Search Announcement: Dean of the School of Social Welfare - 2018

Dean Searches - Frequently Asked Questions

The University of California, Berkeley invites nominations, expressions of interest, and applications for the position of Dean of Berkeley Social Welfare. The University seeks a visionary and collaborative leader who will advance an empowering organizational and educational culture that inspires the School’s community to engage in research, education, and service that transforms the systems that perpetuate social disadvantage.

The University

The University of California, Berkeley is one of the world’s premier research and teaching universities. With 2018 marking UC Berkeley’s sesquicentennial, the University is celebrating 150 years of serving as a beacon of opportunity for students of all backgrounds, a center of research excellence and cutting-edge discoveries, and as an institution committed to serving the economic and educational needs of California and the nation. Home to over 30,000 undergraduates and more than 11,000 graduate students, Berkeley is internationally renowned for excellence and pioneering achievements across all disciplines. At the heart of its preeminence are approximately 1,500 full-time faculty dispersed among more than 180 academic departments and research units. The campus is supported by nearly 9,000 talented and diverse staff working across 20 different job categories. 

For more information about the campus, please visit www.berkeley.edu.

Berkeley Social Welfare

Berkeley Social Welfare develops effective leaders and scholars committed to solving complex social problems; produces, disseminates, and utilizes research to improve social service delivery and policy; and prepares the next generation of social workers, researchers, and educators dedicated to serving the most vulnerable members of our society. The School trains students for a range of leadership, research, teaching, and practice roles in the profession. Students are prepared to practice at multiple intervention levels, to critically assess the extent to which interventions promote social justice, and are thoroughly grounded in knowledge about social issues, social welfare policies, and social service organizations. Berkeley Social Welfare has 16 full-time faculty, nine field consultants, and many expert lecturers and practitioners from the community. The student population is comprised of approximately 200 undergraduates pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare (offered through the College of Letters & Science), and approximately 200 MSW and 20 PhD students. 

Berkeley Social Welfare is ranked #2 in the country according to a new study examining the impact of faculty scholarship among 1,699 faculty at all 76 social work doctoral programs in the United States. The School’s faculty lead a number of research units, and the School houses the California Child Welfare Indicators Project and the California Social Work Education Center

For more information about the Berkeley Social Welfare, please visit https://socialwelfare.berkeley.edu/.

Position Summary

The next Dean of Berkeley Social Welfare will be a visionary leader and an innovative and strategic thinker who has a reputation for working collaboratively with a broad array of university and external constituencies. The Dean will build upon the School’s long-standing commitment to achieving social, economic, and political justice and work with the School community to develop a compelling vision for the future of the School. The Dean will also assume a leadership role in developing a strategic plan for the School and garner the resources to make the plan a reality. 

Qualifications

The successful candidate for the Dean of Berkeley Social Welfare will have:

  • An earned doctoral degree or equivalent international degree in a relevant field or discipline aligned with social welfare, and a distinguished record of scholarship that would warrant a tenured appointment as Professor.
  • Prior experience in a leadership role in an academic setting.
  • A track record as a creative problem-solver with experience leading and managing change.
  • Direct financial management experience for an academic or research unit and demonstrated success in developing and managing budgets in a resource constrained environment.
  • Experience with enhancing an academic unit’s research, including with the ability to promote community engaged research, interdisciplinary collaborations, and increased research productivity. 
  • An understanding of current issues and new directions in social and behavioral research, social welfare, and social work education, and an ability to translate them into innovative improvements to academic programs and services.
  • Enthusiasm for working directly with students, supporting student learning and success, and addressing issues with care and concern.
  • Excellent communication skills, including the ability to quickly establish trust and rapport, build consensus, promote collaboration, and facilitate teamwork.
  • A track record for valuing inclusivity and accessibility, and a passion for the vital role that diversity and inclusion have in guiding how we achieve our mission. A willingness to exemplify and promote the UC Berkeley Principles of Community

Read a comprehensive profile of the position here.

Inquiries, Nominations, and Applications

All inquiries, nominations, and applications from within and beyond the Berkeley community are invited. Nomination letters should include the name, position, address and telephone number of the nominee. To be considered as candidates, applicants must have an earned doctoral degree or equivalent international degree by the time of application, and submit a CV and letter of interest describing relevant experience and interest in the position. The position will be open until filled, but materials should be received by Wednesday, February 20, 2019 for full consideration. 

Candidate materials, nominations and inquiries should be e-mailed to the search consultants, Alberto Pimentel (apsearch@storbeckpimentel.com) and Navid Nakai (N.Nakai@storbeckpimentel.com), and reference code “UCB-DBSW” in the subject line. 

Applicants must also apply directly at: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF02060

All applications and nominations will be handled in confidence. 

The University of California, Berkeley, is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.

This position is a sensitive position and is subject to a criminal background check.

Dean of the School of Social Welfare Search Committee

Prudence Carter, Dean, Graduate School of Education (Committee Chair)

Adrian Aguilera, Associate Professor, Social Welfare

Veronica Alexander, Director of External Relations, Social Welfare

Janelle Cavanagh, Alumna and Advisory Board Member, Social Welfare

Walter Gómez, PhD Student, Social Welfare

Greg Merrill, Director of Field Education, Social Welfare

Kurt Organista, Professor, Social Welfare

Emily Ozer, Professor, Public Health

Susan Stone, Professor, Social Welfare

Heidi Wagner, Assistant Dean for Administration, Social Welfare