Job Description

Department Chair, Biological Sciences

Job ID: 276417

Location: Augusta University

Full/Part Time: Full Time

Regular/Temporary:

*

Job Summary

The Department of Biological Sciences at Augusta University is conducting a national search for an experienced and outstanding senior scholar to serve as Department Chair beginning Summer or Fall 2025. Appointment will be at the Professor rank with tenure. The Chair will report to the Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and will serve as the department's academic and administrative leader.

We seek a chair who will apply innovative leadership strategies to program development and to mentoring and supporting students and faculty. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, work closely with the faculty to promote excellence in teaching, research, and service, facilitate faculty efforts at seeking external grant funding, strategically manage the allocation of the department's resources and facilities, and represent the Department's interests to the Dean and upper administration. We seek a chair who will foster our student-centric environment through championing innovative teaching methods and high-impact practices to promote student development and success. The Biology faculty are committed to teaching students to be innovators in a world characterized by the rapid pace of emerging technologies and new scientific discoveries. Our faculty are committed to immersing our students in an academically rigorous curriculum as well as applied learning experiences in laboratory research, field study and design. We seek a chair with similar passions that will continue to grow our student-centered culture. The chair is expected to work closely with other departments and divisions within the College of Science and Mathematics and with the broader university community to ensure an atmosphere of collaboration, shared knowledge, and cooperation in both our teaching and research missions.

We invite applications from individuals who are excellent leaders, scientists, and communicators to lead a highly engaged and collaborative faculty committed to enhancing undergraduate and graduate teaching and increasing externally funded research and innovation in strong support of the university's strategic initiative to increase our research productivity. The chair will be expected to maintain an active research program and foster the growth of research within the department.

Responsibilities

Administrative - 60%
Provide excellent leadership with effective communication to students, faculty, administration, and other stakeholders; work with department and other stakeholders to enhance both teaching and research missions including growth of strong programs; promote student success; plan and manage department finances; recruit, mentor, develop, manage, and retain high quality personnel; develop strong relationships with community and industry.

Scholarship - 30%
Conduct impactful, extramural funded research in the discipline

Teaching - 10%
Teach courses in Biological Sciences

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent degree in the biological sciences or related field.
• Sustained record of teaching, service, and scholarly achievements consistent with the rank of a tenured professor at a research university.
• Record of instruction at the undergraduate and graduate level.
• Previous leadership and administrative experience.
• Strong record of research productivity and external funding.

Professor- Senior level career faculty member with at least five years at the rank of Associate Professor or comparable training, background, and experience. Per Board of Regents (BOR) policy, Professors must have a terminal degree.

Required faculty employment qualifications for all USG institutions and all academic ranks within these institutions shall be:

Consistent with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)s requirements for institutional accreditation;

Evidence of ability as a teacher;

Evidence of activity as a scholar and ability in all other duties assigned;

Successful experience (which will necessarily be waived for those just entering the academic profession who meet all other requirements); and,

Desirable personal qualities judged on the basis of personal interview, complete biographical data, and recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with the administrative process of running an academic department; record of sustained federal research funding.

Shift/Salary/Benefits

This position is fiscal year based and works year-round.

The intended work commitment or full-time equivalent (FTE) for this position is 1.0 and considered full-time.

Salary and compensation is commensurate with education, experience, and achievements. The salary is subject to availability of funds.

Comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, vision, 13 paid holidays, vacation leave, sick leave, generous retirement plans, tuition waiver, wellness options, and much more!

Also, our full-time employees who have been employed with us successfully for more than 6 months can be considered for the Tuition Assistance Program.

Rank and salary are determined at the time of hire and are based on a variety of factors including but not limited to experience, education, credentials, specialty, training, etc. while also considering internal equity and market data.

Advancement through the faculty ranks at Augusta University is only through the annual Promotion and Tenure process in which faculty may apply if eligible (typically five-year increments). For more information on ranks, please review the Augusta University Promotion and Tenure Website:

https://www.augusta.edu/faculty-affairs/promotionandtenure.php

College/Department Information

The College of Science and Mathematics provides students with strong foundations in the sciences as well as preparation for careers, citizenship, and a life-long love of learning. We are committed to providing experiences promoting scientific inquiry and discovery and dedicated to creating opportunities for intellectual growth and community involvement.

