Tarleton State University seeks an experienced educator, researcher, and administrator to serve as Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics. The dean serves as the academic officer responsible for executive management of the college and its full range of programs and initiatives; exercises leadership responsibility in advising the college regarding administrative, curriculum and budgetary matters; and provides a vision that contributes to achieving the goals of the institutional strategic plan: Tarleton Forward 2030. The ideal candidate will be a person who thinks creatively and energetically about the challenges of the changing demographics in higher education. The position reports to the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.
For a copy of the full Search Prospectus, click Tarleton Dean COSM.
Responsibilities:
- Vision and Planning: create a vision and strategic plan for the college that aligns with the institutional goals and strategic plan.
- Fiduciary Decisions: manage the budget and other resources.
- College Administration: appoint department heads and college administrators, and conduct performance reviews in concert with the Provost.
- Personnel: oversee hiring; establish job titles and salaries; make decisions and review procedures regarding renewal, tenure, promotion, and dismissal; authorize faculty leave; review faculty annual evaluations; promote departmental mentoring and development opportunities; and support professional development of faculty and staff.
- Educational Leadership: provide leadership and vision for new and continuing academic programs, considering innovation, cost effectiveness, market demand, fidelity to standards and accreditation; establish and maintain high academic standards; ensure effective student quality, recruitment, and retention.
- Development: contribute to development and fulfillment of fundraising priorities; participate in comprehensive capital campaign initiatives.
- College Governance: create ad hoc committees of the collegiate faculty; hear faculty grievances; promote academic freedom and responsibility; ensure that the college provides an inclusive, opportunity- and perspective-rich environment; promote and support collaborative governance.
- Communities of connection and belonging: foster appreciation for intercultural experiences, commitment to systemic accessibility, and the elimination of barriers that impact success for all students, faculty and staff.
- Outreach: participate in various councils, commissions, and committees as set forth in university policy; represent the college within state and national boards and organizations, and other appropriate groups; effectively demonstrate a commitment to Tarleton State University core values and engage the college in the campus, state, and national communities.
Required Qualifications and Credentials:
- Possess an earned doctorate from an accredited institution in one of the disciplines of the College.
- Have a distinguished record of teaching, scholarship, and leadership that warrants a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of Full Professor.
- Have a 3-5 year track record of successful administrative leadership experience in higher education as a dean, associate dean, center or institute leader, department head or chair, or comparable position with responsibilities that have included budgets, strategic planning, personnel management, performance reviews, and promotion and tenure decisions.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Emphasized commitment to student success demonstrated through impactful and transformative educational opportunities.
- Experience in launching and sustaining STEM masters and doctoral programs.
- Accomplishments in building institutional research capacity.
Tarleton State University is an energetic, comprehensive Carnegie R2 Doctoral University: High Research Activity, with the elective Community Engagement classification, and a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The university has experienced record enrollment increases in each of the last five years. With the success of our dual-enrollment program Tarleton Today, we saw another all-time high enrollment in Fall 2023 at nearly 16,500 students, up 25 percent from 2019. Our enrollment surges are proof that Tarleton State is quickly becoming one of the country’s fastest growing comprehensive public universities in enrollment, research and national prominence.
The university offers 77 bachelor’s, 35 master’s, and three doctoral degree options, with six additional research and health professional doctorates proposed for fall 2025–2026. For their majors, students choose from seven academic colleges — Agriculture and Natural Sciences; Dr. Sam Pack College of Business; Education; Mayfield College of Engineering; Health Sciences; Liberal and Fine Arts; and Science and Mathematics.
Tarleton State University is a proud member of the Texas A&M University System, and serves students on the main campus in Stephenville, its growing Fort Worth campus, in Waco, and on the A&M RELLIS campus in College Station.
NCAA Division I membership, rural healthcare education, and the ongoing expansion of their Fort Worth campus collectively position Tarleton State as a frontrunner for those aspiring to attain a university degree.
Close to 55% of Tarleton State students are first generation with no family tradition of seeking a post-secondary degree. Others are legacy students following their parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents as proud defenders of the purple and white.
Tarleton State students are a diverse group (almost 40 percent report an ethnicity other than white) from all parts of Texas (230 counties), 48 states and almost four dozen global countries. Nearly 80% receive some form of financial assistance, and almost 40% are Pell Grant eligible. They love the university — its people, its traditions, its commitment to student triumphs in and out of the classroom. The university is fast approaching status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution with nearly 23 percent of its student body identifying as Hispanic in Fall 2023.
