Dean of the Ruth Whitaker Holmes School of Behavioral and Health Sciences

Hood College seeks a mission-driven, innovative leader to serve as the Dean of the Ruth Whitaker Holmes School of Behavioral and Health Sciences.

Establishing the School of Behavioral and Health Sciences was a priority of the College’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan (For a Greater Hood). Serving a large and highly interdisciplinary group of constituents, the dean will advance the vision for the Holmes School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, oversee the current programs in the School, guide the development of new academic programs, leverage partnerships to grow the School’s reputation and resources, and direct new initiatives in response to the College’s strategic priorities, as well as regional marketplace needs.

The projected start date for this position is no later than July 1, 2027.

This is a 12-month, non-tenure-track administrative position that serves a total of 32 full-time faculty and staff, all of whom are student-focused and deeply engaged in the academic life of the campus. The dean will report to the provost and will work in partnership with the larger campus community, academic leadership team, and external constituencies. The dean is evaluated annually based upon quantitative and qualitative criteria.

The School consists of undergraduate programs in nursing, sociology and social work, psychology, art therapy, and public health, as well as graduate programs in counseling, health informatics, nursing, nutrition, trauma, and thanatology. The DNP will tentatively launch in fall 2028.

Consistent with Hood’s College mission, the programs collectively housed in the School of Behavioral and Health Sciences are focused on preparing graduates to support and advocate for the needs of diverse communities by providing a holistic study of health and behavior as a continuum of physical, mental, and social well-being. The School provides an interdisciplinary learning environment consistent with the College’s liberal arts foundation and applied through research and practice environments. For this position, we seek a dynamic, service-oriented, forward-thinking, and highly engaged leader with an interdisciplinary and holistic view of human health who will further strengthen and support the exceptional programs and faculty that comprise the School. They must embrace, equally, the significance of physical, psychological, and social impacts on human health, and reflect a deep understanding of the ways in which racial and social disparities impact access to necessary health services.

Essential Duties include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Overall, strategic priorities for the Dean will include:

• Advance the profile and visibility of the School through its curriculum and academic programs (both existing and new) that meet emerging needs in the behavioral and health science sector.
• Champion the fiscal needs of the School and demonstrate sound administrative judgment in prioritizing and allocating resources.
• Collaborate with department chairs to ensure the quality of the School’s academic programs through a student-centered, outcomes-based assessment practices focused on continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with other department and program leaders and the Provost to develop unique and relevant interdisciplinary programs.
• Deepen and further our partnerships in the local and regional community to recruit students to Hood’s programs, create internship and co-operative arrangements, and ensure job placement upon graduation.
• Engage in undergraduate and/or graduate-level teaching in their field of expertise, exhibiting superior pedagogical strategies.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with faculty and staff in each academic area of the School, with particular attention paid to chairs, program directors, and academic support staff.
• Grow undergraduate and graduate enrollment and maintain relevancy of all offerings within the school.
• Increase resources for the School by securing external funding, through working in close partnership with the College’s Office of Institutional Advancement.
• Initiate research and educational collaborations with the appropriate companies, governmental agencies, and other academic institutions in the area, in collaboration with Institutional Advancement and the Director of Corporate and Government Relations.
• Provide visionary leadership that will inspire the College’s stakeholders, including prospective students and regional partners.
• Spend the equivalent of at least one day per week (20%) working in partnership with a wide variety of local governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and for-profit businesses to create additional internship and co-operative arrangements and ensure job placement upon graduation.
• Support faculty recruitment, onboarding, and mentoring efforts within the school (adjunct, professor of practice, and full-time tenure-track).
• Support faculty teaching and research needs in all the School’s programs through strategic allocation of financial and facilities resources, as well as grant opportunities.
• Teach one course (undergraduate or graduate) each academic year in the School in alignment with the dean’s disciplinary background.
• Work collaboratively to develop and implement a strategic plan for the School that aligns with the College’s mission and goals and draws upon the School’s many strengths.
• Work with program leaders in the School to maintain external accreditation requirements.

Background about School of Behavioral and Health Sciences

A focus of the College’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan and the institution’s highly successful $75M campaign (Forging the Future), the School of Behavioral and Health Sciences was established in 2022 and named after Hood alumnus Ruth Whitaker Holmes who earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1955, her master’s degree in nutrition at the University of Massachusetts in 1971, and a doctorate in higher education from Boston College in 1979. She received her licensure and internship in dietetics from Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in 1956 and served as professor and coordinator of the Food and Nutrition Division at Framingham State College. Holmes served on the Hood College Board of Trustees for 12 years and earned an honorary degree during Hood’s Centennial commencement in 1993. Holmes was a pioneer as a female STEM student at Hood College and led a distinguished career in the health sciences and academia. Her generous support enabled the college to establish the School and fully endow this important leadership position.

The School centers around a newly renovated 20,000 sf space, where classrooms, offices, conference rooms, and state-of-the-art nursing simulation laboratories are located. This facility also houses the Neighborhood Counseling Training Center (NCTC), which provides field experience for graduate students in the College’s CACREP-accredited counseling program and serves both undergraduate students and community members. This facility is part of a lease agreement with Frederick Health and reflects the College’s long-lasting and formative partnership with the region’s largest healthcare system.

