Dean, Faculty of Education

Open Date August 24, 2023

Please note: this search will remain open until the position is filled.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean, Faculty of Education.

The Faculty of Education at UBC is the largest in British Columbia and is recognized globally, ranking 8th in North America and 15th in the world, according to the 2022 QS World University Rankings. The Faculty is home to over 3,600 students and more than 450 scholars, educators, and staff, and offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional development programs across four academic departments (Curriculum and Pedagogy; Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education; Educational Studies; and, Language and Literacy Education), and two schools (the School of Kinesiology and the Okanagan School of Education located on UBC’s Okanagan Campus).

The Faculty has over 58,000 alumni from 100 countries and plays an influential role in advancing education across the local, national, and international education communities through leading-edge research, innovative learning, and transformative teaching. For more than 60 years, the Faculty has prepared over 45% of elementary and majority of secondary educators in British Columbia, and a significant proportion of the province’s school counsellors, administrators, special education professionals, and school psychologists. UBC’s institutional strategic plan, Shaping UBC’s Next Century, and the Faculty of Education’s strategic plan, Learning Transformed: Strategic Plan 2019 - 2024, reflect exciting priorities and opportunities for the next Dean.

With a dual reporting mandate to the Provost and Vice-President Academic, UBC Vancouver, and the Provost and Vice-President Academic, UBC Okanagan, the Dean is a member of UBC’s senior academic team, responsible for effectively managing resources, promoting research, pedagogical and scholarly excellence, and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will be a distinguished academic appointable at the rank of Full Professor, with a record of outstanding senior academic and administrative leadership in education or a related field. They must bring a deep commitment to, and support of, excellence in research, teaching, and practice, and a broad understanding of, and appreciation for the range of scholarship found within the Faculty. The Dean will have a demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and decolonization; a collaborative, collegial, and inspirational leadership style with the ability to empower faculty, staff, and students; a visionary and innovative approach to leadership and to education; and, excellent communication skills.

The new Dean will take office in the summer of 2024 or as mutually agreed. The Advisory Committee will begin consideration of candidates in early September 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Nominations, applications, and expressions of interest should be submitted, in confidence, to Andrea Patrick at ubceducation@odgersberndtson.com.

A global centre for teaching, learning, and research excellence, UBC is among Canada’s top five teaching and research universities, ranked 40th best university the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023). Since 1915, UBC has continued to embrace innovation and transform new ideas into impact, to shape a better world. UBC is home to over 70,000 students and more than 18,000 faculty and staff across its two main campuses: UBC Vancouver, located in Greater Vancouver, and UBC Okanagan located in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley. The University hosts over 100 research centres and institutes and offers over 250 undergraduate programs and more than 300 graduate programs within 26 faculties and schools at UBC Vancouver, and 9 faculties and schools at UBC Okanagan. UBC’s impressive cadre of scholars generate $773.7 million in research funding for 10,218 projects, collaborate with industry partners on over 1400 research projects and have over 1,350 research contracts and agreements with governments and non-profits. UBC’s commitment to excellence in pedagogy and scholarship across all disciplines is reflected in the accomplishments of its scholars, of whom 22 are 3M National Teaching Fellows, 289 are Royal Society of Canada Fellows, 194 are Canada Research Chairs, 8 are Nobel Laureates and 74 are Rhodes Scholars. UBC enjoys over 300 active institutional partnerships in more than 65 countries, and has over 375,000 alumni in 160 countries, including three Canadian Prime Ministers. For more information about UBC, visit www.ubc.ca.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. All applicants will be asked to complete a confidential equity survey.

Within this hiring process we will make efforts to create an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). If you require accommodations to participate in the recruitment process, please inform Odgers Berndtson.

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