Dean, Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences

Posting Details

Position Information

Posting Number


Position Title
Dean, Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences

State

Employment Status
Full Time

Position Status
Regular

If Limited Term (End Date of Assignment, Project, or Grant)

Position Type
Staff

Job Family
Faculty

# Hours Per Week

Position Overview

The dean of the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences reports to the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and is the chief academic and operating officer for the College. The dean manages an annual budget of approximately $38 million for a College of approximately 3,500 students, 191 tenured and tenure-track faculty, and 100 non-tenure-track faculty. Personnel reporting to the dean include the College's department chairs and center/institute directors, the commanding officers of the ROTC units, three associate deans, a manager for academic business affairs, and operational leaders who support the Office of the Dean.

The dean is a member of the broad-based University Leadership Council and regularly convenes the Dean's Advisory Council, a body that provides counsel on affairs related to academic and administrative operations within the College. The dean also serves on the University Academic Senate, whose responsibilities include academic planning, review, and evaluation of academic programs, and formulation and appraisal of initiatives and policies relevant to the faculty and the academic mission of Marquette.

Duties and Responsibilities

In addition to the day-to-day responsibilities of managing the College, the Dean will focus on the following opportunities:

Develop and implement a shared strategic vision that clearly articulates the distinctive identity of the Klingler College of Arts and SciencesAs the largest unit at Marquette University, the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences has already established itself as an integral component of the university's teaching, research, and service missions and its Catholic, Jesuit identity. However, more can be done to distinguish and better articulate the College's distinct identity, the breadth of its academic programs, impact on the university, and opportunities to prospective students and the public writ large.
Working closely with faculty, staff, students, administrators, and other key stakeholders, the incoming dean will develop a vision for the College that clearly defines its place in the Catholic intellectual tradition through its focus on liberal arts education, research excellence, and service to the Milwaukee community and beyond. Reexamining and clearly articulating the College's identity, offerings, and contributions to Marquette's Catholic, Jesuit mission will be critical to its continued work in recruiting top students, staff, and faculty from across the nation and around the world. The dean will lead the identification and promotion of the College's value and distinctive student experience in order to strengthen its presence and impact nationally and globally. They will translate this shared vision into clear priorities that guide academic strategy and investment across the College.

Serve as a passionate and effective champion for the College both across campus and externallyAs a member of the University Leadership Council and close partner to university administration, the incoming dean will be a champion for the College, raising the visibility of faculty, staff, and student accomplishments, building relationships across schools and colleges on campus to identify opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborations, strengthening ties with the Marquette Jesuit community to promote the significance of the College's liberal arts education, and advocating for resources from university leadership. The dean will articulate the College's critical role in the Marquette Core Curriculum and demonstrate how its contributions to students' education across disciplines strengthen the university.
Externally, the dean will build relationships across Marquette, throughout Milwaukee and beyond, and partner with development staff to cultivate and steward philanthropic donors. The incoming dean will bring the College, Marquette, and other key external stakeholders together around collective objectives that are grounded in its unique strengths and Catholic, Jesuit mission.

Effectively manage and grow the College's resources and actively lead fundraising effortsThe next dean will be responsible for the budget management and resource allocation across the College. Working transparently with department chairs and other leaders within the College, the dean will align investments with university priorities and make thoughtful, data-driven decisions to steward resources strategically and efficiently in support of continued academic excellence. The dean will be expected to grow and diversify the College's funding sources. Securing these resources will include providing the necessary support for increasing extramural research and training grant awards, as well as forging new corporate partnerships.
Marquette is a pillar of the Milwaukee community, and the dean must persuasively articulate the College's priorities and their importance to Marquette's mission to build internal and external support among alumni, parents, supporters, and friends. The dean will make meaningful efforts to engage the national alumni base and identify new opportunities to make supporters enthusiastic about Marquette's Catholic, Jesuit mission and the College's liberal arts core in order to build out its donor base, annual giving, and secure major gifts. The dean will lead efforts to identify and pursue new avenues of financial backing through concerted fundraising efforts, including partnerships with local and national organizations.

Advance Marquette's teacher-scholar model to connect discovery, creativity, and student successMarquette's educational model brings teaching and scholarship into a mutually enriching relationship, with faculty serving as dedicated educators and active scholars and researchers. The next dean will champion this model by expanding high-impact learning experiences that engage undergraduate and graduate students in research, creative practice, and community-engaged learning that spans the disciplinary breadth of the College. The dean will help shape a shared vision for undergraduate and graduate education that connects the College's scholarly strengths with students' intellectual growth and preparation for life and work beyond Marquette.

