Jobs at Member Institutions & APLU

The South Dakota State University (SDSU) College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) is offering an exciting career opportunity as Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs. We are looking for a creative, highly motivated individual to provide strong and effective vision and leadership for the college’s undergraduate and graduate programs. This is a 12 month, 100% time, benefits eligible, tenured/ position that carries an academic rank of Professor. This position is supervised by the South Dakota Corn Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences, Dr. Joe Cassady.

South Dakota State University promotes access to and opportunities for all to receive the benefit of and participate in education, research, and service and is especially interested in candidates that can contribute to this land-grant mission of access.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs provides leadership to and oversight of undergraduate education, graduate education, undergraduate research, curriculum assessment, budget management, and student recruitment in CAFES. The successful applicant must direct and motivate the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative and effective teaching programs that meet the needs of students, employers and South Dakota citizens and are consistent with policies and resources of CAFES and SDSU; ensure that CAFES academic programs and student experiences are aligned with current and future career opportunities for our students; direct administration of academic programs led at the college level; integrate CAFES teaching programs with Extension and research programs at SDSU, USDA, and other relevant state, Federal, and private partners; engage all persons with CAFES teaching appointments by developing and promoting professional development and training opportunities; serve on the CAFES executive team; and work closely with the Dean, Director of SDSU Extension, and Director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station; fulfill the role of figurehead for CAFES academic programs by embodying and advancing the vision and mission of the organization; serve as university liaison to the South Dakota FFA organization; work with businesses, commodity groups, faculty and staff, university administrators, university legal counsel, and outside agencies, as well as community, county, state, and national leaders, to assess, prioritize, and address educational needs in agriculture, food, environmental science and related disciplines; serve as the University’s representative and leader for CAFES academic programs, such as through the North Central Regional Association of State Academic Heads and at the national level through USDA-NIFA and the Association for Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET); serve as an on-call resource for county, state, and federal policy makers; develop, justify, and allocate budgets totaling about $5.8 million in order to carry out effective CAFES academic programs; participate in the hiring process for faculty positions with CAFES teaching/advising appointments; and delegate responsibilities to other administrators, faculty, staff, and committees as appropriate.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. Degree in Agriculture, Natural Resources, Biological Sciences, Food Science or a related field, completed by date of application;
• At least ten years of experience in higher education;
• Eligible for the rank of Professor at SDSU;
• Ability to provide effective administrative leadership;
• Experience in personnel and fiscal management;
• Experience in curriculum planning, execution, and delivery of outputs;
• Demonstrated success in teaching;
• Commitment to principles of affirmative action, equal opportunity and working with a variety of audiences;
• At least 5 years experience in land-grant university systems;
• Knowledge of and commitment to land-grant philosophy;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Organizational and time management skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work as a contributing team member;
• Ability to advocate CAFES programs to and collaborate with a variety of stakeholders and allied industries;
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship is not available for this position;
• Valid driver’s license or ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire, and willingness to travel.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in graduate education;
• Experience in undergraduate research;
• Experience in academic assessment;
• Experience in academic budget preparations and management;
• Experience in seeking public and private funds to support academic programs; and
• Commitment to university-wide teaching and education goals.

SALARY:

Commensurate with qualifications.

BENEFITS:

SDSU offers a wide range of benefits including medical, dental, and flexible benefits, retirement plans, compensation packages, paid holidays, and vacation leave. Employees also have access to internal and state-sponsored training as well as reduced tuition for state-supported courses at all State of South Dakota academic institutions.

UNIVERSITY AND THE BROOKINGS COMMUNITY:

SDSU is the state’s largest, most comprehensive university with more than 200 academic programs, an enrollment of approximately 12,000 students, and over $60 million annual research expenditures.

SDSU offers a rich academic experience in an environment of inclusion and access through inspired, student-centered education, creative activities, and research, innovation, and engagement that improve the quality of life in South Dakota, the region, the nation, and the world. Its employees embrace the university’s core values of being people-centered, expanding knowledge through creativity, embracing organizational and personal integrity, commitment to diversity of thought, and excellence through continuous improvement.

CAFES plays an integral role in fulfilling the land grant mission of the university. In addition to six academic departments, the college is home to both SDSU Extension and the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. The SDSU West River Research and Extension is a satellite of the college, and serves as center for teaching, research, extension and outreach activities in the western part of the state. CAFES has the second largest student enrollment in comparison to the other SDSU colleges, with over 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and has the highest number of faculty and staff and most building space. CAFES includes over 120 academic faculty and staff FTE, comprising approximately 22% of the college total. The college offers 1 A.S., 16 B.S., 5 M.S., 5 Ph.D. and 1 professional program, as well as 20 undergraduate minors and 5 certificate programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. CAFES and its academic departments provide students with over half a million dollars in scholarship support annually. The college co-hosts an annual career fair with the SDSU Office of Career Development More information about CAFES is available at https://www.sdstate.edu/agriculture-food-environmental-sciences.

As the state’s 1862 Morrill Act land-grant institution, the work of SDSU is carried out on its main resident campus in Brookings, at sites in Sioux Falls, Pierre, Rapid City, and Aberdeen, and through Extension offices and Agricultural Experiment Station research sites across South Dakota.

Jackrabbits Athletics competes as an NCAA Division I member with membership in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the Summit League and the Big XII for wrestling.

Brookings is home to approximately 24,000 residents and is located 60 miles north of Sioux Falls and 200 miles west of Minneapolis. Brookings is listed as an ideal community for families, students, young professionals and retirees, and is rated among the safest and most vibrant cities in South Dakota.

The Brookings Public School District educates approximately 3,300 K-12 students and ranks among the state’s highest academic achieving school districts. The district includes three elementary schools, an intermediate school for fourth and fifth grade, one middle school, and a high school.

The city also boasts an abundance of attractions and activities, including the Children’s Museum of South Dakota, Dakota Nature Park, South Dakota Art Museum, McCrory Gardens, South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, Outdoor Adventure Center and the Brookings Summer Arts Festival.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Position is open until filled with full consideration given to applications received by March 1, 2023.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

SDSU accepts applications through an online employment site. To apply, visit: https://yourfuture.sdbor.edu, search by the position title, view the job announcement, and click on “apply for this job.” This system will guide you through the electronic application form. This employment site will also require the attachment of a cover letter, which should specifically address how the candidate meets the qualifications as outlined in the advertisement, Curriculum Vitae, and a reference page with the contact information for three professional references. Email applications will not be accepted. Please contact SDSU Human Resources at (605) 688-4128 if you require assistance with this process.

Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by law and/or university policies, including but not limited to, successful completion of a criminal background check.

South Dakota State University is a tobacco free environment. It is university policy to maintain a drug-free environment and to thereby establish, promote, and maintain a safe and healthy working and learning environment for employees and students. This position is subject to South Dakota State University’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy 4:14.

For questions on the position, contact Dr. David Wright at (605) 688-5123 or david.wright@sdstate.edu.

South Dakota State University promotes access to and opportunities for all to receive the benefit of and participate in education, research, and service and is especially interested in candidates that can contribute to this land-grant access mission. SDSU is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to, and SDSU prohibits discrimination on, the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, gender, gender identification, transgender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status that may become protected under law against discrimination in the offering of all educational programs and employment opportunities. Arrangements for accommodations required by disabilities can be made by emailing HR@sdstate.edu. Individuals with concerns regarding discrimination should contact: Equal Opportunity Officer/Title IX Coordinator, Human Resources, Morrill Hall 100, SDSU, Brookings, SD 57007, 605-688-4128.