Several programs in the School of Behavioral and Health Sciences sustain national accreditation, including:

• Counseling – Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Nursing – Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Nutrition – Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
• Public Health – Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH)
• Social Work – Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)

A central feature of all the School’s programs is a commitment to high-impact applied learning experiences. Through clinicals, field work, internships, and research, the School’s graduates emerge career-ready and are professionally shaped by the learning experiences gained in and out of the classroom environment. This extensive experiential learning framework is grounded in the College’s robust partnerships with the regional healthcare industry in Maryland. This includes healthcare providers such as Frederick Health and Meritus Health, as well as partners in biomedical research and manufacturing, such as Leidos Biomedical and Kite Pharma. It also includes partnerships with regional social and community service organizations including the Frederick County Health Department and the Frederick County Department of Social Services.

School of Behavioral and Health Science programs are among the highest enrolled programs at the College, both for current and incoming students. Sixteen percent of degree-seeking undergraduates and eighteen percent of graduate students at Hood College are enrolled in one of the School’s programs, serving more than 190 majors pursuing bachelor’s degrees and about 130 students (total) enrolled annually in the School’s graduate programs.

Qualifications

We seek a candidate who values diversity, equity and inclusion in all that they do. Candidates must have strong organizational skills and a proven ability to work collaboratively with partners across campus in support of Hood College’s mission as a student-centered, liberal arts institution.

To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Education and/or Experience Minimum Requirements/Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• A doctoral degree in an academic field represented within the School;
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience and record of successful and significant faculty leadership serving as a department chair, program director, center director, including experience in personnel management;
• Demonstrated success in supporting and advancing an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion;
• Exemplary communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage in data-informed decision making that is open and transparent in a system of strong shared governance;
• Financial savvy and experience in the development, management, and enhancement of budgets and other fiscal resources; and
• Teaching experience in a higher education setting as part of a successful tenured role or equivalent;

The ideal candidate for the Dean of the School of Behavioral and Health Sciences will also possess:

• A commitment to the mission and values of Hood College, and passion for health education in a liberal arts setting;
• A commitment to working across disciplinary boundaries in support of health and wellness initiatives;
• A record of entrepreneurial, creative, and strategic planning in an educational setting that demonstrates collaboration with diverse constituencies, and responsiveness to market demands and/or outcomes data;
• A deep understanding of the current and evolving trends in health education that should drive the School’s curriculum, pedagogy, and applied learning experiences;
• Experience with assessment and accreditation processes;
• Enthusiasm for externally focused activities, and proven success with fundraising (including grant application and management) and engagement with alumni and community stakeholders;
• High standards of honesty, integrity, trust, and ethical behavior; and
• The ability to balance advocacy for the School and its programs with the needs of the larger College community.

Technology Skills

Proficient in MS Office tools (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), e-mail and Internet. Ability to learn new applications quickly including organization-wide information systems and department-specific software applications.

Language Skills

Strong oral and written communication skills. Ability to effectively provide information and positively respond to questions from both external and internal customers both in person and by phone. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

Mathematical Skills

Proficient with statistical and financial concepts. Must have the ability to apply those concepts to tracking, projections, goal setting, and interpreting reports. Must be able to draw conclusions from reports and make cost effective decisions regarding programs.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a number of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Ability to work independently and as a member of a group in developing and executing project plans. Ability to work in the theoretical arena and apply logic as appropriate.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use fingers, hands, reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear. The employee is required to sit. The employee may occasionally be required to stand and lift and move up to twenty-five pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Work Environment

The work environment described here is representative of what an employee will encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level is usually moderate and could include interaction with other employees, students, the public, telephones, and other office equipment.

Compensation

This is a position with an annual starting salary range of $148,500 to $165,000 depending on circumstances including an applicant’s skills and qualifications, certain degrees and certifications, prior job experience, training, and other relevant factors. Hood College has provided a compensation rangerepresenting its good faith estimate of what the College may pay for the position at the time of posting. The College may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. Hood College offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, and tuition benefits. Learn more about Hood College. The projected start date for this position is no later than July 1, 2027.

To Apply

Application materials must include:

• a cover letter of interest, which responds directly to the position qualifications and responsibilities listed,
• updated curriculum vitae, and
• the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of three references (indicate your professional relationship with each). References will not be contacted until a later stage in the search process; the candidate will be notified prior to reference contact.

Please include your personal email and cell phone number. All candidate names will remain confidential, except for those individuals invited to campus interviews.

Application and nomination materials should be submitted electronically. Priority screening will commence on December 7, 2026.

If you need assistance with the on-line application process, please email humanresources@hood.edu or call (301) 696-3592.

Hood College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, disability, religion, or age in recruitment, admission and access to, or treatment, or employment in its programs, services, benefits, or activities as required by applicable laws including Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and complies with the law regarding reasonable accommodation for disabled applicants and students. Inquiries about discrimination or reasonable accommodation should be referred to the Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator at Alumnae Hall, 401 Rosemont Avenue, Frederick, MD. 21701 (AD 308), (301) 696-3123. For complete information on Hood College’s nondiscrimination policy, please visit http://www.hood.edu/non-discrimination/