Strengthen the conditions for research excellence and scholarly impactMarquette's strong, mission-centered environment encourages its community of talented scholars to engage in research and scholarship that address the world's most pressing questions and challenges. The next dean will foster an environment in which faculty can advance ambitious research and scholarship across the College's diverse disciplines. The dean will also help the College navigate the current opportunities and challenges that emerging technologies present for research, scholarship, and teaching. A successful candidate will articulate how their approach to this will pay close attention to ethical practice, critical thinking, and independent judgment.
Partnering with faculty and university leadership, the dean will identify priorities for investment and strengthen support for external funding across the arts and sciences, promote interdisciplinary collaborations, and further community-engaged scholarship. The opportunity for the next dean is to increase the visibility, reach, and impact of the College's research portfolio through focused investments that build on faculty strengths and align with Marquette's Catholic, Jesuit mission.

Advance student success and outcomes through a holistic educational experienceThe next dean will keep students at the center of decision-making, fostering conditions that allow undergraduate and graduate students to thrive academically, professionally, personally, and spiritually. Working with the College's key stakeholders, the dean will address any barriers to retention and timely graduation, and strengthen connections between academic programming and student aspirations. The dean will work to expand access to internships, community engagement opportunities, and other experiential learning practices that help students apply learning, explore careers, and build meaningful connections across the College and beyond. Guided by Marquette's commitment to educating the whole person, the dean will bring an understanding of and commitment to student success and will use data and community feedback to guide improvements across the unit.

Recruit, develop, retain, and inspire an exceptional faculty and staff
The faculty and staff within the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences are indispensable to its mission. As it develops and advances a strategic vision led by the dean and in alignment with campus' strategic plan, the College's diverse and passionate faculty and staff will be critical to carrying these initiatives to fruition. Working in collaboration with department chairs and center directors, the dean will oversee the recruitment, retention, and advancement of tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure-track faculty, as well as staff across the College. The dean will invest in professional development and employee retention efforts, ensuring that people are acknowledged for outstanding work and feel valued for their contributions.
The incoming dean will display exceptional interpersonal and management skills and be an accessible, visible, and engaged leader. This individual will be committed to ensuring a healthy workplace environment and foster a culture of shared governance, transparency, team building, and collaboration in which a diverse faculty and staff are eager to teach, research, and work. The incoming dean will be prepared to lead in a complex environment and enhance morale for faculty and staff.

Communicate openly, make decisions with fortitude, and explain those decisions clearly to the College community
The incoming dean must lead the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences during a dynamic period in higher education with an intentional strategy that supports university-wide goals and objectives. Working with other college-wide and university leaders, the dean will maintain accountability across the unit to help the College be successful in a challenging and rapidly evolving higher education environment. They will be open to dialogue and foster a culture of trust and shared governance prior to making decisions while having the courage to make difficult decisions. The dean will communicate openly, transparently, and honestly and explain the rationale behind decisions to the College community.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Candidates should hold an earned doctorate or record of commensurate distinguished accomplishments and are expected to demonstrate the qualifications, skills, experiences, and qualities below:

Professional Qualifications

• A terminal degree and/or credentials that merit an appointment at the rank of full professor;
• A commitment to Catholic and Jesuit higher education and familiarity with the Catholic intellectual tradition;
• A strong commitment to teaching, research, and service;
• Administrative leadership experience;
• Proven success in - or aptitude for - external and alumni relations and development;
• A commitment to advancing inclusive excellence;
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills;
• Evidence of leading with integrity and sound judgment; a demonstrated record of building trust across an academic community, strengthening shared governance, and providing steady leadership through periods of challenge and uncertainty;
• A demonstrated ability to build effective partnerships internally and externally;
• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking, including the ability to manage complex budgets, optimize resource allocation, and align strategies with academic and university-wide priorities;
• A record of accomplishment in recruiting, developing, and retaining outstanding faculty and staff;
• Dedication to undergraduate and graduate student success, retention, advising, and high-impact learning opportunities;
• Commitment to securing research funding and an understanding of the infrastructure required to support research;
• Demonstrated success managing complex academic portfolios and leading change with positive outcomes;
• Leadership in integrating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, into curriculum, research, and service aligned with the institution's mission.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Department
College of Arts & Science

Posting Date
11/06/2026

Closing Date

Special Instructions to Applicants

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process.

For a full description as well as all inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website:
https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/marquette-university-helen-way-klingler-college-arts-and-sciences/dean

For best consideration, apply by January 4, 2027.