schedule a confidential conversation with Senior Consultants Lisa Ryan and Dr. Maria Thompson by emailing NDSU-DeanCAS@academicsearch.org.
To apply, candidates should submit the following as separate PDF documents to the link below:
- a detailed cover letter, addressing how you meet the advertised qualifications;
- a current resume or curriculum vitae; and
- a list of five references, along with a note on your professional connection to each.
For full consideration, application materials must be submitted by November 19, 2026 via the following link: https://www.academicsearch.org/NDSU-DeanCASApply
NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable. Direct inquiries to the Vice Provost, Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 100, 701-231-7708, ndsu.eoaa@ndsu.edu.