Dean for the School of Health Sciences

Description

To see the full description of this opportunity, please review the full position prospectus Here (Download PDF reader).


In 2024-2025, Springfield College and the Division of Academic Affairs developed new strategic plans and are beginning implementation. The next Dean for the School of Health Sciences will play a key role in advancing these priorities within the school, aligning academic programs, enrollment strategies, and partnerships with the College’s and the Division of Academic Affair’s long-term vision over the next three to five years.


The successful candidate will be a collaborative, transparent, and values-driven leader with experience leading complex, interdisciplinary academic units. They will be a strong communicator across faculty, staff, students, and administrators, comfortable navigating change, ambiguity, and competing priorities. A demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence and community engagement, along with strong data literacy and sound fiscal judgment, is essential.


The School of Health Sciences at Springfield College is home to five academic departments, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Public Health & Health Professions, and Social Work, that collectively advance Springfield College’s mission and respond to regional and national health needs of our communities.


Across these departments, the School offers seven undergraduate majors, one online undergraduate certificate, four master’s programs, and two doctoral programs. The School currently enrolls approximately 580 undergraduate students, 13 certificate students, 322 master’s students, and 99 doctoral students, and is supported by 41 full-time faculty, the Assistant Dean for Interprofessional Educational, adjunct faculty and professional staff.


The School of Health Sciences plays a critical role in advancing institutional enrollment, mission fulfillment, faculty and staff development, and community impact. Its programs are closely aligned with clinical practice, community partnerships, accreditation standards, and evolving workforce demands, positioning the School as a strategic asset to Springfield College and the region.


This is an opportunity for an innovative leader to bolster the strong foundations of the School of Health Sciences and advance the College’s mission. Springfield College seeks an accomplished and visionary Dean of Health Sciences to guide the School through its next phase of growth and impact, while fostering faculty and staff excellence within a deeply student-centered academic environment.


Reporting to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative leader of the school. The Dean’s primary responsibility is to cultivate an environment that supports excellence in teaching, advising, scholarly, creative, and/or professional activity, and service within and beyond the college, while educating students holistically for leadership in service to others. This work is carried out in close alignment with the College’s Strategic Direction and Academic Action Plan.

Responsibilities

• Provides vision and leadership for all health sciences programs, ensuring academic quality, curricular coherence, and ongoing innovation.
• Develops, advocates for, and provides oversight for the school budget. Allocates and re-allocates resources to enhance and support the mission of the school and its academic units.
• Makes personnel recommendations related to hiring, evaluation, sabbaticals, retention and advancement of faculty, staff and student workers; establishes search committees and ensures inclusive search processes, promotes awareness and compliance with all institutional policies.
• Supervises the Assistant Dean for Interprofessional Education, one administrative coordinator, and five department chairs.
• Reviews and makes recommendations on curriculum proposals; leads new proposal development; ensures adequate and appropriate course offerings; implements academic priorities and best practices for student success; evaluates the effectiveness of programs that support students, adjudicates student problems that cannot be resolved at a lower level.
• Communicates frequently and effectively with school constituencies and supports shared governance.
• Makes recommendations on institutional and program marketing and represents their school and programs to the media and institutional advancement. Represents their school and the college through service at the community, state and/or national level
• Advances the strategic vision of the school in alignment with the mission of Springfield College and school.
• Regularly collaborates with fellow Deans and faculty and staff across the College to enhance interdisciplinary opportunities
• Supports accreditation and licensure compliance across multiple health disciplines.
• Mentors, supports, and develops leadership talent (assistant dean, chairs, school committees).
• Provides training and professional development where necessary.
• Collaborates with the Provost and Vice President of Institutional Advancement to identify and advance fundraising opportunities to support school initiatives.
• Supports the clinical and internship components of school academic programs through contract review, site relationship development and collaboration with the clinical education committee.

Departments


The School of Health Sciences consists of the following departments and academic programs:

• Public Health and Health Professions

o B.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders
o B.S. in Health Science
o B.S. in Public Health
o U.C. in Speech Language Pathology (online)

• Occupational Therapy

o B.S. Health Science/Pre-Occupational Therapy
o M.S. Occupational Therapy (entry-level)
o Occupational Therapy Doctorate (entry-level)

• Physical Therapy

o B.S. Health Science/Pre-Physical Therapy
o Doctorate of Physical Therapy

• Physician Assistant Studies

o B.S. in Health Science/Pre-Physician Assistant
o M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies

• Social Work

o B.S.W. in Social Work
o M.S.W. in Social Work (online and on-ground)
o M.S.W. in Social Work/J.D.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications


Candidates must possess:

• An earned terminal degree with an opportunity to be tenured in an academic department represented in the School of Health Sciences and a record of academic and administrative accomplishment commensurate with the rank of full professor.
• 3-5 years of experience in progressive academic leadership.
• Experience with programmatic accreditations.
• Demonstrated success in faculty development and shared governance.
• Evidence of excellence in teaching, scholarly, creative and/or professional activity, and service.

Preferred Qualifications


Ideal candidates will possess experience in:

• Enrollment-sensitive program management
• Growing interprofessional education or clinical partnerships.
• Institutional transformation or strategic planning.

Application Process


Applicants should submit:

• a letter of interest detailing how their experience aligns with the position
• a curriculum vitae
• a list of five references, their contact information (email addresses and phone numbers), and a brief explanation of their relationship with the candidate.

References will not be checked until confirmed with the applicant.
Springfield College is committed to an inclusive and equitable search process. Review of applications will begin on March 30, 2026, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2026.


Please direct any inquiries about the position to Chelsea Fisk, recruiting, onboarding, and retention specialist, at [email protected].

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

The Dean for the School of Health Sciences holds a strategically significant leadership role at a pivotal moment for the institution. The position is essential to maintaining and strengthening enrollment, ensuring financial sustainability, preparing students for a dynamic and evolving health care workforce, ensuring compliance with multiple programmatic accreditations, and advancing interprofessional education and collaboration across disciplines.