Dean Search

Interim Dean of the School of Graduate Studies

The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies provides vision and leadership for graduate education at the University of North Dakota and serves as the chief administrator over the School of Graduate Studies. Working under the direction of the Provost and in partnership with the members of the Dean’s Council, the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies is responsible for shaping, growing, promoting, and administering initiatives that enhance the excellence of graduate programming and the graduate student experience at the university. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies works with campus leadership, including the Dean’s Council, the President’s Executive Council, the Vice Provosts, and the University Senate, to support strategic graduate program development and initiatives designed to provide innovative and dynamic graduate student support structures across the units of the institution.

The Dean is responsible for the budget and resources of the School, and works with leadership across the university, as well as with UNDAAF, on the advancement and development of those resources. The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies is a member of the Dean’s Council and the Provost’s Executive Team and represents the School of Graduate Studies to both internal and external constituencies as needed and appropriate.

The Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, as with all Dean positions at UND, is a staff, executive band position, and therefore accrues leave and is subject to SBHE 608.2.

Duties Include

Provide vision and leadership for the School of Graduate Studies at the University of North Dakota and work to enhance the impact and reputation of the school across the region and nationally in order to establish the University of North Dakota as the premier institution in the upper plains region for graduate studies and to grow the reputation of the university as a leading flagship research institution both nationally and globally
Serve as the chief administrator for the School of Graduate Studies and direct the operations of the unit.
Represent the School of Graduate Studies on NDUS system initiatives and ensure compliance with NDUS reporting requirements, insofar as they intersect with graduate education at UND; serve as the liaison in the Office of the Provost to NDUS institutions on initiatives related to graduate education across the system, including the building of strong partnerships with other NDUS institutions when needed and appropriate, in order to advance the mission of UND and the NDUS.
Serve as a liaison between the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and the Center for Innovation to help support the growth of the research profile of the university through graduate programming, student and post-doc support, resource development, and advocacy.
Work directly with leadership in the Office of the Provost and the members of the Dean’s Council on the strategic development of graduate programs and curriculum that will enhance graduate recruitment, enrollment, and persistence at the university, and will prepare graduates for a wide-spectrum of career opportunities across both public and private industry, enterprise, and higher education; work in partnership with the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, the Vice Provost for Strategic Programming, Analytics & Effectiveness, and the VP for Marketing and Communications on initiatives designed to grow enrollment in UND graduate programming and to raise the visibility of graduate studies at UND across the state, region, and nation.
Inspire and facilitate conversations across colleges and departments in order to help develop and promote a strategic array of interdisciplinary programs and innovative curriculum.
Oversee policies and procedures related to graduate education at the University of North Dakota and ensure compliance, when needed and appropriate, with all federal, state, and local regulations and requirements.
Successfully lead and support—in partnership with members of the Dean’s Council and Department Chairs and the Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation—graduate program assessment and accreditation initiatives in order to improve and enhance academic excellence and improve the overall academic reputation of the university.
Administer the graduate program review process and create a vision for the process that will enhance academic excellence and the graduate student experience at the institution, including working directly with unit leaders at the college and department levels to create, sustain, and document action plans designed to improve academic outcomes in UND graduate programs.
Provide visible advocacy for graduate studies as needed and appropriate to help develop and advance resources for the School; working with leadership across campus, the Provost, and the UNDAAF, build and steward an involved donor network for the School and participate in fundraising activities on behalf of the School under the direction of the Provost and university leadership.
Develop and administer innovative and dynamic student support services and create a culture of support for graduate students at the university.
Oversee processes related to graduate student complaints, grievances, appeals, and administer processes related to graduate student probation and dismissal when needed and appropriate.
Manage the Gershman Graduate Center and provide an array of programming/events in conjunction with the Center designed to enhance the graduate student experience at the university.
Administer policy and procedure related to Graduate Faculty Status among the professoriate of the university.
Provide, through the School of Graduate Studies, key professional development and training workshops and programs designed to support Graduate Program Directors—and other administrative positions as needed—across campus; work directly with Deans and Chairs and University Admissions on the successful training and onboarding of new Graduate Program Directors; collaborate with the faculty development team in TTaDA on such initiatives when needed and appropriate.
Administer processes and policy on campus related to the creation and awarding of graduate assistantships and fellowships and awards, in partnership with deans, chairs, and graduate program directors; and cultivate internship, externship, and research opportunities for graduate students at the university through direct engagement with industry, government, and community partners.
Lead, direct, or participate in any/all shared governance processes and/or committees as they intersect directly with graduate studies at the institution, and report directly to University Senate, to the President’s Executive Council, and to other groups as needed on issues related to graduate education at the University of North Dakota.
Develop, lead, and administer—as needed or when called upon—special initiatives related to the strategic growth and enhancement of graduate education at the University of North Dakota.

Nomination & Screening Process

Goal

Appoint an interim dean of the UND School of Graduate Studies until the next dean assumes their duties at the conclusion of a separate national search.

Timeline

The process for naming an interim dean will commence immediately. The goal will be to name an interim dean at the earliest reasonable date.

Term of Interim Appointment

The interim dean of the School of Graduate Studies shall serve from the date of appointment (or the first reasonable date thereafter) until the effective start date of the next dean. Should the national search not produce a new dean for the School of Graduate Studies, then the service of the interim dean may be extended at the discretion of the provost.

Interim Dean Candidate Minimum Qualifications for Consideration

Be an associate or full professor at UND in good standing (tenure stream or special appointment).
Have at least three years of significant leadership and administrative experience at the level of program director, department chair, or equivalent.
Have graduate faculty status at UND.

Application Process

Interested candidates who meet the minimal qualifications above should submit a letter of interest and their CV to Heather Wages at heather.wages@UND.edu by 12 p.m. on Monday, April 7. Applications received after that time will not be considered. The letter of interest should include a statement of leadership and administrative goals and objectives.
The pool of candidates will be made available to a screening committee on April 8. The screening committee will review the applications, conduct initial screening interviews with candidates of interest, and provide to the provost the names of no fewer than two and no more than four candidates who, in the best judgment of the committee, are best qualified for the role of interim dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The screening committee will provide its recommendations to the provost either on or before Thursday, April 17. The composition of the screening committee is outlined below.
Candidates recommended by the screening committee will be presented for campus interviews during the week of April 21.
- Interview itineraries will be as follows:
  - Office of the Provost and Dean’s Council
  - School of Graduate Studies Staff
  - Graduate Committee
  - Campus Forum (all welcome; graduate program directors encouraged to attend)
- Upward feedback (anonymous but not confidential) will be collected from each group on the interview itineraries. This feedback will ask the following:
  - Preparation for the role: LIKERT scale
  - Candidate’s strengths: comment box
  - Candidate’s weaknesses: comment box
Appointment of Interim Dean by Provost with Announcement to UND campus following.
Interim Dean assumes duties at first reasonable date.

Composition of the Screening Committee

This is not the committee that will be used for the national search. This is a small committee established specifically to assist with the initial screening of potential Interim Dean candidates.

Committee Chair: Vice Provost Janelle Kilgore
Member of the Graduate Faculty: Recommended by the University Senate/SEC
Member of the Graduate Faculty: Recommended by the University Senate/SEC
Graduate Program Director: Recommended by the University Senate/SEC
HR and Policy Support to the Screening Committee: Heather Wages

Additional Items

Applications should include a letter of interest (not more than three pages) specifically addressing the applicant’s background in relationship to the qualifications described, a current curriculum vitae, and a list of five professional references with full contact information and a note indicating the nature of the working relationships with each. No references will be contacted without the explicit permission of the candidate.

Should the process described above not result in the naming of an interim dean for any reason, then the provost will appoint the interim dean.
The Interim Dean will not be prohibited from applying for the long-term role.
The search for the next long-term dean for the School of Graduate Studies will commence at the beginning of the Fall 2025 semester. It will be a national search assisted by an executive search firm and supported by a broadly representative search committee to include UND faculty, UND staff, UNDAAF representation, graduate student representation, VPRED representation, and other stakeholders. Details about this search will be provided in the coming weeks/months in anticipation of an August 2025 launch.