The University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) invites nominations and applications for the position of dean of the School of Law.
Background Information
University of Arkansas
Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 3 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas faculty of 1,500 support over 30,000 students across 96 undergraduate majors, 97 master’s degree offerings, and 50 doctoral and specialist programs. With strong enrollment across its 10 colleges and schools and a broad array of research centers and institutes, the University of Arkansas is poised to grow its collaborative and innovative research enterprise and meet its land-grant mission well into the future. The university is consistently ranked among the top universities and best values in the United States. Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas are also regularly ranked among the nation’s top best-places-to-live. Under the leadership of Chancellor Charles F. Robinson, and on the heels of celebrating its sesquicentennial, the University is currently honing its “150 Forward” strategic plan which focuses on three pillars – research excellence, student success, and being an employer of choice.
The University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Located in the heart of the beautiful Ozark Mountains, Northwest Arkansas has one of the most affordable costs of living in the nation. Consistently ranked as one of the top 10 Best Places to Live in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, the region has plentiful outdoor lifestyle perks, including 500+ miles of bike trails; a nationally ranked arts, culture, and food scene; and per capita incomes that are 18% higher than the national average. In the region, people have short commutes, a close-knit and inclusive community, a rich arts and culture scene, and the time to enjoy all the outdoors has to offer.
Fayetteville is a thriving community of 95,230 residents (2021 Census estimate). As the second largest city in Arkansas, Fayetteville provides all the resources and culture of a large city while maintaining a quality of life that remains true to its unique heritage. Fayetteville has something for everyone: Boutique shopping, a diverse culinary scene, historic neighborhoods, exciting nightlife, live music and fine arts, a nationally recognized public library, sporting events, community as well as national touring and Broadway theatre productions, and thousands of acres of park land for a wide range of outdoor activities.
Fueled by an amazing entrepreneurial spirit, Northwest Arkansas emerged from modest beginnings to become one of the nation’s dynamic economic regions. Industry leaders such as Walmart, Tyson Foods, Simmons Foods, and J.B. Hunt started in the region. The presence of those companies, a burgeoning startup culture and the university drives Northwest Arkansas’ economic growth.
School of Law
The School of Law is one of 10 colleges on the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas and opened in 1924. With its highly productive faculty, top students, and engaged alumni, the School of Law is consistently among the “Best Values in Legal Education” as ranked by National Jurist magazine. Its degree programs include a three-year Juris Doctor program, the nation’s first LL.M. in agriculture and food law, a JD/MBA with the Sam M. Walton College of Business, two dual master’s degree options with the Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Political Science, and a JD/MSW with the School of Social Work. In fall 2022, the School of Law comprised 32 full-time and 22 part-time faculty members and 390 students.
Position Overview and Key Responsibilities
The university seeks a dynamic, strategic leader who will shape and support the law school’s growth as part of the state’s only very high research activity university and its land-grant mission of teaching, discovery, and service.
The next dean of the School of Law will build on a long tradition of legal scholarship and elevate the institution by raising the school’s national profile and by recruiting top students, faculty, and staff. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader who will build strong relationships within the school, across the campus, and throughout the community. The next dean also will excel as an administrator of the school’s resources, including its budget, and as a fundraiser who rallies support for innovation and continued excellence. Finally, the dean will build on the school’s tradition of being an inclusive program of legal education. This tradition has its roots in the 1948 admission of Silas Hunt, the first of the Six Pioneers – a group of African American law students — to be admitted to a southern, public law school without a court order. That tradition continues today through a faculty supported plan for inclusion, vibrant and broad student organizations, and consistent efforts to recruit students, faculty, and staff who represent a broad range of perspectives and experiences.
The dean is also an important part of the university’s leadership team. University leaders exhibit a broad range of skills and competencies, and the University continues to enhance its support for executive growth and resiliency. A dean who builds relationships with stakeholders by relying on effective communication, collaboration, and building trust will be most successful at also ensuring accountability, managing conflict, and adapting to changing conditions. Deans are also expected to have a clear decision-making methodology that incorporates a global perspective. The executive leadership team is at its strongest when its members engage with campus opportunities and challenges openly and courageously to advance our land-grant mission.
The dean serves as the administrative and educational leader of the School of Law and reports to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The dean is responsible for the leadership and management of the school, its academic and research enterprises, and all its operations, including fundraising, and the mobilization of its faculty, alumni, staff, students, community, corporate, foundation and local and state government leaders to meet the institutional, system, regional, and school’s goals.
Professional Experience and Personal Qualifications
The dean will display the following important attributes:
Education and Faculty Rank Requirements
The Dean must possess a Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school and a record of recognized professional and scholarly achievement that would warrant appointment as a full professor with tenure at the University of Arkansas in their respective field of study.
Compensation
The University of Arkansas offers an attractive compensation and benefits package commensurate with the successful candidate’s background and experience.
Applications
Individuals interested in the position can visit the University of Arkansas System Career website to view the job posting and apply. Applicants will need to include and upload the following materials with their application.
Applicants may be asked to provide additional materials. Open until filled. Complete applications received by September 1 will receive full consideration. Late applications will be reviewed as necessary to fill the position.
Nominations
Nominations and questions about the position should be directed to Kate Mamiseishvili, Dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, University of Arkansas, at [email protected].
