Committee hopes nationwide search yields qualified applicants

The university's largest college has undertaken a nationwide search to have a new dean in place by next summer.

A faculty search committee has been handed the task of finding a new dean for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, which is home to approximately 5,800 of the University of Arizona's 35,000 students.

Search committee members say the new dean will have to meet wide-ranging challenges - from fiscal setbacks stemming from state-mandated budget cuts, to a faculty shortage that has caused class overcrowding in departments college-wide.

The dean must be able to lead the college in recruiting, developing and retaining faculty for both teaching and research - not an easy task considering the proposed 4 percent budget cuts at UA, said William Mishler, head of the political science department.

"The college was in financial trouble even before the budget cuts this year. The new dean has to work with the central administration to find new resources," he said.

The new dean will also take a leadership role in Campaign Arizona, the UA's $1 billion fund-raiser.

The project seeks to secure public and private external resources for the enhancement of academic efforts within SBS.

Toni Massaro, dean of the James E. Rogers College of Law and a member of the search committee, said it is difficult to predict how many people will respond to the job opening.

"The committee is doing everything possible to make sure we generate a large pool of diverse talent in the applicants," Massaro said.

One of the jobs of the committee is to develop a "white paper" for potential candidates. This document contains a list of the accomplishments of the college as well as some of the challenges that lie ahead for the new dean.

Plans call for an application deadline of Feb. 1. At that time, the search committee will review applications and interview potential candidates.

"The goal is to bring candidates in March and April and to make an offer so the person will be in place by July 1," said Richard Cosgrove, head of the history department and member of the search committee.

Applicants are required to have an earned doctorate in an area corresponding to one of the college's 19 departments. They must also have national or international record of scholarly achievement and teaching abilities sufficient to merit the rank of professor in an appropriate unit.

The college is currently under the direction of interim dean Charlie Hurt.