Dean's Search - College of Letters & Sciences

Columbus State University welcomes applications and nominations for the role of Dean in the College of Letters & Sciences.

Position Summary

The dean of the College of Letters & Sciences is the central administrator of the college and reports directly to the university's provost and chief academic officer. The dean provides vision, academic leadership, direction and expert administration, and fosters excellence in teaching, scholarly activity and community engagement and service. The dean positively represents the college and university to all constituents and is active in advancement activities.

The dean oversees a college offering certificates, bachelor's and master's degrees across nine academic schools and departments. The college is the academic heart of the university, offering a majority of the General Education core curriculum; undergraduate programs in the sciences, engineering (robotics), mathematics, humanities, and social sciences; and master's degrees in natural sciences, public administration, public safety administration, and robotics engineering.

In this role, the dean:

• Provides strategic leadership in establishing and achieving the CSU's vision, mission, goals and expected academic program outcomes.
• Oversees administrative functions including but not limited to staffing, budgets and facility management.
• Partners with enrollment management and student success leaders to develop, implement and evaluate student recruitment and retention strategies.
• Inspires confidence and motivates others for engagement and innovation.
• Serves as an advocate and mediator for students, faculty and staff.
• Directs problem-solving involving students, faculty, staff and others.
• Maintains visibility on campus, among relevant industries and partners, with alumni and donors, and in the community.
• Represents the university positively in interactions to build and sustain effective relationships with a broad range of constituents.

View Full Search Profile

Qualifications

The position profile details all the specific qualifications and knowledge, skills and abilities required of the position. Key qualifications include:

• A terminal degree in a discipline within the college.
• Three to five years of experience as an academic administrator (e.g., dean, associate dean, department head or director).
• Accomplishments and credentials in teaching, service and scholarly publications sufficient to meet the requirements of the rank of professor at CSU, which includes a minimum of five years of experience in higher education.

Timeline

For fullest consideration, application materials should be submitted by Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. The university anticipates first-round interviews to occur virtually, with on-campus interviews for select candidates to follow.

Applications and Nominations

Confidential inquiries, nominations and applications are welcome. We will review submissions until the position is filled. Candidates must submit a curriculum vitae and a letter of application addressing the priorities in the search profile. Please submit nominations and required application materials via email to search consultants Martin Baker and Dinah DeWitt at COLSDeanCSU@buffkinbaker.com.

Search Committee

• Chair: Dr. Wanda Ebright, dean, College of the Arts
• Dr. Joelle Bonamy, associate professor of Spanish and chair, School of Policy, Justice & Public Safety and chair, Department of Society, Culture, and Languages
• Dr. Stephanie da Silva, professor, Department of Psychology
• Stephanie Hunter, Columbus area attorney and trustee, CSU Foundation
• Dr. Floyd Jackson, professor and chair, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. Seon Jeon, professor, Department of English
• Dr. David Kieran, professor and the Col. Richard R. Hallock Distinguished Chair in Military History, Dept. of History, Geography, and Philosophy
• Elizabeth McInnis, general education coordinator and senior lecturer, Department of Mathematics
• Dr. Subhas "Sam" Mukherjee, assistant professor, Department of Biology
• Angela Johnson, coordinator, Office of the Dean, College of Letters & Sciences
• Natalia Temesgen, associate professor, Department of English and interim director, Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians

Equal Employment Opportunity

Columbus State University is proud to be an equal employment, equal access, and equal educational opportunity institution. It is the policy of our institution to recruit, hire, train, promote and educate persons without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status as required by applicable state and federal laws.