Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Graduate Education, and Research

August 2026

POSITION:

The College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS) at Oklahoma State University invites applications and nominations for the position of Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Graduate Education, and Research. The successful candidate will be eligible for appointment as a tenured faculty member at the rank of Associate Professor or Full Professor, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

This position plays a central role in shaping the faculty workforce, ensuring excellence in hiring, evaluation, and advancement while fostering a supportive and high-performing academic environment. By integrating faculty affairs with research and graduate education, the Associate Dean strengthens the College’s ability to achieve sustained growth, national recognition, and long-term impact. Critically, these responsibilities will increase the Dean’s capacity to engage in development work in collaboration with the OSU Foundation.

Oklahoma State University is a Carnegie-designated R1: Doctoral University – Highest Research Activity, and CEHS is nationally recognized for research and scholarship that integrate theoretical rigor with practical and societal impact. The Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies will be an integral member of the college leadership team at a time of optimism, momentum, and significant opportunity for growth.

LEADERSHIP ROLE AND EXPECTATIONS:

Reporting directly to the Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences, the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Graduate Education, and Research serves as a senior academic leader with primary responsibility for faculty affairs across the College, including oversight of faculty lifecycle processes, policy alignment, and strategic workforce planning. This role ensures excellence, equity, and compliance in all faculty-related processes, including reappointment, promotion, tenure (RPT), hiring, evaluation, and recognition.

In addition to leading faculty affairs, the Associate Dean provides strategic oversight of the College’s graduate education portfolio and research enterprise. The position advances faculty success, supports scholarly productivity, and strengthens institutional impact through integrated leadership across faculty development, graduate training, and sponsored research.

The Associate Dean is expected to:

Promote a culture of research excellence, innovation, creativity, and mentorship across the College

Foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations within CEHS, across OSU, and with external partners

Strengthen the College’s national and international research visibility and impact

Advance graduate education through strategic enrollment management, graduate program development and support, funding development, and student success initiatives

The successful candidate will value shared governance and collaborative leadership and will be committed to working in a team-based, dynamic academic environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

FACULTY AFFAIRS LEADERSHIP

The Associate Dean serves as the Dean’s primary liaison for faculty affairs, ensuring effective management of faculty policies, processes, and development.

Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT):

Lead and oversee all RPT processes, ensuring consistency, transparency, and compliance with university policies.

Advise School/department heads and faculty on dossier preparation, timelines, and expectations.

Ensure equitable and rigorous evaluation standards across units.

Faculty Lifecycle Management:

Collaborate closely with the College’s Business Office and Human Resources on faculty recruitment, onboarding, contracts, evaluations, and separations.

Provide oversight of faculty workload policies, annual reviews, cumulative review, and performance management.

Assist the Dean in addressing faculty grievances, disciplinary actions, and termination processes when necessary.

Endowed Positions and Faculty Resources:

Oversee the appointment, renewal, and review of endowed chairs and professorships in collaboration with the Dean’s Office and OSU Foundation.

Manage budgets associated with endowed positions and ensure appropriate allocation and stewardship of funds.

Develop policies and practices that maximize the strategic use of endowed resources to support faculty excellence.

Faculty Development and Mentorship:

Design and implement comprehensive faculty development initiatives, including onboarding, mentoring, leadership development, and mid-career support.

Maintain a structured multi-year orientation and success program for new faculty.

Promote a culture of collaboration and scholarly achievement.

Policy Alignment and Governance:

Ensure College-level faculty policies align with university standards and best practices.

Partner with College leadership to develop, revise, and implement shared leadership policies.

Awards and Recognition:

Lead College-wide faculty recognition efforts, including internal awards and nominations for university, national, and international honors.

GRADUATE EDUCATION OVERSIGHT

The Associate Dean provides strategic leadership for all graduate programs, aligning them with faculty strengths and institutional priorities.

Oversee graduate program quality, assessment, and growth.

Support the development of new graduate degrees and certificates.

Identify and grow funding opportunities for graduate students, including assistantships and fellowships.

Guide faculty in graduate advising, mentoring expectations, and workload considerations.

