The Office of the Provost is launching a search for the new dean of The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt.
“The dean of The Ingram Commons plays the key role of welcoming and guiding our freshmen as they acclimate to college and come together as a community in the dynamic and collaborative environment that is The Ingram Commons,” Vice Provost for Learning and Residential Affairs Cynthia Cyrus said. “[rquote]I look forward to working with our search committee to identify a leader who understands the mission of The Ingram Commons and stands ready to bring their own talents and experience to the role as we enter the next era of residential education at Vanderbilt.”[/rquote]
The dean of The Ingram Commons lives in the Dean’s Residence on campus and is charged with supporting a robust intellectual and extracurricular experience for the freshman class, while serving as the academic leader, mentor and senior administrator of the first-year experience at Vanderbilt. The dean works closely with and supervises the 10 faculty heads of house who also reside in The Ingram Commons, and collaborates with other campus leaders on the development of the university’s College Halls program. On Sept. 11, Francis W. Wcislo, who has served as dean since The Ingram Commons was launched in 2006, announced plans to step down as of June 30, 2015.
In addition to the responsibilities described above, the next dean will have a strong curricular role, as they will be charged with overseeing the foundation for freshmen of the undergraduate immersion experience envisioned in the Academic Strategic Plan.
The search committee will include students, faculty heads of house, representatives from the broader faculty community and staff. The committee is currently being organized and the names of committee members will be posted to the Vice Provost for Learning and Residential Affairs website shortly. The full job description is also posted there.
The dean of The Ingram Commons must be a tenured faculty member with a demonstrated record of achievement in research, teaching and service and must possess the personal and professional skills required to lead this transformative venture at Vanderbilt.
Interested applicants should send a PDF of a letter of interest and their current CV to provost@vanderbilt.edu. Application review will begin Dec. 1, 2014, with interviews planned for Spring 2015.