Ag Center Chancellor/Dean Position Profile

POSITION PROFILE

Chancellor of the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center and Dean of the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences

 

The Southern University System invites nominations and letters of interest for the position of Chancellor of the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center and Dean of the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences (SUAREC/CAFCS).  The Southern University System is an 1890 land-grant university committed to excellence in research, teaching, extension (outreach and public engagement), and international programs. The University seeks a visionary leader dedicated to enhancing and strengthening its land-grant mission, and to advance the University’s commitment to excellence.

As the chief executive of the SUAREC and academic Dean of the CAFCS, the Chancellor-Dean has the primary responsibility for strategic direction, faculty (as guided by the SU Faculty Handbook) and staff development, budgetary oversight and planning, academic and curricular issues, fundraising, facilities maintenance and development. The responsibilities of Dean are also guided by the Southern University and A&M College Faculty Handbook. The Chancellor-Dean also oversees the University’s experiment station and extension programs, along with providing leadership and oversight to the Center’s Medical Marijuana Program.

The Chancellor-Dean will be pivotal in strengthening the University as a national and international leader in areas related to crop and animal agriculture, consumer issues and trends, economic development, environment and natural resources, human nutrition, food production and processing, human development and ecology, and global issues in the area of technology and communications, among other areas. She/he will provide leadership for building and enhancing key partnerships locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. The successful candidate will advocate for the 1890 land-grant mission of teaching, research and extension both within the System and with external partners and stakeholders.  The new Chancellor/Dean will also be responsible for supporting and implementing the Strategic Plan for the Southern University System (Fullfilling the Promise 2018-2025), along with upholding the goals set forth in Imagine 20K, the Master Plan for the Baton Rouge campus, which aims to enroll 20,000 students by 2030.

 The Chancellor/Dean is expected to:

  • Articulate the strategic vision and long-term goals for the campus;
  • Foster student success through increased enrollment and graduation rates;
  • Provide direction and incentives for research, creative achievement, service and outreach;
  • Foster interdisciplinary approaches to undergraduate and graduate education and research;
  • Maintain a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with the Board, President-Chancellor, along with the administration, faculty and staff of the SU System;
  • Attract and retain a highly qualified and diverse talent pool of faculty, staff, and students;
  • Lead and execute development and stakeholder engagement activities,
  • Promote excellence and innovation while building partnerships and collaborative relations with internal and external constituencies; and
  • Secure fiscal resources to meet and enhance the goals and objectives set forth for SUAREC and CAFCS.

 

About the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center

Established in 2001, the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SUAREC) stands as the fifth campus within the Southern University System, the nation’s only Historically Black College and University System.  The SUAREC provides service to the citizens of Louisiana in a manner that is useful in addressing their scientific, technological, social, economic and cultural needs in order to enhance their overall quality of life. 

SUAREC encompasses the former Center for Small Farm Research, the Cooperative Extension Program, the SU Livestock Show and its state-of-the-art arena and 385-acre agricultural research station located in Baker, La. The SUAREC also operates a satellite campus, the Southwest Center for Rural Initiatives, located in Opelousas, La, which services a 10-parish area in Southwest Louisiana. SUAREC's aim is to help small-scale and limited resource farmers and ranchers to develop and maintain viable farming operations that are in harmony with the environment; help communities build capacity to enhance the growth and development of the business and industrial sectors; and improve the quality of life for families and youth throughout Louisiana.  SUAREC has a long-standing reputation of “Linking Citizens of Louisiana with Opportunities for Success.”

SUAREC has approximately 118 full and part-time employees. SUAREC’s total operating and non-operating revenues exceed $14M annually.  With its headquarters at the Ashford O. Williams Hall on the SU Baton Rouge land mass, SUARECs span and reach extends far beyond this community.  SUAREC’s field agents provide leadership and expertise in several areas with an impact in 34 parishes across Louisiana.   

About the College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences

The College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences (CAFCS) is regarded as one of the longest standing colleges on the Baton Rouge campus.  The CAFCS focuses on academic programs and fulfills the teaching component of the System’s commitment to teaching, research and outreach. In 2016, the CAFCS and the SUAREC were combined, creating a stronger presence for the University System in realizing its public land-grant mission.  The College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences has approximately 31 employees with total operating and non-operating revenues which exceed $2M annually.

The CAFCS consists of three departments: The Department of Agricultural Sciences, the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and the Department of Urban Forestry and Natural Resources.  The Department of Agricultural Sciences offers a B.S degree with concentrations in Agricultural Sciences, Plant and Animal Sciences, Ag Economics and Pre-Veterinary Medicine. The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences offers a B.S Degree in three Concentrations: Apparel, Merchandising and Textiles, Child Development, and Human Nutrition and Food. The third department is Urban Forestry which offers the following degrees: B.S., M.S. and PhD. The CAFCS provides students with the fundamentals to support their selected disciplines, the opportunity to apply practical knowledge, and the necessary skills to provide sustainable solutions to discipline related problems.

 

Qualifications

Education

An earned terminal degree (preferably in one of the areas in the college) inclusive of a record of exceptional leadership success and evidence of scholarly, professional, or creative achievement is required.

Experience

  • Senior level administrative experience (preferably in higher education);
  • Outstanding scholarly credentials, including recognition as an accomplished academic leader;
  • A demonstrated commitment to research, teaching, and outreach with an understanding of 1890 land-grant institutions;
  • A demonstrated ability to attract, retain, and advance a diverse and highly qualified faculty, student body, and staff;
  • Outstanding leadership skills to effectively interact with stakeholders while serving as a visible advocate for SUAREC/CAFCS;
  • The capacity to be a visionary and visible leader in the State of Louisiana on agricultural, consumer, and environmental issues;
  • Experience in strategic planning, and effective human resource and budgetary management;
  • Demonstrated commitment to working with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and business and community partners;
  • Experience in teaching, research or cooperative extension as related to agriculture, family and consumer sciences or closely related area;
  • Knowledge of developing and initiating agreements and partnerships to enhance and develop programs that respond to community needs;
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong interpersonal skills;
  • Experience with securing means of fiscal support (grants, contracts, federal/state appropriations);
  • Experience in representing a university to external audiences, including government and alumni groups; and
  • Experience in working collegially with the administration, along with a diverse population of internal and external constituencies.

 

Salary Range

Negotiable

 

To apply upload the following documents on the SU System secure web portal:
  1. Letter of Interest

 

  1. Current curriculum vitae/resume

 

  1. Three (3) employment references

 

 

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