Strengthen graduate recruitment, retention, and student success initiatives strategically across the College.

Administer graduate student scholarships and awards.

RESEARCH LEADERSHIP and DEVELOPMENT

The Associate Dean advances the College’s research mission by supporting faculty scholarship and expanding external funding.

Serve as the College’s liaison to university research offices and external funding agencies.

Promote interdisciplinary and cross-college collaborations.

Provide strategic guidance to the Dean on research priorities and growth opportunities.

Mentor faculty in research development, grant writing, and scholarly productivity.

Align research activities with the institution’s land-grant mission.

SPONSORED PROGRAMS and RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION

Oversee the College’s Sponsored Programs Office and staff.

Ensure timely and compliant proposal submission and post-award management.

Collaborate with Business Operations on grant budgeting and administration.

Advise faculty and administrators on effort reporting and compliance requirements.

Manage memoranda of understanding for non-sponsored academic and research activities.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS and REPORTS

The Associate Dean supervises:

Administrative Assistant, Faculty Affairs, Research, and Graduate Studies (1)

Graduate Student Services Manager (1)

Sponsored Programs Manager (1)

Sponsored Programs Senior Coordinators (2)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Earned doctorate from an accredited institution in a discipline represented within the college

Record of scholarship sufficient to merit appointment as a tenured Associate Professor or Full Professor

Demonstrated success in securing external funding and knowledge of research administration and compliance

Evidence of sustained research productivity and scholarly leadership

Demonstrated experience mentoring faculty and graduate students

Knowledge and appreciation of multiple research and creative activity paradigms

Successful supervisory experience

Commitment to shared governance and service to internal and external stakeholders

Record of excellence in teaching, scholarship, outreach/extension/community engagement, and service

Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills

Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative, team-oriented environment

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience designing and leading new initiatives or programs to advance school/departmental or college missions

Prior academic administrative experience (e.g., assistant head, graduate coordinator, program director, or center director)

Experience with budget management and supervision of professional staff

Demonstrated capacity for creative and strategic thinking

Appreciation for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and scholarship

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with education, experience, qualifications, and available funding. Oklahoma State University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and retirement plans. Additional information is available at: https://hr.okstate.edu/benefits/index.html

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The College of Education and Human Sciences is nationally recognized for research, innovation, creativity, and scholarly work that combine theoretical depth with practical impact. College research includes strong international dimensions and collaborative partnerships.

Oklahoma State University, an R1 comprehensive land-grant institution with an enrollment of more than 25,000 students. The university offers 87 undergraduate majors, 84 Master’s programs and 48 programs at the doctoral levels at campuses in Stillwater and Tulsa. Stillwater is a micropolitan community of approximately 49,000 people with high-quality amenities and a comparably low cost of living. Oklahoma City and Tulsa are within a 1-hour drive and cities such as Fayetteville, AR, Joplin, MO and Wichita, KS are within a comfortable 2-3-hour drive time of Stillwater. In addition to excellent healthcare, education (public and private primary and secondary schools), and recreational services, the community affords a rich variety of cultural activities typical of a major university environment, including museums, music, art, and theater. Providing a combination of larger city amenities with an airport and cultural life, while maintaining the charm of a smaller community with affordable housing and excellent schools, Stillwater is ranked one of America’s safest cities. See http://VisitStillwater.org for more information.

Additional Information

Sponsored Programs (FY24–FY25)

Proposals: $34.8M; $38.4M

Awards: $14.3M; $12.0M

Graduate Education

Enrollment: 957 students

Programs: 92 (65 degrees, 27 certificates)

APPLICATION INFORMATION:

Review of applications will begin on March 16, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.

Applicants should submit the following materials through http://jobs.okstate.edu

Letter of interest addressing:

The role of research in an R1 College of Education and Human Sciences

The integration of research, practice, and outreach/extension/community engagement

The role of research/creative activities in advancing the college’s mission

Preparation for and vision as a research and graduate education leader

Curriculum vitae

Names and contact information for three professional references.

Questions about the position may be directed to the Search and Screen Chair:
To be named unit head, center director, or associate dean.