The College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) at the University of Connecticut (UConn) invites applications for the position of Associate Dean for Extension and Diversity with appointment as Full Professor with tenure in a CAHNR Department related to the candidate’s academic discipline. We are seeking an inspirational, dynamic, and visionary individual to provide exemplary College-level leadership in two important areas: Extension and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), in alignment with the College and University strategic vision. This is a full-time, 12-month appointment, with approximately 70% effort related to Extension leadership and 30% effort related to JEDI leadership. This person will have an outstanding record of professional accomplishments commensurate with appointment at the rank of Professor, with the opportunity for tenure at hire.
The CAHNR Associate Dean for Extension and Diversity will provide innovative leadership in planning, facilitating, supporting, and evaluating statewide Extension programs and JEDI initiatives across the College. CAHNR has 9 Departments, including a Department of Extension. The departments incorporate a wide range of disciplines within traditional agriculture, as well as health, the environment, and natural resources. The College includes 189 tenured, tenure-track, and teaching faculty, 97 staff, 473 graduate students and 2,036 undergraduate students. The Associate Dean for Extension and Diversity plays a key role in the daily functions of the College as a member of the CAHNR leadership team. The Associate Dean reports directly to the Dean.
The Cooperative Extension System (CES) in CAHNR has provided research-based education to families, communities, and businesses across the state and the region for more than a century. CAHNR Extension is a cornerstone of UConn’s land grant mission, to create and disseminate knowledge that improves the lives of people locally, nationally, and internationally. The successful candidate will improve programmatic excellence by expanding and supporting JEDI in our programs and among our faculty, staff, students, and Extension volunteers. Approximately 100 CAHNR Extension faculty and staff are located across nine offices throughout the state including the Storrs and Avery Point campuses.
CAHNR is actively working to expand JEDI throughout the College through intentional efforts to eliminate structural racism. A standing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee provides training, workshops, and other resources to expand diversity within the College. A CAHNR Working Group on Structural Racism was recently formed to explore how the college can break down barriers in teaching, research, and Extension. This work is integral to the CAHNR Strategic Vision. The Associate Dean for Extension and Diversity provides leadership for these College-wide initiatives.
CAHNR has developed and implemented a Strategic Vision to guide the development and focus of our teaching, research, and Extension programs in the years 2020-2025. The Associate Dean for Extension and Diversity will provide leadership in advancing the implementation of CAHNR’s five strategic priorities (https://cahnr.uconn.edu/visionandvalues).
- Ensuring a vibrant agricultural industry and sustainable food supply
- Enhancing health and well-being locally, nationally, and globally
- Dismantling structural racism and fostering environments that advance racial equity, inclusion and belonging by advocating for antiracist policies, practices, and norms.
- Fostering sustainable landscapes across urban-rural interfaces
- Advancing resilience and adaptation in a changing climate
The University and CAHNR prioritize scholarship in areas that impact quality of life, including human, animal, plant and environmental health and sustainability. We encourage and provide support for cross-disciplinary, collaborative scholarship across the College, University, nation, and globe. UConn is committed to Life Transforming Education for students and Extension audiences. UConn is recognized as one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly campuses by the Sierra Club. Through research, teaching, service, and Extension, UConn embraces diversity and inclusion, and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Founded in 1881, UConn is a Land Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000 faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach, UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural, and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly, research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate applications and support for student success have enabled the University to become extraordinarily selective.