Dean of the School of Nursing, Health, and Sciences

Spring Arbor University seeks its next Dean of the School of Nursing, Health, and Sciences. The Dean will provide strategic direction and oversight of academic programs, faculty, accreditation and compliance, student outcomes, operational effectiveness, and external partnerships, while exercising fiscal stewardship of the School’s resources, including budgeting, allocation, and long-term financial planning. In addition to serving as the chief nursing officer, the Dean oversees the science and health programs. Through the School’s mixture of undergraduate and graduate programs, offered online and on campus, over 800 students annually are transformed by its impact. Potential for growth is strong and will be enhanced by the remodeling and expansion of the Whiteman-Gibbs Science Center, which is underway. The Dean reports to the Provost and will have their office on Spring Arbor’s beautiful campus in south central Michigan.

The School and the University are missionally focused and fiscally strong. SAU’s Concept (mission) statement has provided clear guidance to the university community since the 1960s and is hard-wired into the culture. It reads, "Spring Arbor University is a community of learners distinguished by lifelong involvement in the study and application of the liberal arts, total commitment to Jesus Christ as the perspective of learning, and critical participation in the contemporary world".

The Dean will be able to articulate how the Christian faith and the Biblical worldview provide the foundation for learning for the nursing, health, and science disciplines. The individual will exhibit a life and service consistent with the University Concept and Community Covenant and must be fully supportive of the University’s mission and values as an evangelical Christian institution affiliated with the Free Methodist Church.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

• Earned doctoral degree in nursing or a related discipline is required.
• Master’s degree in nursing or a health-related discipline is required.
• Leadership experience overseeing faculty, academic programs, curriculum, and accreditation and compliance.
• A record of successful teaching in higher education is required, with experience in teaching face-to-face and online strongly preferred.
• Unencumbered Michigan RN license or willing to obtain.
• Strong leadership and strategic planning skills.
• An entrepreneurial spirit and an all-institutional perspective.
• Experience with program development and ongoing improvement.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and complex initiatives.
• Proven sound judgment, attention to detail, and professional integrity.
• Evidence of scholarship, professional service, and engagement in their academic discipline.