Dean, CVM Leadership Prospectus

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) provides leadership, vision, and direction for all aspects of CVM, including the operations of the Veterinary Medical Center, a fully functional teaching hospital providing around the clock emergency, specialized, and general care serving pet owners and the livestock industry. With a workforce of 500 faculty and staff, and an annual operating budget of $70M, CVM strives to educate talented biomedical scientists and veterinarians, protect public health, enhance medical knowledge, and generate economic benefits to the state and the nation, while also generating revenues of $24M annually through clinical care.

As a direct report to the UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President, and a member of the UTIA Executive Committee and the UTK Dean’s Council, the CVM Dean contributes to the achievement of UTIA’s strategic goals and actively supports critical working partnerships with various internal and external constituents.

The CVM Dean will join UTIA at a time of enormous opportunity and potential impact as UTIA and CVM are positioned for enrollment growth and academic program enhancement over the decades to come. Information about CVM programs and personnel may be found at: https://vetmed.tennessee.edu/

As part of UT Knoxville, Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, UTIA provides Real. Life. Solutions. to some of society’s most pressing issues. UTIA is creating a global impact through its statewide presence and international work. In addition to CVM, UTIA is home to the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT AgResearch and its ten AgResearch and Education Centers across the state, and UT Extension, which has a presence in all ninety-five Tennessee counties. UTIA also boasts the Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture as well as the State Botanical Gardens of Tennessee. Through teaching, research, and outreach, UTIA seeks to support food, fiber, and energy systems; enrich the economy; enhance biodiversity and environmental quality; develop the workforce; and strengthen the health of humans and animals.

Mission

The UTCVM mission is focused on advancing animal, human, and environmental health. The mission is accomplished through educating students in the art and science of veterinary medicine and related biomedical sciences, discovering and disseminating new knowledge to veterinarians and others, and providing exceptional veterinary care to animals. Through these acts, the UTCVM supports our stakeholders (e.g., students, alumni, veterinarians, producers, animal enthusiasts, Tennesseans, and others) through outreach activities and life-long learning.

Vision

The UTCVM vision is to create and sustain a college environment supportive of each individual’s professional and personal growth, where all students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to expand their knowledge, to deliver exceptional service, and to enjoy life beyond the work environment.​

Values

• Professionalism.
• Quality.
• Respect.
• Inclusiveness.
• Creativity.
• Commitment.

Primary responsibilities of the Dean are to carry out visionary leadership, administration, and advocacy; promote excellence and innovation in veterinary educational programs and initiatives that meet needs of the people of Tennessee; promote the recruiting, retention, and professional development of qualified faculty and staff; manage and oversee finances and assets of the college as a whole; provide leadership in securing funds and other resources from multiple sources (sponsored and philanthropies); nurture productive relationships with a variety of entities across the Institute of Agriculture and the broader University community as well as with the Tennessee Legislature, County Executives, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Tennessee Department of Health and Human Services, Tennessee Department of Education, United States Department of Agriculture, veterinary educational  practices  in other states, and other constituents external to The University of Tennessee; promote a workplace environment that values access and engagement and is based on teamwork, inclusive decision-making, and a sense of shared community within CVM and across  UTIA and the University.

Behaviors

The CVM Dean will exhibit qualities of integrity, emotional maturity, genuineness, confidence, judgment, fairness, creativity, discretion, decisiveness, political savvy, diplomacy, tact, resiliency, adaptability, practicality, courage of convictions and tolerance for ambiguity.

Demonstrated behavioral expectations include:

• Uncompromised honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness;
• Demonstrated commitment to excellence;
• Recognition of the value of all people, roles, and positions as well as the ability to demonstrate respect and honor the dignity of others;
• Ability to build relationships, collaborate, problem-solve, and promote teamwork;
• Capacity to communicate effectively to broad audiences;
• Unfailing commitment to transparency;
• Commitment to CVM’s mission and strategic vision, as well as the missions and strategic visions for UTIA, UT Knoxville , and the University of Tennessee System and
• Ability to make sound, consistent, and fair data-informed

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Candidates must have earned a terminal degree in veterinary medicine and evidence of scholarly, professional, or creative achievement sufficient to qualify for tenure as a full professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Experience:

• Previous professional experience in veterinary medicine and hospital operations as well as a working knowledge of and appreciation for effective veterinary education programs.
• Supervisory and leadership experience in a complex organization.
• Direct experience with the preparation of, participation in, and response to successful accreditation reviews.
• Experience leading large-scale project implementation in a multi-department, operational hospital environment, including budget development and execution.
• Experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Workday) and medical records and patient data systems;
• Commitment to the importance and applicability of access and engagement in all aspects of the operation including the workplace, constituent services, and vendor contracts.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• The communication and public relations skills and other personal attributes necessary to motivate and decisively lead CVM.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to sustaining an inclusive and accessible working and learning environments for all students, staff, and faculty.
• Demonstrated ability to administer budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve complex, controversial and/or unprecedented issues and
• Ability to lead effectively across units relying on stakeholder input, collaboration, influence, and strategic communication practices to guide broad decision-making.
• Ability to lead and work with cross-functional and diverse teams and to foster teamwork across complex organizations.
• Demonstrated interpersonal relationship skills including excellent listening skills, inclusive communication (oral and written), creative problem-solving, and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.

Preferred Qualifications

 Experience in a land-grant university, particularly in Colleges of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and/or Veterinary Medicine.

• Experience in statewide and or national veterinary medicine organizations, professional associations, and advisory boards.
• Financial oversight in university-wide budgets and decision-making processes
• Engagement in organizations or initiatives to advance the veterinary profession or veterinary education
• Experience in planning and advocating for capital projects

Application Process

For full consideration, candidates should apply electronically with a cover letter addressing their interest in and qualifications for the role, curriculum vita with a summary of accomplishments for each leadership role, and list of 5 professional references on or before January 2, 2024. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

To express interest, schedule a confidential conversation or to nominate a candidate, please contact Brooke Swart (bswart@utk.edu), Senior Executive Recruiter for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation for the position will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits and much more.

Additionally, Tennessee residents do not pay a state income tax. For more information on the University of Tennessee’s benefits, visit https://hr.tennessee.edu/benefits/

The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its educational and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for its employment and admission without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status.