Job description

Fredericksburg, VA

The University of Mary Washington is seeking an accomplished scholar, visionary leader, and proven academic administrator to lead the new College of Education and Human Development. The Founding Dean will have a unique opportunity to play a defining role in shaping the future of the college.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1908, the University of Mary Washington (UMW) has built a rich history of traditions and accomplished academic excellence. Named for the mother of the United States’ founding father, the University has evolved from its beginnings as Fredericksburg’s State Normal and Industrial School for Women to one of the nation’s premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences universities, with high-quality teaching and learning as its animating force.

UMW community members–faculty, students, and staff–share in creating and exploring knowledge through freedom of inquiry, personal responsibility, and service. The University offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs within which students integrate and apply their knowledge to develop their professional interests and practice the habits of mind necessary for lifelong learning. Faculty members engage in research that enhances their classrooms, especially encouraging the participation of undergraduates in research.

With an enrollment of almost 4,000 students, UMW is a residential campus located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, just an hour from Washington, DC, to the north and Richmond, VA, to the south. The University is the only four-year institution, public or private, serving the greater Fredericksburg region which is Virginia’s fastest growing. UMW offers more than 100 majors, minors, and courses of study with rich learning experiences that include first-year seminars, undergraduate research, internship, study abroad, leadership service, and recreational opportunities. UMW’s size, dedicated faculty, and historical commitment to excellent teaching create an institutional culture where undergraduate and graduate students benefit from strong connections with their faculty and multiple opportunities for experiential learning. UMW graduates are models of adaptive learning, personal achievement, responsible leadership, service to others, and engaged citizenship in a diverse global society.

Academic affairs at UMW is comprised of three colleges, each led by an academic dean. The College of Business pulls together accounting, computer science, economics, finance, management, marketing, and mathematics, while the College of Arts and Sciences is made up of 15 academic departments and houses a School of the Arts and a School of Science.

The Mary Washington Eagles are a proud member of NCAA Division III athletics and have 21 teams competing in several different conferences, with its largest cohort in the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference. UMW has been recognized as having the best overall athletic program a dozen times, and 334 Eagles have been named to All- American teams. The University also offers team sports in men’s and women’s rugby and esports, 23 club sports, indoor and outdoor tennis facilities, a gymnasium, and a fitness center. Athletics is also an academic department, with coaches recognized as members of the teaching faculty, housed in the new College of Education and Human Development

U.S. News & World Report has named Mary Washington one of “America’s Best Colleges” and has placed it among the top ten public liberal arts colleges in the country. The Princeton Review has named Mary Washington among “The Best 382 Colleges,” Forbes has listed it as one of “America’s Top Colleges,” and Fiske Guide to Colleges regards it as a “Best Buy School.” In 2025, the Princeton Review identified UMW as one of the nation’s top 20 schools for internships” and “making and impact.” The University has been recognized as one of the top producers of US Fulbright students and Peace Corps volunteers.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

In 2025, UMW announced the creation of the new College of Education and Human Development, bringing together faculty, staff, coaches, and students from the education, athletics, and nursing programs. The Founding Dean will be responsible for charting a vision for the reimagined college that combines a commitment to teaching, research, exploration, and student success. The transition period for the new college will span the 2025-26 academic year and beyond. Currently, the University is determining additional resources and programs for the new college, with a focus on adding new programs and faculty in allied health fields. The college offers professional preparation programs that integrate academic study, clinical training, creative research, service-learning, and community engaged outreach leading to the development of leaders whose professional endeavors improve education delivery, health, and well-being.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Founding Dean will be responsible for advancing and building new degree programs; fostering excellence in teaching, research, and service; increasing the College’s visibility and standing in the community and region; increasing the college’s financial resources; serving as the chief spokesperson and advocate for the College of Education and Human Development both within and outside of the university; and effectively managing the college’s budget in a transparent manner.The Founding Dean should promote an environment that fosters significant growth, collaboration, and shared governance.

Specific responsibilities of the Dean include:

• developing, articulating, and executing a shared vision for the college and providing leadership and direction to the faculty, staff, and students;
• exhibiting decision-making rooted in transparency, collaboration, and empowerment;
• leading the faculty and staff in the development of new academic programs to include an MS in Counseling and an MS in Nursing with tracks toward nurse educators and family practitioners;
• overseeing faculty professional development funding and the promotion and tenure process;
• promoting high-quality undergraduate and graduate academic experiences;
• leading fundraising initiativesand enhancing the financial infrastructure of the college to support faculty initiatives, staff development, and student success;
• advocating for and supporting the work and mission of a multidisciplinary faculty;
• championing and supporting the work of staff to ensure they are valued and rewarded;
• increasing the strength and vitality of the college’s educational and scholarly mission by recruiting and supporting faculty from all disciplines in the college;
• cultivating a welcoming environment for students, faculty and staff;
• promoting alumni development and engagement;
• maintaining and strengthening strategic relationships with community partners, community colleges, employers, school and healthcare systems in the region, and the University’s Lab School, the Academy of Technology and Innovation (ATI);
• grasping and navigating the educational, political, and cultural dynamics and complexities in today’s current environment; and
• representing the college to university administration and serving as an advocate for the faculty, staff, and students of the college.

QUALIFICATIONS

The college is seeking a dynamic leader who brings an understanding of the convergent disciplines and activities that comprise the new college. The Dean must have demonstrated experience in leadership and administration. Candidates should have a strong commitment to supporting the educational mission of the university, with high standards in teaching, research, and service. Highly qualified candidates will be able to demonstrate a passion and desire to build a college with a renewed vision toward supporting the existing faculty and staff, expanding the scope of its offerings, and focusing on the workforce demands of the Commonwealth. Outstanding candidates will also have a passion for liberal arts education as well as a strong appreciation for academic excellence in a student-centric environment.

Specific qualifications include:

• an earned doctorate with a record of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and professional accomplishment that supports an appointment as a full professor with tenure in the College of Education and Human Development;
• evidence of administrative accomplishments and a record of academic leadership, program development, budget and personnel management, enrollment management, and resource development;
• a demonstrated desire and passion for building new academic programs and hiring the faculty and staff to support that growth
• experience in assessment and accreditation, including national, regional, and state accreditation programs as well as discipline specific program accreditation;
• proven record of advocacy for community economic development programs, community outreach or engaged scholarship;
• knowledge of the range of programs in the college;
• commitment to clinical experience as a core component in education and preparation;
• knowledge of programs for working adults and non-traditional students; and
• ability to work collaboratively with students, faculty, staff, alumni, community, and state partners.

How to apply

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile. Buffkin / Baker is assisting UMW in this search. For fullest consideration, application materials should be received by December 1, 2025. Application materials, nominations, and inquiries can be directed to: