Working/Functional Title
Senior Associate Dean for Research
Position Summary
The College of Communication Arts and Sciences (ComArtSci) at Michigan State University invites applications for the position of Senior Associate Dean for Research. The College is a pioneer in its own right. Established in 1955, during Michigan State's Centennial year, ComArtSci was the first such college in the country. Today, with over 3,500 students and more than 58,000 alumni, it is among the largest and most respected. With internationally ranked programs and internationally renowned faculty members, MSU's ComArtSci prepares students for careers across a broad spectrum of the arts and sciences of communication. Employees of ComArtSci reflect diverse areas of expertise and employment types within the University, which include 15 continuing system academic specialists; 79 fixed term faculty and academic specialists; 78 tenure system faculty; and more than 100 professional, technical, and administrative support staff.
ComArtSci's undergraduate, master's and doctoral students are enrolled in 21 programs within the college’s five units. ComArtSci prepares students for careers in areas such as communications, public relations, journalism, game design, and communication disorders. Students and faculty work together to create feature-length films, produce award-winning news features, and are leaders in communication research. ComArtSci has the strength, skill, and talent to serve the common good nationally and globally.
The primary function of the Senior Associate Dean for Research is to provide leadership, management, vision, strategic planning, and oversight of and to the research operations, including the human, financial, and space resources related to those functions of ComArtSci. We seek candidates who are eager to act strategically in support of raising the college’s already strong profile in research productivity. ComArtSci had nearly $7.5M in grant expenditures in FY23, which represented a 75% increase over FY21. This position is 60% administrative and 40% research meaning there will be ample time and support for maintaining the candidate’s active research program. In addition to a generous start-up package, outstanding candidates may be considered for one of the College or University’s Endowed Professorships.
The Senior Associate Dean position reports directly to and serves as a primary advisor to the Dean. The role entails overseeing the Dean's office support staff who are germane to research and grant operations as well as chairing College-level committees whose primary function is to serve the research needs of the College. However, the Senior Associate Dean would also have a tenure home in one of the five departments in the College.
Roles and Responsibilities to include:
- Support the development of the ComArtSci research faculty;
- Work with the University Office of Sponsored Programs Administration, and the office of the VP for Research, and other leaders across campus, on behalf of the College faculty and academic staff;
- Review and approve faculty and staff grant and contract proposals;
- Serve as a resource and facilitator for college faculty and staff who are considering writing grants, have operational questions concerning funded grants, or who are encountering problems or difficulties with grant related activities;
- Provide grant reporting to the Dean annually or as needed;
- In collaboration with the College Research Committee, develop and enact strategies and programs to enhance the research climate and opportunities in the college for faculty, staff, and students;
- Review and evaluate the College’s research related personnel needs in collaboration with the Dean’s office;
- Review additional pay requests for Research Operations Personnel;
- Develop and oversee professional development, mentoring, and coaching relevant to research and external funding for faculty and academic staff;
- Review and evaluate the research space needs of the College;
- Serve as an authorized contact person for ComArtSci building renovation improvement research-related projects;
- Develop and lead innovative initiatives in the ComArtSci;
- Work with department chairs, directors, and other leaders in the ComArtSci and the University to identify opportunities for research-related innovation and to provide leadership to move from ideas to implementation.
COMARTSCI RESEARCH AND CREATIVE WORKS
Research at the College of Communication Arts and Sciences has demonstrated global impact. The College addresses public problems through research and creative works in three signature areas:
- Healthy People + Healthy Planet
- Communication Technology + Digital Transformation
- Innovative Storytelling + Engaged Communities
These signature areas are engaged from many perspectives through thematic research areas:
- Computational Communication
- Game Design and Development
- Global and Multicultural Communication
- Human-Centered Technology
- Journalism, News, and Information
- Media Innovation, Design & Entrepreneurship
- Media Psychology
- Neurocognitive Communication
- Policy and Governance
- Political Communication and Civic Engagement
- Voice Disorders and Voice Science
- Disorders of the Speech, Fluency and Stuttering
- Language Development Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders
ComArtSci's research is enhanced by numerous dedicated labs researching learning games, social science, media, and technology, as well as the interdisciplinary Health and Risk Communication Center, which supports the work of over 50 affiliated faculty members who study the role of communication in health behavior change and risk reduction. A list of the College’s research centers and labs can be found here: https://comartsci.msu.edu/research-creative-work/centers-and-labs
There is a strong tradition of externally funded research in the College regardless of the field of expertise or size of the partnership. Faculty productivity averages four publications annually per tenure-system faculty member, and overall, College grant activity totals approximately $7.5 million per year. ComArtSci researchers have obtained funding from a wide range of sources, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the US Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Defense (DOD), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Canadian government, as well as foundations such as the Ford and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations, among others, and firms such as Microsoft, AT&T, and Google.
More information about the College may be found here:
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS: https://comartsci.msu.edu/degrees-programs/undergraduate
GRADUATE PROGRAMS: https://comartsci.msu.edu/degrees-programs/graduate
COLLEGE ACHIEVEMENTS: https://comartsci.msu.edu/about/history-mission-vision/pride-points
RECENT COLLEGE NEWS: https://comartsci.msu.edu/all-articles
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Degree
Doctorate
Minimum Requirements
- An earned doctorate or the equivalent and an outstanding research record commensurate with a Full Professor;
- Experience managing large research programs such as centers, institutes and/or large and complex research grants;
- Ongoing active research program with extramural funding from varied sources that might include federal and state agencies, foundations, institutions, and internal sources.
- The ability to elevate the research enterprise at ComArtSci including a focus on faculty research training;
- Strong team leadership and communication skills, excellent interpersonal abilities;
- A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and the highest personal integrity;
- Innovative and creative ideas for success in a changing landscape of research funding;
- Experience in mentoring faculty, and creating new research opportunities through networking;
- Familiarity with federal grant finance and compliance issues;
- Experience evaluating research proposals;
- Demonstrated excellence in decision-making and problem-solving skills;
- An ability to develop and implement strategies to address long-term opportunities;
Required Application Materials
A cover letter of no more than five pages summarizing qualifications for this position, including a statement of interest in the position, statement of commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), which include examples of how you have advanced DEI in your professional career, and contact list of three (3) professional references knowledgeable about your professional work.
Special Instructions
To apply, please refer to posting #914658 and complete an electronic submission at the Michigan State University Employment Opportunities website https://careers.msu.edu/. Please direct inquiries to the chairs of the search committee, Monique Turner (mmturner@msu.edu) and Michael J. Stern (sternmi5@msu.edu). The search committee will begin its evaluation of applicants on January 15, 2024.
Review of Applications Begins On
01/16/2024
Website
https://comartsci.msu.edu/
Department Statement
ComArtSci is deeply committed to the values of diversity, equity and inclusion, which are embedded in the College's mission, strategy, policy, and practice.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are integral to our practice as communicators, storytellers, and innovators. We believe our responsibility is to foster an open and welcoming environment that aspires to attract, recruit, and sustain diverse students, faculty, and staff. Diversity is among the main drivers of institutional excellence, and we are proud to embrace and promote broad communities of knowledge, backgrounds, and experiences. Our efforts to advance DEI are guided by a shared vision grounded in a culture of caring, belonging, transparency, and accountability.
In alignment with the University’s DEI Report and Plan, we commit to actively challenging, disrupting, and dismantling systems that reinforce and maintain historical and contemporary social inequalities. We are dedicated to ongoing dialogue to strengthen our commitment to social justice, advocacy, and activism. We strive to be DEI thought leaders who inspire, influence and cultivate progress in our College and throughout the MSU community.
MSU Statement
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
