Dean - College of Arts and Sciences

Position Category: Staff (Exempt)

FLSA: Exempt

FTE: 1

Location: Thousand Oaks

California Lutheran University (Cal Lutheran) seeks an experienced, inclusive, and collaborative leader to serve as its next Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Located in Thousand Oaks, California, founded in 1959, and formally recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution since 2016, Cal Lutheran is home to 2,297 undergraduate and 1,054 graduate students. Students come from 67 countries and represent a wide spectrum of faiths and spirituality. The University's dedicated, accomplished faculty works with small classes of students who are open-minded - about ideas, about people, and about faith - and are seeking to grow as individuals. Both in and out of the classroom, everyone at Cal Lutheran is committed to helping each student pursue their passions to discover their purpose. By following that purpose, they can transform their communities - and the world. Cal Lutheran is made up of six academic units which serve students across a range of academic departments and deliver personalized classroom experience that the University is known for.

As the largest unit at Cal Lutheran, the College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) provides the historical and intellectual foundation of undergraduate, liberal arts education. The College of Arts and Sciences values the diverse experiences, perspectives, and knowledge of the University's academic community. The vision of the College is to cultivate a liberal arts learning environment that is student-centered, welcoming, and inclusive. The College encourages students, faculty, and staff to explore and expand their knowledge and to contribute their talents and abilities to fully engage their communities and the world with integrity. The mission of the College is to mentor students and equip them to make meaningful contributions on campus and beyond. The College's strong intellectual training for undergraduates is driven by dedicated faculty who innovate teaching to ignite students' critical thinking and creativity in courses that integrate self-discovery and learning. The College honors the Lutheran tradition in higher education in the liberal arts by educating the whole person in a complex and dynamic world, encouraging students to question the status quo, and engaging with culturally diverse perspectives.

The next Dean of the COAS will have a unique opportunity in leading the College into a new era of innovation and growth. The Dean will bring deep affinity for the liberal arts tradition and be expected to support faculty achievement, raise the profile and resources of the College to the benefit of faculty and students, elevate student success, build collaborations across campus units through relationships, and provide modern, transparent, and effective leadership for the College.

As a senior academic leader, the next Dean will serve as an effective advocate and partner for the College within the University and will act as the College's chief executive and intellectual leader. This leader will have a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging. The next Dean must possess superior academic credentials and a record of scholarly achievement that merits the rank of a tenured professor at Cal Lutheran. A demonstrated and progressive track record of administrative leadership is required. The next Dean should also demonstrate an ability to lead, envision, and innovate; to engage and unite constituents; to listen carefully and communicate persuasively; to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively across the University; to understand and support the needs of all disciplines; to secure external funding; to develop partnerships beyond the University; and to operate the College's administrative and budgetary functions with a high level of skill. In addition, a steadfast commitment to the mission of Cal Lutheran and the success of faculty, staff, and students flourishing in a dynamic university is essential.

Basic Function: Reporting directly to the Provost, the Dean provides leadership to ensure the quality of the faculty and programs. The Dean is responsible for strategic planning and budgeting; faculty and staff recruitment, development, and evaluation; program review; fundraising; and accreditation. The Dean is a public advocate for the College/School and works to actively support university-wide initiatives to strengthen teaching and scholarship.

Representative Duties:

