Webber International University

Academic Dean

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Founded in 1927, recognized by the Princeton Review as an “America’s Best Value” and “Best Southeastern College” and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), Webber International University is an independent, secular, not-for-profit private university offering associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees exclusively in the areas of business. Undergraduate degree offerings include Accounting, Computer Information Systems Management, Corporate Communications, Finance, General Business Studies, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Management, Marketing, Pre-Law, Security Management, and Sport Management. MBA’s include the MBA, MBA with an emphasis in Accounting, MBA with an emphasis in Security Management, and MBA with an emphasis in Sport Management. Only a handful of courses are offered on line. Graduate assistants never, ever teach at Webber. We have a diverse student population representing men and women from some 37 different countries. We have a liberal admissions policy and, while we do not award any “full ride” scholarships, essentially all of our undergraduates participate in a sport. Roughly half of our undergraduates reside on campus. Essentially all of our students receive some sort of financial aid.

One of the nation’s accredited universities, we are located in Babson Park, Florida, a rural area roughly an hour from metropolitan Orlando. The nearby town of Lake Wales offers a quality public school system, ample shopping and dining opportunities, and good quality medical care. We are one of Florida’s more affordable areas and are located roughly half way between Tampa and Orlando, nearly in the geographical center of Florida.

Webber International University’s new President was recently promoted from the position of Academic Dean. Consequently, we are seeking a new leader for our academic areas. This leader will work closely with our President, whom it would be fair to describe as “results driven with both high expectations and a high energy level”, in enhancing the University’s reputation as a superlative school of business.

The Academic Dean is the University’s Chief Academic Officer, charged with overall management and administration of all of the University’s academic affairs. The Academic Dean is by necessity a hands-on manager, with little clerical support. As one of the University’s senior executives, the Academic Dean reports directly to the President. While there is very little turnover within our Faculty and a few Faculty members have been here for decades, Webber does not grant tenure. While research is not an institutional requirement (we cannot communicate loudly enough that we are a teaching school), many Faculty meet their professional development requirements through publication.

Areas of the Academic Dean’s responsibility include the Faculty, the Library, the Career Services Center, Institutional Effectiveness, Academic Planning, Academic Support (including tutoring labs), and the Adult Completion Program. The Academic Dean is also the chief authority on matters of accreditation. As a teaching school, the Academic Dean has frequent interaction with students, and occasional interaction with their parents.

As the leader of a well credentialed and highly engaged Faculty, most of whom have worked in their field, the Academic Dean must have strong academic credentials, including an earned doctorate (we strongly prefer one of the areas of business) and university teaching experience. Leadership skills are essential; experience managing a Faculty would be better still. As someone who will lead a diverse group of people and interact with an even more diverse group of stakeholders, demonstrated leadership experience, particularly the collaborative leadership necessary to lead some of the world’s best educated professionals, is essential. Necessary skills include the ability to manage multiple projects, the ability to meet deadlines, and the ability to manage details. Tact and diplomacy, together with an ability to make what are sometimes difficult decisions and adhere to what are sometimes difficult guidelines, are important personal characteristics. Please note that this paragraph is not merely a “wish list” but, based upon our experience, the bare necessities that an Academic Dean must possess in order to be successful.

While the Academic Dean will lead a team which deeply believes in our mission and zealously pursues it, we are aware that not everyone is happy in an environment like ours. Before you apply, please take a few minutes to learn a bit more about us and reflect upon whether we are the sort of place you would like to work. While we pay a respectable salary, have a good benefit package, and offer a supportive, collegial work environment, fortune seekers are likely to be disappointed. Likewise, our infrastructure dictates that administrators perform a number of tasks which they might delegate at other institutions. As hitherto noted, we are a teaching school.

We would anticipate a starting date of January 2009 or June 2009, depending upon the progress of the search and the commitments of the ideal candidate. Applications will be accepted until position is filled. For confidential consideration mail (do not call or visit) CV, unofficial transcripts, and salary expectations to Academic Dean Search, Webber International University, 1201 N. Scenic Highway, Babson Park, FL 33827-0096. Job seekers only, please; we do not pay recruiters’ fees. EEO.