The University of West Alabama seeks a Dean, College of Education
Click here to view position profile: https://summitsearchsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/UWA_DeanCOE_Profile.pdf
Location: Livingston, Alabama
The Position:
The Dean of the Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education is a key leadership position responsible for advancing its mission, enhancing its academic programs, fostering research and scholarship, and promoting a supportive and inclusive environment for faculty, staff, and students.
The Dean will provide strategic vision and leadership to ensure the College’s continued growth and success, align its goals with the University’s strategic plan, and uphold the highest standards of academic excellence.
Responsibilities:
Leadership and Administration
- Provide visionary leadership and strategic direction for the College of Education.
- Oversee academic programs, faculty recruitment, development, and evaluation.
- Manage the College’s budget, resources, and facilities efficiently and effectively.
- Foster a collaborative and inclusive environment among faculty, staff, and students.
- Ensure compliance with accreditation standards and support continuous improvement efforts.
- Serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors for the University Charter School.
Academic Excellence and Innovation
- Promote high standards of teaching, research, and service within the College.
- Encourage and support innovative teaching methods, curricula, and research initiatives.
- Facilitate collaboration and partnerships within and outside the University.
- Oversee the development and assessment of academic programs to ensure they meet current and future needs.
- Stay abreast of needed programs and have programs in the pipeline based on market research.
Faculty and Staff Development
- Support professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.
- Foster a culture of mentoring, collaboration, and recognition of faculty and staff achievements.
- Evaluate faculty and staff annually and provide timely feedback on performance.
Student Success
- Advocate for student needs and support initiatives that enhance student learning and development.
- Promote a culture of engagement, inclusion, and academic success among students.
- Oversee student recruitment, retention, and graduation efforts for the College.
- Use data to drive all instructional decisions.
External Relations and Fundraising
- Represent the College to external stakeholders, including alumni, donors, community partners, and professional organizations.
- Work with UWA’s advancement office to secure external funding through grants, donations, and partnerships.
- Foster relationships with local schools, educational agencies, and other relevant organizations.
Strategic Planning and Implementation
- Develop and implement strategic plans that align with the UWA’s mission and goals.
- Monitor and report on the College’s progress toward strategic objectives.
- Engage faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders in the planning and implementation process.
Instructional Delivery
- Promote best practices in multiple modes of educational delivery, including both online and face-to-face learning environments.
- Schedule online & campus courses one year in advance.
- Recruit and retain online & campus adjuncts who are experts in the fields of study within the College.
- Monitor and support education in all its forms, including continuing professional development for educators.
Qualifications:
Required:
- An earned doctorate from a regionally accredited institution.
- Demonstrated leadership experience that involves managing people, processes, and finances.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- A vision for the future of education and the role of the College in addressing educational opportunities and challenges.
Desired:
- Leadership and administration in a college or university at the department chair level or higher and a record of academic achievement and scholarship suitable for such appointment, or equivalent experience.
- Demonstrated ability to obtain grant funding, implement grant projects, and abide by federal and state guidelines.
- Experience with budget management and resource allocation.
- Experience with accreditation processes and standards in higher education.
- Experience working with state and federal departments of education.
- A strong understanding of learning modalities and adult learning needs.
- The ability to work in rural education and experience preparing teachers, school leaders, and school support personnel for rural districts.
About the College of Education:
With nearly 200 years of experience educating teachers in the state, the Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education (COE) is dedicated to remaining at the forefront of innovative and effective teaching methodologies. Through its two departments, the Julia S. Tutwiler College of Education prepares future educators with the skills and knowledge to excel in diverse educational settings and develop as effective classroom leaders who can adapt to evolving student needs.
The Department of Teaching and Learning is empowering the next generation of education through offering six undergraduate majors; four minors; a high school certification; 25 master’s degrees; and 3 specialist degrees.
The Department of Instructional Leadership and Support offers instructional leadership and support curriculum designed to help students become inspiring, dynamic, effective leaders in the classroom or as administrators through its 8 master’s degrees; two post master’s certification programs; one minor; six specialist degrees; and one doctor of education.
Programs are offered through a combination of both traditional, on-campus delivery and online.
