Dean, School of Nursing

Dean, School of Nursing
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)
Richmond, Virginia

About the VCU School of Nursing

The VCU School of Nursing is a national leader in nursing education. Ranked in the top 4 percent of the nation’s undergraduate nursing programs by U.S. News and World Report, the school offers world-class academic programs to educate nurses from entry-level practice through the doctorate.

With an enrollment of nearly 900 students, our school is part of a comprehensive health sciences campus and is affiliated with the VCU Medical Center, the only academic medical center and Level 1 trauma center in the region. Programs of study include both on-campus and online degrees tailored to meet student and employer demands.

Faculty members include both expert nurses who participate in a faculty clinical practice and nurse scientists renowned for cutting-edge research designed to improve health equity. Supported by robust R01 funding, we are a leading research-intensive school exploring biobehavioral symptom management and quality and safety in health care. The school also houses the Langston Center for Innovation in Quality and Safety, a hub that promotes patient-centered, population-focused and cost-effective initiatives designed to improve health care.

Our community engagement is another reason why we’re a top nursing school. Faculty and students participate in the Richmond Health and Wellness Program, an interdisciplinary care model that brings services to individuals at their place of residence to improve health outcomes.

At the VCU School of Nursing, we champion health and well-being through the power of nursing education, discovery and practice.

The Opportunity

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) seeks a visionary and transformational leader to be its next Dean of the School of Nursing. Reporting to the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, the Dean is the chief academic officer charged with overseeing all departments and is responsible for planning, stewardship, management and accountability of capital, human, fiscal and other critical resources.

The School seeks an experienced leader who is culturally competent and deeply committed to creating an environment of trust, integrity and accountability while fostering a climate for learning and development of self and others. The role is expected to create a collaborative environment among all the academic units of the School and strengthen the School’s relationship with its peer schools and VCU as a whole. The leader also plays a pivotal role providing leadership that will advance a diverse and inclusive institutional culture, promote and enhance academic programming and educational innovations, strategically grow research and scholarship, develop and strengthen critical external partnerships, and for fundraising efforts.

Duties include:

• Serve as chief administrative and academic officer of the School with responsibility for all academic, service, and research programs;
• Collaboratively develop and implement an innovative and broad vision to advance national prominence as a leading School of Nursing in education, research and service;
• Engage School leaders, faculty, staff, and students to establish an effective and progressive organization and promote individual professional growth and success;
• Enhance the research enterprise that positions the School for elevated national prominence;
• Provide direction, resources, and oversight to ensure that the School administers sponsored research and related activities in accordance with applicable federal regulations and university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures;
• Support and endorse cooperation with university compliance and monitoring efforts related to university policies, including sponsored program administration, and report instances of noncompliance to the appropriate compliance office;
• Provide leadership direction and communications with department faculty, staff, and trainees;
• Recruit and retain high quality faculty and staff who can ensure that the School can preserve its strong clinical partnerships and achieves its goals;
• Provide leadership for fundraising efforts for the School;
• Develop and administer the VCU School of Nursing budget, and ensure the financial viability of the School.

Minimum Hiring Standards 

• A significant record as a scholar, academic administrator, leader, and manager with considerable financial skills and demonstrated ability to attract talent, empower colleagues, build teams, and promote growth. While no candidate will embody every quality, a successful Dean will bring many of the following professional and personal qualifications;
• A doctoral degree in a field relevant to nursing from an accredited institution and academic record meriting a tenured full professorial appointment;
• Demonstrated history of outstanding research and scholarship;
• Demonstrated success working effectively with faculty, staff, and administrators to increase research and other sources of external funding;
• A broad understanding of complex issues related to nursing nationally and internationally;
• A bold vision for opportunities for growth and progress in nursing research/scholarship and education;
• Experience guiding organizational change and growth;
• Strong communication and excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to articulate a compelling vision that engages faculty, staff, students, partners, and donors;
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.

Preferred Hiring Standards

• Experience fundraising, ability to present a compelling story to potential donors, and/or experience in diversifying and bolstering revenue streams;
• The ability to promote collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and other constituencies in making critical decisions on academic priorities and the allocation of resources;
• Superb financial management, planning, and budgeting skills. Exposure to RCM-type budgeting models;
• A deep understanding of and appreciation for the contributions of each discipline within the School, and the will to serve as a persuasive advocate on their behalf;
• The capacity to lead effectively within an academic community based on strong relationships between the School and the other health science schools;
• An appreciation of the increasing and ever-changing role of technology and distance learning in the health sciences education today;
• Experience in the recruitment and development of excellent faculty, staff, and students;
• Demonstrated knowledge of accreditation and credentialing processes.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants must submit a current curriculum vitae, cover letter (description of interest in the position), contact information of three professional references and a diversity statement. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. All nominations and applications will be confidential until finalists are named. Application materials should be submitted to the VCU Jobs portal.

Requests for information and all written nominations should be directed to Amy Carr (Amy.Carr@vcuhealth.org). For more information, please click on the School of Nursing Dean Search Companion document. 

ORP Eligible: Yes

Position Type: Teaching & Research Faculty
Full time equivalent: 100
Tenure: Tenure Track
Rank: Professor
Months: 12
Department: School of Nursing

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience

Contact Information:
Contact Name: Amy Carr
Contact Email: amy.carr@vcuhealth.org
Contact Phone: