About the Department:

George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in both academics and research. It is among the 115 or so top “R1” ranked research universities in the US and in the top 200 of the Shanghai World Ranking of Universities. A public university located in Fairfax Virginia, George Mason is the largest and most diverse university in Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135 countries studying in over 200 degree programs.

George Mason, Korea, is George Mason’s international branch campus in Songdo, South Korea. Mason Korea was established as part of George Mason University’s commitment to education on a global scale and its belief in the power of international perspective and connection. Mason Korea is located on the Incheon Global Campus (IGC), which it shares with three other international branch campuses. Mason Korea students, staff, and faculty have access to modern facilities and resources on the IGC for a terrific living and work environment. Songdo, South Korea is a modern “smart” city designed from the start with large parks, plentiful walking and bike paths, and excellent public transportation. Songdo is convenient to Korea’s Incheon International Airport—around a half hour by car—as well as to the capital city of Seoul—around an hour by car.

About the Position:

The Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs leads and oversees the academic operations for this growing international branch campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Working in collaboration with academic contacts in Fairfax, the Associate Dean will report to the Campus Dean of George Mason University Korea.

Responsibilities:

Academic Affairs Oversight

• Manages curriculum planning process, including focus on the specific majors offered at Mason Korea and courses to fulfill Mason Core requirements;
• Diversifies curriculum through a mix of faculty hired by Mason Korea and those from the Fairfax campus;
• Supports academic resource areas to address retention issues and increase graduation rates; and
• Builds new academic programs in response to evolving South Korea higher education market needs. 

Faculty Hiring, Onboarding and Professional Development

• Leads the faculty hiring and onboarding process;
• Directs the coordinators who manage academic programs at Mason Korea;
• Facilitates professional development opportunities for faculty;
• Supports individual faculty research and career development;
• Manages the faculty evaluation and promotion process, including all classroom observations and review committee oversight; and 
• Strengthens shared governance by collaborating with the faculty assembly and other governance committees. 

Assessment and Accreditation

• Monitors areas of branch campus alignment as identified by SACSCOC and/or SCHEV;
• Addresses requests from the Ministry of Education, the Incheon Global Campus or other Korean government entities;
• Manages specific accreditation issues pertinent to Mason Korea's programs; and
• Oversees the regular assessment of courses and programs to ensure alignment with university review processes. 

Staff Supervision

• Manages the academic affairs staff to ensure strong advising support for all majors at Mason Korea; 
• Develops the Office of Faculty Affairs staff to reflect faculty growth and added expectations for housing and other resource support; and
• Creates and sustain a Faculty Fellow program to develop existing on-campus participation.

Campus Leadership and Strategy

• Collaborates with members of the Dean’s senior leadership team;
• Represents Mason Korea in the public arena as needed; and
• Participates in campus wide student and faculty activities and events. 

Required Qualifications:

• A terminal degree in a relevant discipline or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Demonstrated proficiency in teaching and learning;
• At least 7 years of experience in an academic unit or academic affairs;
• Experience working collaboratively on teams to achieve institutional goals;
• Experience in supporting the professional development of faculty;
• Cross-cultural experience and sensitivity; 
• A clear understanding of the complexities involved in supporting and coordinating operations on an international campus with strong linkages to a US-based institution; 
• Excellent judgment, decision-making, entrepreneurial, and thinking skills;
• Strong skills in collaborative leadership and the ability to work with multiple constituencies including students, parents, faculty, and staff;
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching and research;
• Strong written and oral communication skills;
• Proven success in supervising professional staff;
• Expertise in creating or managing programs focused on improving academic advising, student retention, and/or student success;
• Administrative expertise derived from work at George Mason; and
• Position is restricted to current George Mason faculty members (instructional or admin) with a rank of Associate Professor or higher.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with multicultural faculty and staff;
• Experience in the pursuit and management of research programs and external research funds;
• Experience with faculty hiring and evaluation;
• Participation in institutional strategic planning and the forwarding of multi-year strategic plans; and
• Demonstration of strategic vision for role of Faculty and Academic Affairs in the long-term development of the campus.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Associate Dean, Faculty and Academic Affairs (Mason Korea) at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.

Posting Open Date: September 8, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  September 15, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes