Grand Valley State University (Grand Valley) invites applications, expressions of interest, and nominations of candidates in its search for the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY: AN OVERVIEW
Grand Valley State University is a strong and vibrant public university with a clear, deeply held, unwavering commitment to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community. Grand Valley combines the expansive opportunities of a large university, including a wide array of programs, services, and spaces, with the close-knit, supportive atmosphere of a small liberal arts college. This unique blend offers students the best of both worlds: extensive resources and personal attention.
Grand Valley was founded in 1960 in response to the community's need for a public, four-year college in Michigan’s second-largest metropolitan region. Grand Valley’s creation was driven by local community leaders who recognized the value a university would bring to the area’s citizens and economy, leveraging public-private partnerships to make it happen. These partnerships continue today and are the strong foundation on which Grand Valley has been built. Since its first year, when there were 226 students and 14 faculty members, Grand Valley has continued a trajectory of growth to become a comprehensive university with over 19,000 undergraduates, over 3,000 graduate students, and over 148,000 alumni. Grand Valley boasts over 1,200 full- and part-time faculty members and close to 1,300 staff members. With its focus on liberal education and student success, Grand Valley has attracted students from every county in Michigan, 50 states, and 77 countries.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) at Grand Valley State University is the institution’s largest academic college, offering over 50 bachelor’s degree programs, badges, and certificates—and a growing number of advanced degrees—spanning the natural and mathematical sciences, fine arts and humanities, and social sciences. CLAS plays a foundational role for all undergraduates, as they fulfill many of their general education requirements within this college prior to diving deeper into their major studies. The College emphasizes not only rigorous academic training but also experiential learning; student resources such as tutoring, advising, and speech labs; and a rich calendar of events, from lectures and artist recitals to colloquia, which are designed to engage both internal and external communities. Committed to inclusive excellence and broad student support, CLAS aims to develop graduates who are intellectually curious, socially responsible, and prepared for the complex challenges of the modern world.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences serves more than 10,000 students majoring in a variety of degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate level across the following 25 departments and cross-disciplinary programs: Anthropology; Biology; Biomedical Sciences; Cell and Molecular Biology; Chemistry; Classics; School of Communications; English; Environmental Science; Geography and Sustainable Planning; Geology; History; Mathematics; Modern Languages and Literatures; Movement Science; Music, Theatre and Dance; Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Elementary Teaching (PCKET); Philosophy; Physics; Political Science; Psychology; Sociology; Statistics; Visual and Media Arts; and Writing. CLAS and its programs are primarily based on the Valley Campus.
THE ROLE OF THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES
The dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences oversees the largest academic unit at GVSU. The college plays a central role in delivering the university’s general education program and is distinguished by a commitment to student success, faculty excellence, and community engagement. The next Dean will have the opportunity to shape the future of a dynamic, diverse, and highly collaborative college that is integral to GVSU’s mission and impact across the region and beyond. The dean reports to the provost and is the college's chief administrative, academic, and budgetary officer. The next dean will oversee a large team of 18 within the dean’s office and will manage a budget of $107 million. The dean serves as a role model of integrity and professionalism for the college’s faculty of teacher-scholars and for staff, and is accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students. The dean collaborates closely with the other deans as well as others across the university, the region, the nation, and the world to coordinate academic programs, interdisciplinary initiatives, and applied research.
PROCESS OF CANDIDACY
The search committee will begin accepting nominations and reviewing applications immediately and through Fall 2025. Requested application materials include a letter of interest and curriculum vitae; although applications will be welcomed until the dean is selected, for best consideration, all candidates should submit materials as soon as possible to https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/22543