Dean, Jane Addams College of Social Work

About the University of Illinois Chicago

Our mission at the University of Illinois Chicago is to provide the broadest access to the highest levels of educational, research, and clinical excellence. Named an Opportunity University by the Carnegie Foundation, UIC is a nationally recognized engine of social mobility, ranked first in Illinois and ninth nationally among public universities in U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges.

Located in the heart of Chicago, UIC is the city’s largest university and only public research institution. With regional campuses in Peoria, Rockford, Springfield and Urbana, UIC has 16 academic colleges serving more than 37,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. More than half of our students are first-generation, while 56% are Pell-eligible. Our hospital and clinics provide care to the most underserved communities in Chicago. And nearly half a billion dollars in annual research funding supports discovery and provides solutions to complex problems.

Recognized as one of the most culturally rich campuses in the nation, UIC is a leader in providing world-class education with real-world impact. At UIC, access and excellence thrive together, creating transformational and generational change for both our students and the communities we serve. Students become professionals in law; business; engineering; education; liberal arts and sciences; urban planning; and architecture, design and the arts. In addition to having one of the largest colleges of medicine in the country, UIC offers programs in dentistry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, social work and applied health sciences. It is the state’s principal educator of health professionals.

At UIC, we make access and excellence known every day.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Position Summary

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) invites applications, inquiries, and nominations for the next dean of the Jane Addams College of Social Work (JACSW). Nationally recognized for scholarship, professional education, community engagement, and a sustained commitment to justice, JACSW carries forward the legacy of Jane Addams and the Hull-House movement in a contemporary urban context.

UIC seeks an accomplished scholar and experienced academic leader who will embrace the university's distinctive role as an urban-serving public research university and advance the college's educational, research, and public-service missions. At a time when the need for social workers is accelerating and the profession faces increasingly complex opportunities and challenges, the new JACSW dean will chart the course for the college to build on its strengths, forge new pathways, and shape the future of social work. The next dean will be a nationally recognized scholar with an academic leadership record commensurate with the complexity of the role and an approach characterized by openness, reliability, intellectual curiosity, accountability, and respect.

The dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the Jane Addams College of Social Work. As such, the next dean will develop and implement a shared strategic direction; advance academic quality and student success; strengthen research and scholarly impact; build a culture of shared governance, transparency and trust; recruit, retain, and support excellent faculty and staff; deepen reciprocal community and professional partnerships; and ensure responsible and sustainable stewardship for the college. The dean reports to the UIC vice chancellor for health affairs and collaborates with leaders across UIC’s 16 Colleges, the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health), and the University of Illinois System. The dean also represents the college with alumni, donors, government agencies, professional organizations, community partners, and the broader social work profession.

The Jane Addams College of Social Work

The Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago is a nationally recognized leader in graduate social work education, research, and public engagement, dedicated to advancing social, racial, and economic justice for everyone. Consistently ranked among the nation’s top social work programs, JACSW combines academic excellence with a deep commitment to community partnership, preparing leaders in practice, policy, research, and administration through innovative MSW, joint MSW/MPH, PhD, and professional education programs. The college is distinguished by its community-engaged research enterprise, with faculty and research centers partnering with government agencies, healthcare systems, and community organizations to address critical issues (i.e., behavioral health, child welfare, justice systems, substance-use policy, crisis response) while serving as Illinois’ academic and research partner on major statewide behavioral health initiatives. As part of UI Health, UIC’s academic health enterprise, JACSW offers exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, research, and impact in addressing society’s most pressing social and health challenges.

Procedure for Candidacy

The University of Illinois Chicago invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Dean, Jane Addams College of Social Work. Applications received by October 30, 2026, will receive fullest consideration. The search will remain open until November 13, 2026.

Nominations may be submitted via the Dean Nomination Form on the JACSW Dean Search website or by email to JACSWDeanSearch@uic.edu.

Applications may be submitted via the UIC application portal at: uic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/21038?c=uic&sq=dean%2C%20jane%20addams%20college%20of%20social%20work.

Candidates should submit their curriculum vitae and a cover letter describing how their experience and leadership approach address the qualifications for the job and the priorities of the college.

For more information, please visit the JACSW Search Website.

Required Qualifications

The qualified candidate will be a national leader with an earned doctorate in social work or a closely related field, together with a record of scholarly and professional accomplishment sufficient for appointment as a tenured full professor at UIC. The successful candidate will have a substantial record of progressively responsible academic administrative leadership with demonstrated responsibility for personnel, budgets, planning, and organizational performance as well as success leading consequential academic processes (faculty recruitment and retention, program development or review, resource allocation, and accreditation or comparable quality-assurance activities). Candidates will provide demonstrated evidence of their commitment to student learning, student success, mentoring, and providing an academic environment that supports belonging; experience developing and managing complex budgets and making transparent resource-allocation decisions in a constrained financial environment; effective leadership in a shared-governance environment; and commitment to the mission of public higher education and to social justice. Additionally, qualified candidates will possess exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, sound judgment, integrity, and the ability to build trust across constituencies with differing perspectives.

Preferred Experience and Attributes

In addition to the required qualifications above, preferred qualifications include a Master of Social Work or substantial grounding in social work education, practice, policy, or research; deep knowledge of the evolving social work profession; and a demonstrated ability to strengthen research enterprises (supporting investigators, strengthening research administration and mentoring, developing interdisciplinary initiatives, and securing or enabling sponsored funding). Experience that will further distinguish candidates includes: recruiting, developing, evaluating, and retaining outstanding faculty and staff; advancing philanthropic and alumni engagement efforts; building reciprocal partnerships with community and public-sector organizations; collaborating across disciplinary and organizational boundaries; and thoughtfully evaluating the opportunities and ethical implications of emerging technologies and digital tools with attention to educational value, ethics, access, professional standards, and the distinctive needs of social work.

Offers of employment by the University of Illinois may be subject to approval by the university’s board of trustees and are made contingent upon the candidate’s successful completion of any criminal background checks and other pre-employment assessments that may be required for the position being offered. Additional information regarding such pre-employment checks and assessments may be provided as applicable during the hiring process. As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.