Executive Summary

Bradley University seeks a collaborative, strategic leader to serve as the next Dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences (CEHS).

With students hailing from 44 states and several foreign countries, CEHS has grown in recent years in terms of the number of departments, programs, and students. Presently, the College serves over 900 undergraduate students and more than 1,100 graduate students. Online programs have expanded in recent years, which has contributed to the growth within the College. Experiential learning is a significant focus in the College, with approximately 90% of the College's students gaining exposure to their fields of interest through internships, clinical experiences, study abroad opportunities, student teaching, and more. The College has 69 full-time faculty and 11 staff across five departments: Communication Sciences and Disorders; Education, Counseling, and Leadership; Family and Consumer Sciences; Nursing; and Physical Therapy and Health Science.

The next Dean must have a record of successful academic leadership, an academic doctorate in one of the disciplines represented in the College, and an academic record suitable for appointment at the rank of full professor in one of the College's departments.

Role of the Dean, College of Education and Health Sciences

Reporting to the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Dean will serve as the chief administrative and academic officer of the College of Education and Health Sciences. The Dean is responsible for:

Creating a strategic vision for the College that aligns with the University's goals and strategic plan.Providing leadership and vision for new and continuing academic programs that drive enrollment growth and explore opportunities in residential, online, and hybrid formats.Establishing and maintaining academic excellence and experiential learning opportunities that attract outstanding students, result in exceptional career outcomes for graduates, and prepare students for long-term success in dynamic and evolving fields.Serving as a strong advocate for the College, both internally and externally. Promoting and effectively communicating the goals and accomplishments of the College to internal and external constituents.Embracing and advancing diversity and inclusivity among students, faculty, and staff.Overseeing the recruitment, retention, and development of high-quality faculty and staff.Promoting and supporting a culture of shared governance.Managing the College’s budget and effectively aligning resources with priorities and strategic initiatives.Ensuring the academic programs across the College maintain their accreditations.Engaging external constituents in the work of the College, including working closely with the Office of Advancement, in raising funds to advance the vision and goals of the College.

Opportunities and Expectations for Leadership

The University seeks an innovative and collaborative leader as Dean to help advance the following priorities, among others:

Shape a collective vision.
The Dean will oversee a college with a diverse collection of programs, faculty, staff, and students. This individual will be expected to engage CEHS's many constituents to understand their goals and needs and then work collaboratively to shape a shared vision for the College. The Dean should be able to see the points of connection across the College's disciplines and identify opportunities for interdisciplinary work and interprofessional education. Additionally, with the College spanning various locations on campus and a growing online population, the next Dean must be able to ensure a sense of community and shared goals across the College. This individual must have an understanding of emerging trends in higher education, particularly those associated with the disciplines in the College, and the ability to adapt the College's strategy to meet the needs of the market.Envision and ensure high-quality academic programs.
The College has been successful in developing high-quality academic offerings across a range of modalities from traditional in-person undergraduate instruction to online offerings that include undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and certifications. The quality of the College's programs is also evident in its history of successful pursuit and maintenance of specialized accreditations across many of its programs. CEHS has invested in facilities and technology that support student learning, including its new nursing simulation lab. The next Dean must demonstrate the capacity to support academic excellence, identify resources to advance the quality of education, and ensure effective assessment across a diverse set of disciplines.Build relationships with partners outside the University.
The College of Education and Health Sciences has strong relationships in the Peoria community and Central Illinois region. From work with multiple hospital systems (including a Level 1 trauma center), local urban and rural school districts, and many nonprofit organizations in Peoria and the surrounding communities, the College's students, faculty, and staff have extensive opportunities for field and clinical learning experiences. The College also has a number of community-facing clinics and recently received a $1 million gift to support its physical therapy clinic. The next Dean will need to be engaged with partners throughout the region, working to understand their needs and building relationships that benefit the College and the community.Promote and advocate for the College.
The Dean will play a lead role in championing the College internally and externally. The Dean will work with University administrators, fellow deans, and others across the institution to identify resources that support CEHS while also advancing the goals and mission of the University. This individual will also work closely with the Office of Advancement to build relationships with donors and alumni who can also contribute to support the success of faculty, staff, and students in the college.Professional Qualifications and Personal Qualities

The next Dean must have a record of successful academic leadership, an academic doctorate in one of the disciplines represented in the College, and an academic record suitable for appointment at the rank of full professor in one of the College's departments. This individual should also have the following qualifications and characteristics:

Experience working with a broad set of constituents to establish a collective vision and demonstrated success implementing that vision.A forward-thinking approach to building academic programs that attract students and meet student needs, experience supporting interdisciplinary and interprofessional work, and a record of supporting experiential and supervised practice opportunities that prepare students for successful careers.A record of effectively and transparently managing existing resources and investing in opportunities that will generate new resources, including supporting the pursuit and management of grants.A leadership approach that builds effective teams and empowers administrators, faculty, and staff to contribute to the achievement of stated goals and a commitment to shared governance.Experience in personnel matters, including promotion and tenure review, and a record of supporting faculty in their teaching and research and supporting both faculty and staff in their professional development.Experience with academic program reviews and specialized accreditation processes.A successful record of developing effective partnerships and working relationships with external constituents, including skills and experiences that would translate into fundraising work.A commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion.Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.The highest levels of integrity as well as an ethical and transparent approach to leadership.Procedure for Candidacy

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile and a CV or resume. WittKieffer is assisting Bradley University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by February 19, 2025. 

Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to Ryan Crawford at Bradley-CEHSDean@wittkieffer.com.

The salary range for this position is $210,000 – $230,000 with a competitive benefits package and relocation assistance.

Employment with Bradley University is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal background check.

Bradley University is a top-ranked, private university in Peoria, Illinois, offering nearly 6,000 undergraduate and graduate student’s opportunities, choices, and resources to build their futures. Innovation, action, and collaboration drive Bradley students to generate ideas and create solutions that remake the world around them. Our comprehensive array of undergraduate and graduate academic programs includes business, communications, education, engineering, fine arts, health sciences, liberal arts and sciences, and technology.

Bradley University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The administration, faculty, and staff are committed to attracting qualified candidates from underrepresented groups.