Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Student Success

This is an internal search.  Only current tenured faculty at the University of Iowa are eligible to apply for this position.

The University of Iowa Graduate College invites applications for the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Student Success. We seek to recruit an executive-level administrator who will help lead the University of Iowa through a time of unprecedented change in graduate education. This position will be a 12-month appointment at 80% effort. The appointment will be for up to three years with the possibility of renewal. The anticipated starting date for this appointment is January 1, 2024.

Founded in 1900, the University of Iowa (UI) Graduate College manages the enrollment and degree progress for nearly 5,000 students from over 100 graduate programs in 10 different colleges which span the Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Health Sciences, Engineering, Education, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Business.

The Graduate College has a history of innovation, which serves as a strong foundation for our contemporary initiatives in graduate education. The UI was among the first universities to offer MFA and DMA degrees, to accept and foster interdisciplinary research by faculty and students, and to embrace professional degrees at the doctoral level (DPT, DNP, and AUD).

The mission of the UI Graduate College is to foster an intellectual environment conducive to exemplary research, scholarship, and creativity among graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty. The College ensures that the graduate programs offered by the University are of high quality and stimulate the creation of new knowledge and information, and that these efforts simultaneously benefit both graduate and undergraduate student learning. The Graduate College serves as an advocate for graduate education, allocates resources that support graduate students and programs, manages policies and procedures to establish and assess graduate programs, and fosters interdisciplinary programs.

The Graduate College promotes excellence in the academic community with 21 graduate programs ranked among the top 25 best programs in the nation (U.S. News and World Report, 2024). The UI Graduate College leads the nation’s public institutions in high-quality dissertations, with five winners and 13 finalists in the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS/UMI) Distinguished Dissertation Award competition.

Major Position Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will:

• Advance student-centered graduate education initiatives and holistic graduate student development and success


• Supervise professional staff responsible for academic affairs, professional development, recruitment, and retention of a talented and diverse student body


• Advance innovation and entrepreneurial partnerships


• Advance postdoctoral support and professional development


• Oversee the Academic Grievance Procedure (i.e., formal student appeals)


• Oversee and support the Graduate College’s Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs


• Support the efforts of faculty and student groups including Graduate Council, Directors of Graduate Studies, and Graduate Student Senate


• Serve on the Graduate College Dean’s leadership team that advises the Dean on institutional policy, procedures, graduate student welfare, and allocation of resources


• Perform special tasks and projects at the request of the Dean


• In the absence of the Dean, act on behalf of and represent graduate education at internal functions and to external constituencies

To apply for this position, please visit our website https://jobs.uiowa.edu/ , Requisition #  74917.  During the application process, you will attach your Curriculum Vitae, Letter of Application, and Statement of Vision of Graduate Education/Student Success.    Three Letters of Recommendation are required as part of the application, references selected will be notified by email with directions on how to electronically submit letters to the University of Iowa.  Requests for additional information may be sent to: Heather Heeren, Human Resources Coordinator (heather-heeren@uiowa.edu ).

Applications should be received by September 25, 2023 to ensure consideration.

Additional information regarding the Graduate College can be found at https://www.grad.uiowa.edu/ .

The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences.

• Prospective candidates must hold a terminal degree in an academic discipline

• Current appointment as tenured faculty in a graduate department/program at the University of Iowa


• Substantial record of teaching, mentoring, supporting, and advising graduate students


• Commitment to the Graduate College’s vision of transforming graduate education through a student-centered approach that prioritizes innovation, excellence, and inclusion to advance the public good


• Demonstrated ability to foster belonging and inclusion among students, postdocs, faculty, and staff


• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Administrative experience in graduate education


• Record of service on university-wide committees supporting graduate education


• Appointment at the rank of full tenured professor 


• Experience mentoring and/or supporting postdoctoral scholars/fellows


• Record of successful collaboration and consensus building across campus units


• Experience securing and facilitating external grants


• Record of fostering belonging and inclusion among students, postdocs, faculty, and staff

To start the Online Application process for this position, click the "Apply for This Position" button located below the Contact Information.