POSITION PROFILE
DEAN, SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
GRENFELL CAMPUS, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY
We acknowledge that Grenfell Campus is in traditional Mi’kmaw territory, and we acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and cultures of the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Innu, and Inuit of this province.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Grenfell Campus, Memorial University, seeks an exceptional leader from across the physical, natural, and social sciences to become the next Dean of the School of Science & the Environment. Building on exceptional growth and development in teaching & learning, research, and community engagement, the next Dean will work to chart the School’s next chapters, and as a senior academic leader, contribute to the excellence that is the future of Grenfell Campus and Memorial University. The School of Science & the Environment is a diverse school with experts in multiple disciplines, ranging from physical & natural sciences to environmentally-orientated social sciences. The School emphasizes personalized learning journeys for all students across its range of undergraduate and graduate programs. Disciplines include: biology, chemistry, earth science, economics, environmental science, geography, mathematics, physics, political science, and sustainability. The School also boasts the Environmental Policy Institute, the Boreal Ecosystem Research Facility, and the Grenfell Observatory, as unique research, learning, and outreach initiatives.
In particular, the future Dean will work to continue: growth and development in undergraduate and graduate programs; excellence and expansion of research activities; promotion of evidence-based best practices in undergraduate teaching; and advancement of Grenfell Campus as an institution of first choice for students, faculty, staff, and partners from Canada and around the world. The next Dean will continue to advance and champion Memorial University’s deep commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism, and the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Reporting to the Vice President (Grenfell Campus), the Dean will be responsible for all aspects of the School’s operations and resources, including its programs, scholarly activity, research institutes, human resource management, student recruitment, public engagement, budgeting, fundraising, and advancement. The Dean will also join Grenfell Campus’ senior academic and administrative leadership groups, as well as pan-university leadership bodies including the Council of Deans and the Memorial University Senate.
The new Dean will be a highly successful academic with a strong research and teaching record within one or more disciplines represented in the School of Science & the Environment. They will have a broad understanding of, respect for, and appreciation of interdisciplinarity and the range of research and expertise found within the School. A strategic, visionary, and collegial leader, they will possess demonstrated academic and administrative leadership experience; an outstanding record that demonstrates their commitment to Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism; deep commitment to collegiality and academic freedom; and the ability to nurture productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will bring a record of passionate advocacy; they will be expected to champion the School of Science & the Environment within the university and its wider contributions to an ever more socially resilient, economically prosperous, culturally vibrant, inclusive, healthy, and sustainable Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, and world.
THE SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The School of Science & the Environment is the largest academic unit at Grenfell Campus with approximately 40 faculty members working across science, social science, and applied disciplines. At the undergraduate level, the School currently offers undergraduate degrees in environmental science, environment and sustainability, general science, physics, and computational mathematics, as well as a wide variety of minors in various disciplines. At the graduate level, the School offers graduate programs in environmental policy (MA), boreal ecosystems and agricultural sciences (MSc & PhD), transdisciplinary sustainability (PhD), and applied geomatics (MSc).
The School’s faculty are leaders in teaching and research, with strong links to real world issues, the community, and research at local, regional, national, and international levels. Like Grenfell Campus as a whole, the School of Science & the Environment is a close-knit, highly collaborative community of scholars, students, and staff, where students enjoy a high degree of flexibility, personalized learning journeys, hands-on research experience, and real-world problem-solving approaches.
Faculty, staff, and students have access to state-of-the-art research facilities – from the Boreal Ecosystem Research Facility, to the Grenfell Observatory – located throughout campus, as well as a network of community, Indigenous, industry, and governmental partners.
GRENFELL CAMPUS, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY
Situated in traditional Mi’kmaw territory, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University was founded in 1975. It boasts an exceptional reputation for top-quality education, research, and public engagement in science, humanities, and social science; for its professional programs in business, fine arts, and nursing (in collaboration with Western Regional School of Nursing); and for its focus on some of the most critical issues of our time, including sustainability, climate change, environmental studies, agriculture, and food security. With nearly 1400 students representing more than 40 countries around the world, Grenfell Campus prides itself on offering personalized education in a small class environment—a typical class size is 20-30 students. It is a dynamic, vibrant community deeply rooted in place and its responsibilities to the region in which it is embedded, the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and an ever more prosperous and inclusive future for all.
Grenfell Campus is a place of rich collaboration, partnership, interdisciplinarity, and collegiality across its schools, institutes, and programs. Its future is charted through its strategic plan Committing to Communities which in turn contributes to Memorial’s pan-university plan Transforming our Horizons. Critically, Memorial University is guided by its
Strategic Framework for Indigenization, its Research Impacting Indigenous Groups policy, along with frameworks for research, teaching & learning, and public engagement.
Amongst Grenfell Campus’ many assets are:
The Ferriss Hodgett Library with more than 1,000,000 volumes and access to the wider Memorial University library system with over 5,000,000 volumes and the largest collection of online resources in Atlantic Canada.
The Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station, a research, teaching, and conference venue located within Gros Morne National Park, in the beautiful town of Norris Point. Featuring a public aquarium and a variety of other facilities, BBARS brings together learners, researchers, and the public from across Memorial University and around the world.
The Centre for Research and Innovation is a new facility, created in collaboration with Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited, and the College of the North Atlantic. The centre supports local and regional economic growth through innovation, research, and training. Key outcomes for the Centre of Research and Innovation include: infrastructure and capacity building; research and development; entrepreneurship and innovation; education and skills training; and growth in the agricultural and forest sectors.
