Valdosta State University Looking for Department Head of Biology Full Time

College of Science and Mathematics

Department
Head of Biology

The College of Science and Mathematics seeks applicants for a Department Head of Biology. The position is a
fiscal (12-month) administrative faculty position beginning July 1, 2024. The rank will be either Associate or Full Professor, depending
upon credentials and qualifications, with tenure.

Reporting directly to the Dean, the Department Head directs and participates in the
department’s teaching and other day-to-day functions and serves as its primary spokesperson and advocate. Other responsibilities include,
but are not limited to:

• Hiring, managing, and evaluating faculty and staff members in the department;
• Conducting
  regular departmental meetings;
• Fostering a positive department environment that supports excellent teaching, scholarship, and
  service;
• Establishing a collaborative department vision and agenda that is aligned with the university and college strategic
  plans;
• Scheduling classes and sections for each faculty member in each academic semester;
• Supporting students through
  mentoring, overseeing internships, and providing curricular overrides, where appropriate;
• Teaching necessary courses throughout the
  academic year;
• Participating in research and scholarly activities;
• Attending required conferences, including those
  associated with academic presentations;
• Supporting department experiential learning activities, including undergraduate
  research;
• Facilitating departmental curriculum reviews to maintain program viability and alignment with accreditation
  requirements;
• Participating in College Executive Committee meetings;
• Attending monthly Council of Department Heads
  meetings;
• Serving as Budget Manager for the department.

The Department of Biology is the largest in the College of
Science and Mathematics, with approximately 450 undergraduate students, 20 graduate students, and 20 full-time faculty members whose
teaching and research interests span areas that include molecular and cellular biology, developmental biology, microbiology, organismal
biology, neurophysiology, plant pathology, infectious diseases, parasitology and wildlife biology, evolutionary and molecular ecology,
functional morphology, and plant molecular biochemistry. The Department has state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, including animal care
facilities and the Lake Louise Field Station, available for teaching and research. The department’s educational mission focuses on
advancing the university’s mission of increasing undergraduate and graduate students’ access to higher education in the region. The
diverse curriculum offered by the Department prepares students for direct entry into the job market, graduate school, and professional
programs. The Department provides undergraduate (B.A. and B.S.) and graduate (M.S.) degrees, including thesis and non-thesis master’s
degree options. The Department is expanding its non-thesis M.S. degree to provide more opportunities to professionals seeking careers in the
Biological Sciences. For more information about the Department, please visit https://www.valdosta.edu/biology/.

Review of completed applications begins March 12, 2024, and will continue
until the position is filled. For more information on the position please contact Dr. Winkelman, Search Chair, via email [email protected].

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• An earned terminal degree in Biology or a closely related discipline from an accredited university.
• A record of excellence
  in teaching, scholarship, and service;
• A strong record of progressively responsible and relevant leadership experience;
• An
  awareness of current trends in higher education and a commitment to innovation in teaching and learning;
• Exceptional
  organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills;
• A commitment to shared governance and a consultative leadership
  style.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with grant writing and extramural funding;
• Record of successful outreach to the community;
• Experience with faculty evaluation and promotion and tenure processes;
• Experience as a department head.

Interested applicants should submit the following:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Teaching philosophy/vision that includes a vision of how to create/update curriculum to reach the needs and
  career goals of a diverse student body
• Research statement that includes how to enhance the research mission of a regional public
  institution and increase opportunities for students and faculty
• Leadership statement that addresses the challenges facing
  departments at regional comprehensive universities and how to find solutions when there are very diverse perspectives from the different
  campus stakeholders

Valdosta State University, founded in 1906, is a comprehensive university with a student enrollment of
approximately 10,200. The city of Valdosta is located just north of the Florida state line on Interstate 75, is served by a regional
airport, and is within a two-hour drive of Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Florida. For more information, visit https://www.valdosta.edu, and for more information about the community, visit https://www.valdostachamber.com.

Valdosta State University is an
equal-opportunity educational institution. It is not the institution’s intent to discriminate against any applicant for admission or any
student or employee of the institution based on the age, sex, race, religion, color, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation of
the individual.