• Provide executive leadership for the ongoing day-to-day operations of the College/School.
• Oversee regular assessment of all programs.
• Conduct performance evaluations of faculty and prepare reviews for the Appointment, Rank, and Tenure Committee.
• Oversee the scheduling of classes.
• Provide leadership for all search committees in the College.
• Collaborate closely with University Advancement to cultivate relationships with donors, alumni, foundations, and community partners in support of the University's mission and the College/School priorities.
• Identify and develop opportunities for partnerships, philanthropy, and pathways for students aligned with academic priorities.
• Serve as a visible and engaged ambassador in the community and in professional organizations to represent the University.
• Support the development and execution of fundraising strategies that enhance visibility and attract resources.
• Supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned staff; interview and select employees and recommend transfers, reassignment, termination and disciplinary actions; plan, coordinate and arrange for appropriate training of subordinates.
• Work with the Center for Teaching and Learning to provide faculty development opportunities.
• Direct the preparation and maintenance of a variety of narrative and statistical reports, records and files related to assigned activities.
• Develop and prepare the preliminary budget; analyze and review budgetary and financial data; control and authorize expenditures in accordance with established limitations; manage College/School resources to meet revenue targets.
• Communicate with other University personnel to coordinate activities and programs, resolve issues and conflicts, and exchange information.
• Represent the College/School with the community outside the university.
• Collaborate with Admissions and Marketing on student recruitment efforts.
• Attend a variety of meetings including committee, staff and Senior Management-level meetings as assigned.
• Ensure that the College/School meets the standards of appropriate accrediting bodies.
• Hold regular College/School meetings and organize committees and work groups to accomplish strategic goals.
• Facilitate problem solving for student, staff, or faculty concerns.
• Advocate for personnel and resource needs for the College/School.
• Represent the College/School in meetings called by the university officials, state agencies, commissions, and professional associations.
• Additional duties as assigned by the Provost.

Knowledge Of:

• Mission, vision, identity and goals of California Lutheran University
• University rules, regulations, policies and procedures
• Group facilitation and collegial team building
• Managerial accounting or budget preparation and control
• Strategic planning techniques
• Public speaking skills
• Principles and practices of administration, supervision and training
• Relevant computer software and technology such as: Microsoft software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Ability To:

• Communicate both in writing and verbally to engage with diverse constituencies.
• Be creative, analytical, innovative, pragmatic, and committed to the mission and identity of California Lutheran University.
• Demonstrate a commitment to dialogue and engagement.
• Demonstrate leadership ability and management experience that includes supervision of personnel and budgetary responsibility.
• Work collegially with senior administration.
• Make excellent decisions and have an empowering attitude.
• Foster collaboration, innovation and creativity in alignment with the goals of the university's strategic plan and decisions made by the university's administrative leadership.
• Distill ideas, assist in clarifying issues, and have the pragmatic know-how to move projects to their successful conclusion with sensitivity and diplomacy.
• Be an active listener who can also think quickly under pressure Be an open, communicative, and confident professional.
• Promote the institution and/or other campus constituents.
• Work with persons at all levels of the University and foster dynamic relationships with external constituencies and stakeholders

Minimum Qualifications: An earned doctorate (or equivalent terminal degree) in a field of study pertinent to Cal Lutheran's programs in the specified College/School, and evidence of excellence as a scholar-practitioner in a regular faculty appointment. These credentials taken together should constitute those appropriate to appointment as an associate or full professor with tenure at Cal Lutheran.

Preferred Qualifications:

Licenses and Other Requirements: N.A.

Physical Abilities: Detect to understand appropriate written correspondence; communicate clearly to exchange information in person and via the telephone or video; operate a computer and other office productivity machinery; stationary position for extended periods of time; move or transport light objects; position self to store and/or retrieve files.

Working Environment: Indoor and public engagement environment; subject to driving to conduct work. Hours include evenings and weekends for events.

Hiring Range: $200,000-$225,000

Posting Number: Staff004572022

Open Date: 09/08/2025

Close Date: 11/13/2025

Application Procedure/Special Instructions: Applicants for this position should fill out this online application and submit, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile to CalLutheranDeanCOAS@wittkieffer.com for consideration. WittKieffer is assisting California Lutheran University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by November 13, 2025. Applications, nominations, and inquiries can be directed to: Melody Rose, Ph.D. and Ashlee Winters Musser at CalLutheranDeanCOAS@wittkieffer.com. To apply, visit https://careers.callutheran.edu/postings/12749.