The Boreal Ecosystem Research Facility is a 500 square-metre facility providing high-level research resources to support federal, provincial, university, and private sector research priorities in forestry, agriculture, and the environment. The facility, with its three interconnected research laboratories, builds capacity in analytical research with a particular focus on soils, plants, air, and water. The Boreal Ecosystem Research Facility lab can provide various analyses on samples from soil, water, and environmental wastes (elements, ions, pollutants, etc.), as well as biology samples from plants, animals, and microbes (on nutrients such as amino acids, fatty acids, antioxidants, lipids, etc., and DNA/RNA extraction).
The Environmental Policy Institute (EPI) is dedicated to excellence in research, teaching and learning, and public engagement on environmental policy issues in Newfoundland & Labrador, across Canada, and internationally. The EPI’s activities include analyzing current environmental policies, exploring innovative solutions; and conducting, co-ordinating, and disseminating research widely to both academic and public audiences.
The Grenfell Observatory is home to one of the few, university-based professional telescopes in North America. Opened in 2012, the observatory supports the work of faculty and students focused on subatomic physics and astrophysics. Additionally, the observatory is a primary means of public engagement and outreach, accelerating curiosity and developing the creative minds of more than 1000 visitors annually.
An integral part of Memorial University – Newfoundland and Labrador’s University – Grenfell Campus joins the other campuses of the university to form one of the largest postsecondary institutions in Atlantic Canada with nearly 20,000 students from over 115 countries, approximately 3,700 faculty and staff, and a global network of over 100,000 accomplished
alumni. Memorial University plays an unparalleled role in the social, cultural, scientific, and economic development of Newfoundland and Labrador, while also enjoying national and global impact and a commitment to Indigenous students and peoples, as well as the international students that form its vibrant community. A comprehensive university of excellence, Memorial is home to 19 faculties and schools offering more than 100 degree programs of international distinction across the humanities and social sciences, health disciplines, sciences, engineering, fine arts, music, education, and business, within an environment that fosters innovation and creativity, equity, and diversity. Research funding totals approximately $160 million annually, and among faculty there are numerous Canada Research Chairs and Fellows and new scholars of the Royal Society of Canada. For more information on Memorial University, please visit www.mun.ca.
CORNER BROOK, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Grenfell Campus is located in the City of Corner Brook (cornerbrook.com) on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland. The City of Corner Brook is the largest community in western Newfoundland and is the main government and service centre, including a large regional hospital. This bustling port city is nestled among the rugged natural beauty of the Long-Range Mountains. The city overlooks the Bay of Islands, affording a spectacular view of the Blomidon Mountains. It is located about 700 kilometres west of the capital city of St. John’s; 80 kilometres from Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and only 30 minutes from Deer Lake Regional Airport with direct services to urban centres throughout Atlantic Canada, Ontario, and Quebec.
A dynamic city, Corner Brook offers a range of eateries, pubs, galleries, and a dynamic arts and cultural scenes. With its tree-lined streets, affordable housing, parks, and a well-developed system of local hiking, jogging, and cycling trails, Corner Brook is a safe, welcoming, and active community where you will find a rich quality of life and nature in all its seasons right on your doorstep. Highlights include Gros Morne National Park, a range of seasonal activities such as hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and snowshoeing – a year-round outdoor lifestyle second to none.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic leadership for all aspects of the School of Science & the Environment
Daily management and operations (academic and administrative) for the School of Science & the Environment
Promote a culture of excellence in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, service and public engagement
Advance and champion Indigenization and EDI-AR
To champion school initiatives, ambitions, and strategic priorities
To facilitate regular evaluation of degree programs with a view to maintaining excellence and encouraging improvements, innovations, interdisciplinarity, and collaboration
To lead promotion and tenure to ensure due process and to mentor faculty
To lead the school through periods of renewal and complement review
To support the enrolment goals of the school in co-operation with the Strategic Enrolment Management Committee (for example, leadership in the development of effective articulation agreements and pathways with other educational organizations) and across campuses
To oversee all budgetary matters, and develop innovative initiatives for revenue generation
To collaborate with Grenfell Campus executive and leadership teams
To collaborate with other deans and senior leaders across the campuses
To recognize Memorial University’s special obligation as the province’s only university, and to further develop opportunities for engagement with its peoples and communities
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
A doctoral degree in a field represented within the School of Science & the Environment
Demonstrated effectiveness as a collegial, participatory leader in higher education organizational settings
Demonstrated experience within intercultural settings and advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and Indigenization
Demonstrated excellence as a teacher, researcher, and scholar
Experience in advocacy within a university/post-secondary setting and with government, professional bodies, industry, alumni, community, and other external stakeholder groups
Experience developing and sustaining strong partnerships and teams with the various agencies, communities, organizations, and governments that form part of the local, national, and international community
Experience working with and mentoring faculty and staff
Experience with recruitment and retention activities
Experience with budgetary and fiscal management including revenue generation
Experience working within a unionized environment
Experience in supporting and/or developing new programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level, and in monitoring existing programs
Experience providing effective and transparent leadership in relation to faculty, staff, and students with demonstrated effectiveness in communication and interpersonal skills.
TO APPLY
The appointment, which is renewable, is for five years and will take effect on July 1, 2023 or as mutually agreed upon. Consideration of candidates will commence in January and continue until the position is filled. To apply, interested candidates must submit:
Curriculum vitae
Application letter
Statement on contributions to Indigenization and EDI-AR
Applications should be submitted digitally to deansearch@grenfell.mun.ca
Deadline to apply: January 13, 2023
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. Memorial University is committed to employment equity and diversity, and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women; people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; Indigenous peoples; visible minorities/racialized people; and people with disabilities.