Tarleton State works diligently to ensure student success, and is on track to exceed a 78% retention rate this fall. More than 10% of students post a 4.0 GPA. Student-athletes are no exception, with an average overall GPA of 3.11 and an NCAA record Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 987 in their first-year of Division I reclassification.
The College of Science and Mathematics is home to 98 faculty and 7 staff who serve over 700 majors. It consists of the three departments of Biological Sciences; Chemistry, Geoscience, and Physics; Neuroscience; and Mathematics, offers 9 baccalaureate and 5 master’s degrees, and manages a budget of almost $10 million. The college is a partner for two interdisciplinary PhD programs in Integrative Biology, and Agricultural and Biological Engineering, pending system and state approval for an anticipated Fall 2026 launch.
The College oversees the Timberlake Biological Field Station (TBFS), which was established in 2015 to advance environmental research, engage students in scientific discovery, and promote stewardship of the natural world. The TBFS is focused on education, outreach, and research associated with the ecological integrity of the Colorado River and the diverse flora and fauna of the Cross Timbers and Edwards Plateau ecoregions of Texas. It has served as a host site for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program and is a member of the Undergraduate-Field Experiences Research Network (U-FERN), both of which are sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
The College supports student success through a STEM Basecamp, an exciting five-day program specifically designed to help first-year STEM students majoring in one of the College of Science and Mathematics (COSM) or the Mayfield College of Engineering (MCOE) academic programs. The STEM Basecamp assists students in making a successful transition to college, developing skills and strategies for success, and taking some of the stress out of the first semester at Tarleton.
One of the crown jewels of Tarleton State’s Stephenville campus is the College of Science and Mathematics Planetarium, located under the iconic copper dome of the Lamar Johanson Science Building. The 86-seat planetarium provides a spectacular full-dome immersive experience, and its Digistar projection system, combined with 5.1 Dolby surround sound, brings the wonders of astronomy down to earth for our visitors. The facility also serves as a lecture hall for film studies, a performance venue for guest speakers and musicians, as well as a cool, comfortable theater for students to watch classic and contemporary motion pictures. The planetarium hosts special digital presentations for the public throughout the year, including children’s matinees and special holiday presentations for the entire family.
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $9.6 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, and the RELLIS Campus, the Texas A&M System educates more than 153,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceed $1 billion a year and help drive the state’s economy.
Stephenville is located 70 miles southwest of the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex. Stephenville is the retail center for a trade area population of approximately 80,000 Texans. Agriculture is the leading industry, with Erath County in the top 10% in overall agriculture production and ranking No. 2 in milk production in the State of Texas. In addition to farmers and ranchers, Fortune 500 companies provide a strong manufacturing diversity to the economy. Stephenville serves as a regional medical and retail center for the area with many family-owned businesses thriving as they draw from a strong, diverse workforce, educational opportunities, and family oriented atmosphere. As the ‘Cowboy Capital of the World’, Stephenville is uniquely home to more professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls than any other place in the world. And the equine industry continues to grow throughout the surrounding County. The ‘City of Champions’ designation reflects the commitment as a community to excellence in youth and civic organizations. The community strongly believes that investing in their youth is a wise and worthwhile endeavor. Families seeking a positive place to raise kids will find an excellent school system, civic organizations dedicated to youth programs, numerous sports leagues, and family fun events at parks, museums, and churches throughout the year.
The Search Committee invites letters of interest and nominations to be submitted directly to the search firm, Anthem Executive. Applications should include the following components, as separate documents:
- A detailed letter of interest addressing the responsibilities and qualifications outlined above;
- A full curriculum vitae with relevant administrative and scholarly accomplishments and responsibilities;
- A list of five professional references, including names, titles, organizations, phone numbers, and email addresses, noting the candidate’s relationship with each reference. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates.
Correspondence should be submitted to Scott Watson, Michael Ballew, or Florene Stawowy at:
While nominations and expressions of Interest may be accepted until the position is filled, parties are strongly encouraged to submit their materials as soon as possible to assure consideration. TSU or Anthem reserves the right to end the nomination and application process at any time.
Tarleton State University provides equal opportunity to all employees, students, applicants for employment, and the public regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, genetic information or veteran status.