The Department of Biological Sciences is a growing department with over 30 faculty members, on both tenure and non-tenure tracks, who serve over 1100 undergraduate majors, ~3,000 non-majors requiring biology classes, and >15 master's students. The department each year boasts the largest number of freshman declared majors at the university. Three-quarters of the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences are located in a recently completed building on the Health Sciences Campus, and the remaining on the Summerville Campus, a short shuttle ride away.

The department encompasses major programs at the undergraduate level (General Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Biology with a concentration in ecology) and at the graduate level (MS in Biomolecular Science). Our faculty and our students engage in a various range of laboratory and field-based research that includes evolutionary biology, wildlife ecology, cell signaling mechanisms, genetics/genomics, neural development, and cancer biology. Several faculty in the department contribute to the interdisciplinary BS in Neuroscience program housed in the college. Opportunities for joint appointments in other colleges are available to participate in their PhD programs.

About Us

Augusta University is Georgia's innovation center for education and health care, training the next generation of innovators, leaders, and healthcare providers in classrooms and clinics on four campuses in Augusta and locations across the state. More than 10,500 students choose Augusta for educational opportunities at the center of Georgia's cybersecurity hub and experiential learning that blends arts and application, humanities, and the health sciences. Augusta is home to Georgia's only public academic health center, where groundbreaking research is creating a healthier, more prosperous Georgia, and world-class clinicians are bringing the medicine of tomorrow to patient care today. Ourhttps://www.augusta.edu/about/mission.php make Augusta University an institution like no other.

Thehttps://www.usg.edu/hr/orientation/welcome_to_the_board_of_regents_university_system_office is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Formed in 2013 by the consolidation of Augusta State University and Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta University is one of the four designated research universities in the University System of Georgia, with four campuses in Augusta. It is dedicated to training the next generation of innovators, leaders, and health care providers. AU offers undergraduate programs in the sciences, liberal arts, computer and cyber sciences, business, and education, as well as a range of graduate and professional programs and clinical research opportunities. With the state's only public academic medical center, only dental college, a new School of Public Health, the Georgia Cancer Center, and our affiliation with Wellstar MCG, a healthcare system that includes a teaching hospital, Augusta University is a destination of choice for students interested in careers in healthcare and related fields. Governed by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, Augusta University has over 11,500 students. Enrollment has increased each year for the past nine years. The university offers 161 degrees and certificate programs: 50 undergraduate programs, 39 graduate programs, 18 doctoral and professional programs and 54 certificate programs. The University and Wellstar MCG Health System employ over 11,000 people including over 1900 faculty with an operating budget of $1.0 billion as of fiscal year 2023, and an annual economic impact of ~$3 billion.

As the second largest metropolitan area in Georgia, Augusta is a vibrant community and the cultural center of the Central Savannah River Area, host of the Masters Golf Tournament, and home of the Georgia Cyber Center. Fort Eisenhower, home of the U.S. Armys Signal Corps, Cyber Center of Excellence, Cyber Command, and NSA-Georgia, is located adjacent to the city. The Department of Energys Savannah River National Laboratory and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory are nearby.

Location

Our Health Sciences Campus:

1120 15th Street, Augusta, GA 30912

Conditions of Employment

All selected candidates are required to successfully pass a Background Check review prior to starting with Augusta University.

If applicable for the specific position based on the duties: the candidate will also need to have a credit check completed for Positions of Trust and or approved departmental Purchase Card usage.

Motor vehicle reports are required for positions that are required to drive an Augusta University vehicle.

For Faculty Hires: Final candidates will be required to provide proof of completed academic degree(s) as well as post-secondary coursework in the form of original transcript(s). Those candidates trained by a foreign institution will also be required to provide an educational/credential evaluation.

All employees are responsible for ensuring the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of sensitive [patient, student, employee, financial, business, etc.] information by exercising sound judgment and adhering to cybersecurity and privacy policies during their employment and beyond.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Augusta University is proud to be an equal opportunity employer welcoming applicants from underrepresented groups, including individuals with disabilities and veterans.

How To Apply
To be considered an applicant for this position, you must apply online at https://www.augusta.edu/hr/jobs/#job-portals.
Please upload your Curriculum Vitae, Research Statement, Professional References, etc., as one document.
Questions concerning the search may be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. Tom Crute at mailto:tcrute@augusta.edu.

Other Information

This position is also responsible for promoting a customer-friendly environment and providing superior service to our patients, students, faculty, and employees. "Augusta University is a patient-and family-centered care institution, where employees partner every day with patients and families for success."

Augusta University is a tobacco-free environment, and the use of any tobacco products on any part of the campus, both inside and outside, is strictly prohibited.

To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/5584356

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