The College of Education’s primary objectives are to use evidence-based practices to train well-rounded, competent teachers for diverse school systems in Alabama, to promote inclusive instructional programming in elementary and secondary schools within the University service area, and to provide services to other colleges within the University. Additionally, the College is committed to advancing educational practices and curriculum by continuously enhancing learning opportunities, including initiatives such as competency-based education, which supports personalized learning paths and measures progress through demonstrated skills and mastery of subject matter.
Programs and Initiatives
COE has several exciting programs and initiatives underway, including:
The UWA Black Belt STEM Institute is a powerful regional center for STEM education that aims to serve the hiring needs of employers across Alabama, but especially in the Black Belt region. The Institute offers supplemental curricula focused on providing students with real-world learning experiences in the context of developing STEM career opportunities while reinforcing academic standards and skills learned in the classroom.
Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Leading
The Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Leading (CETLL) serves as a centralized educational and professional development unit on the University of West Alabama’s campus for all faculty, staff, and students as well as regional educators employed in elementary through post-secondary educational settings. Housed in the College of Education, the purpose of the CETLL is to provide high quality opportunities for professional learning aimed at advancing effective instructional strategies and enhancing student learning.
The College of Education has partnered with the College of Natural Science and Mathematics to work with two community colleges in the region on Project INSPIRE (Implementing Novel STEM Practices in Rural Education). INSPIRE is a Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program funded by the National Science Foundation. This program is a response to the critical need for K-12 teachers in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The goal of the Noyce Scholarship Program is to encourage talented STEM students and professionals to pursue teaching careers.
Click here to explore more information on COE initiatives and follow this link for more information on the College, overall.
Accreditation
The University of West Alabama is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees.
Standards for effective teacher training programs are maintained by cooperating with the Alabama State Department of Education, the Alabama Education Study Commission, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
The Interstate Certification Education at the University of West Alabama is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.
Programs in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Collaborative Special Education, Physical Education, Secondary Education, School Counseling, Library Media, Instructional Leadership and Teacher Leader are CAEP Approved.
About the University of West Alabama:
Join the University of West Alabama for a rewarding career in a close-knit community where your work directly impacts students’ lives, all while enjoying a great work-life balance and a beautiful, supportive environment.
The University of West Alabama (UWA) was chartered in 1835 as a church-related female academy and remained primarily a school for girls until the twentieth century. 2025 marks 190 years of proud tradition and educational excellence with more than 39,000 graduates. Currently, UWA offers associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees within the walls of the College of Business, Julia Tutwiler College of Education, College of Liberal Arts, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Division of Engineering Technology, College of Nursing, School of Graduate Studies and On-Line Programs.
Mission
Enriching lives through education, service, and outreach.
Vision
To offer quality education and effective services while establishing a model for leadership in the region and beyond.
Strategic Plan
UWA has developed a five-year strategic plan (2020-2025) that supports its mission and values. View the full plan.
The key pillars of the plan are promoting high-quality, relevant academic programs and faculty that ensure student transitions to career or graduate school; growing enrollment; increasing retention and persistence to graduation; pursuing an institutional identity that exemplifies effective communication, inclusiveness, collaboration, and outreach; and increasing operational efficiency and fiscal responsibility.
The University’s strategic plan is steered by input from throughout its campus to serve not simply as a road map but as a compass, so that UWA may not only be guided in its efforts, but that UWA may continually be responsive to the needs of those it serves.
To Apply:
Acceptance of inquiries, nominations, and applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search. To apply, please submit a CV and a cover letter that addresses your reasons for interest and related qualifications/experience. Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted. Interested parties are encouraged to apply no later than Friday, April 18th.
To apply online, go to https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=su450
All applications and nominations will be held in confidence.
For more information or to offer a nomination or recommendation:
Tammarah Townes
302-388-9480
ttownes@summitsearchsolutions.com
The University of West Alabama does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, hearing status, personal appearance, color, sex, pregnancy, political affiliation, creed, ethnicity, national origin (including ancestry), citizenship status, physical or mental disability (including perceived disability), age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran or military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other protected category under applicable local, state, or federal law, including protections for those opposing discrimination or participating in any grievance process on campus, with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or other human rights agencies. AA/EOE. Minority applications encouraged.
Application URL https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=su450
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