Department Head, Biology at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia

Job Description:

The College of Science and Mathematics seeks applicants for a Department Head ofBiology. The position is a fiscal (12-month) administrative faculty ranked position beginningJuly 1, 2025. This role involves directing and participating in the teaching and other functionsof an academic department, and it carries rank at either the Associate or Full Professor level,with the possibility of tenure.

Valdosta State University is deeply committed to its student body and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment. We seek to recruit and retainoutstanding candidates who share our unwavering commitment to collegiality and workingtogether towards a standard set of goals and objectives. The successful candidate willplay a pivotal role in enhancing the holistic strength of our faculty and staff and contributesignificantly to our vibrant community.

The Department of Biology is the largest in the College of Science and Mathematics, withapproximately 450 undergraduate students, 20 graduate students, and 20 full-time facultymembers, whose teaching and research interests include molecular and cellular biology,developmental biology, microbiology, organismal biology, neurophysiology, plant pathology,infectious diseases, parasitology and wildlife biology, evolutionary and molecular ecology,functional morphology, and plant molecular biochemistry. The Department has state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, including animal care facilities and the Lake Louise FieldStation, available for teaching and research. The Departments educational focus advancesthe universitys mission of increasing undergraduate and graduate students access to highereducation in the region. The diverse curriculum offered by the Department prepares students fordirect entry into the job market, graduate school, and professional programs. The Departmentprovides undergraduate (B.A. and B.S.) and graduate (M.S.) degrees, including thesis and nonthesisoptions. The Department is currently expanding its non-thesis M.S. degree to providemore opportunities to professionals seeking careers in the Biological Sciences. For moreinformation about the Department, please visit https://www.valdosta.edu/biology/.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting directly to the Dean, the Department Head directs and participates in thedepartments teaching and other day-to-day functions and serves as its primaryspokesperson and advocate. Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Providing effective and inclusive leadership for the Department;
• Seeking to develop inter- and cross-disciplinary intersections to enhance programcompetitiveness;
• Hiring, managing, and evaluating departmental faculty and staff;
• Conducting regular faculty meetings;
• Fostering a positive department environment that supports excellent teaching,scholarship, and service;
• Establishing a collaborative department vision and agenda that aligns with the universityand college strategic plans;
• Developing faculty class schedules every academic semester;
• Supporting students through mentoring, overseeing internships, and, where appropriate,facilitating curricular overrides;
• Teaching courses throughout the academic year;
• Maintaining academic development through research and scholarly activities;
• Attending appropriate conferences, including both professional and academic presentations;
• Supporting experiential learning activities, including undergraduate research;
• Facilitating curriculum reviews to maintain the viability of Biology department programsand their alignment with SACS accreditation requirements;
• Participating in the College Executive Committee;
• Attending monthly meetings of the Council of Department Heads;
• Serving as the Departmental Budget Manager;
• Hiring, managing, and evaluating faculty and staff members in the department.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• An earned terminal degree in Biology or a closely related discipline from an accrediteduniversity;
• A record of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service;
• A strong record of progressively responsible and relevant leadership experience;
• An awareness of current trends in higher education and a commitment to innovation inteaching and learning;
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills;
• A commitment to shared governance and a consultative leadership style.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with successful grant writing and extramural funding;
• Record of successful community outreach;
• Experience with faculty evaluation, promotion and tenure processes;
• Experience as a department head or chairperson.

Online application is required. Reviewof completed applications begins November 11, 2024, and will continue until the position isfilled. For more information on the position please contact Dr. Joseph Robbins, Search Chair,via emailjwrobbins@valdosta.edu.

Applicant materials should include the following:

• Cover letter;
• Curriculum Vitae;
• Teaching philosophy that includes a vision of how to create/update curricula to reach theneeds and career goals of a diverse student body;
• Research statement that includes their research interests and how to enhance theresearch mission of a regional public institution and increase opportunities for studentsand faculty;
• Leadership statement that addresses contemporary challenges facing departments atregional comprehensive universities.

Valdosta State University, founded in 1906, is a comprehensive university with a studentenrollment of approximately 10,200. The city of Valdosta is located just north of the Floridastate line on Interstate 75, is served by a regional airport, and is within a two-hour drive ofJacksonville and Tallahassee, Florida. For more information, visit https://www.valdosta.edu,and for more information about the community, visithttps://www.valdostachamber.com.

Valdosta State University is an equal-opportunity educational institution. It is not theinstitutions intent to discriminate against any applicant for admission or any student oremployee of the institution based on the age, sex, race, religion, color, national origin,disability, or sexual orientation of the individual.

USG CORE VALUES STATEMENT
The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher educationand learning, as well the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity,Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that wedo as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstratingand upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Codeof Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom ofExpression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

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