Leadership Profile

Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice

CONFIDENTIAL Prepared by Ann Yates Concetta M. Stewart, Ph.D. October 2017

This Leadership Profile is intended to provide information about Simmons College and the position of Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice. It is designed to assist qualified individuals in assessing their interest.

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Opportunity and Summary of Position Simmons College invites inquiries, nominations, and expressions of interest for the position of the inaugural Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice. The Dean will play a critical role in a new academic organization at Simmons, where four Deans of newly structured Colleges will work to shape

undergraduate and graduate experiences housed in their Colleges and will collaborate with the Provost and her administrative team to achieve new interdisciplinary goals. Simmons offers an undergraduate education in the arts, sciences, and several professional fields to women; graduate programs at the master’s and doctoral levels are open to all. Given the richness and complexity of its offerings, Simmons is currently pursuing status as Simmons University. While the phrase “transformative moment” might be overused in higher education, it is appropriate to this period in Simmons’s history. With stable finances, appropriate debt ratios, robust cash reserves, and expanded enrollment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, Simmons recently undertook a dramatic reimagining of its academic structure. The goals were to:

Highlight Simmons’s signature strengths and promote interdisciplinary collaboration;

Align undergraduate disciplines with graduate programs that share similar intellectual

roots;

Increase pathways from undergraduate to graduate study in growing fields;

Foster new curricula and new approaches to teaching and learning; and

Respond to what we reliably know about markets while also ensuring flexibility for what

is less predictable.

More than a year of work by the community resulted in the establishment of four new Colleges. In addition to the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice, on July 1, 2018 Simmons will inaugurate the following Colleges:

College of Natural, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities

College of Organizational, Computational, and Information Sciences

Internally, Simmons has used the image of a cube to signify both the unity and diversity of

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Simmons: the four sides represent the new Colleges—each equally important to the balance of the whole. Each side necessarily connects to the undergraduate curriculum at the base and to the graduate programs at the crown. The four inaugural Deans will be responsible for both the programs housed on their “side” of the cube and for working “around the corners” as they collaborate to support interdisciplinary and inter-professional opportunities and to discover new pathways from undergraduate to graduate education.

The Role of the Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice The Dean is responsible for supporting, strengthening, and diversifying a strong faculty, promoting innovative teaching and engaged learning, and building a culture of research and scholarly productivity. In every modality, our programs are high-touch. Simmons has a core value that “we are at our best when students are first.” Everyone at the College strives to engage the whole student and to realize each student’s potential. The Dean will enhance and promote programs within and across disciplines, both inside the College and in partnership with the other Deans. Simmons has identified several themes of particular interest for this cross-college work: inclusive leadership, social justice, global engagement, and inter-professional preparation. The successful candidate will be skilled at recognizing and realizing opportunities and at creative problem solving. Candidates should have a record of building consensus, strong skills in partnership and collaboration with other campus units, and the ability to lead and motivate faculty. Simmons seeks candidates who want to work within a framework of shared governance. Strategic Priorities:

Build the reputation of the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice around a clear set of priorities and outcomes. Promote that reputation externally and garner resources to support it.

Simmons founded the first School of Social Work in the country. Enhancing the reach and reputation of this large program will always be a priority.

Grow enrollments in the Social Sciences and seeking opportunities for meaningful collaboration, both inside Simmons and beyond.

Grow enrollments in Special Education and Elementary Education master’s programs and promote education as an object of study across the College; complete the process for Massachusetts re-approval of teacher licensure programs.

Contribute to Simmons’s Diversity & Inclusion efforts and design the ways the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice will reflect those values.

Complete the accreditation process for Public Health.

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Continue to ensure quality in online master’s programs.

Evaluate new pipelines for the Master of Public Policy program.

Participate in efforts to ensure appropriate career preparation for all students in the College. Collaborate with centralized Career Services to achieve these goals.

Develop faculty for leadership roles.

Lead a search for the next Warburg Chair, influence the direction of the Warburg program, and promote the presence of James Warburg papers, which have recently come to Simmons.

Support and promote the Barbara Lee Fellows Program.

Work with the faculty to seek grant support for both program-specific and interdisciplinary teaching, research, and practice.

Opportunities and Expectations for Leadership The Dean will face the following critical leadership tasks and challenges: Provide visionary, optimistic and creative leadership The Dean will work with department chairs, program directors, and the faculty to cultivate a climate of intellectual excitement and creative vitality to set a shared vision for the new school. The Dean will work to build bridges among the faculty, staff, and students, serving as a decision-maker and problem-solver in achieving the College’s goals. Foster an integrated academic community The Dean will cultivate collaboration among faculty and other stakeholders throughout the College, pursuing the growth and development of programs and initiatives and in so doing build new academic partnerships at Simmons. The Dean must be adept at collaborating with fellow deans on initiatives such as interdisciplinary programs, joint faculty appointments, and new academic ventures. Balance attention to undergraduate and graduate education The Dean will need to attend to the professional graduate programs and the undergraduate programs that contribute to a vibrant intellectual academic community. An important part of this work will involve collaborating with the Dean of the Undergraduate Program (a member of the Provost’s Office staff) to ensure staffing for courses in PLAN (the undergraduate General Education program), to understand and support academic policies for undergraduates, and to assess undergraduate programs. Professional programs, both graduate and undergraduate, will be held to the standards of their accrediting organizations.

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Contribute to the institutional strategic plan and help realize its goals The Dean will be joining an institution with ongoing and comprehensive strategic planning. The Dean will be responsible for the College’s engagement in the implementation of these plans as well as assessing the outcomes of these plans. Build external relationships and partnerships There are extensive opportunities for the Dean to build partnerships in the Boston metropolitan area, and beyond. The Dean will be alert to the identification of such opportunities and will leverage them appropriately. These efforts will establish the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice within Simmons, the community, and the national landscape of higher education. Serve as a vital partner in the recruitment and retention of students Successful recruitment and retention of students is a priority across academic and administrative units. The Dean will work with a leadership team that is reframing recruitment and retention at Simmons and demonstrate discipline in using data to inform strategic decisions and goal setting. Support faculty with a commitment to shared governance The Dean is responsible for supporting faculty recruitment, retention and development, within a framework of shared responsibility among faculty, board members, and administrators for mission-driven outcomes and priorities. Build and sustain fundraising and resource development The Dean will be responsible for working with the advancement office to develop a broad and effective fundraising strategy. The Dean will be responsible for identifying areas of emphasis and strength, working alongside departments and programs to identify targets for possible fundraising activities. The Dean will also be expected to help improve alumni engagement.

Personal Qualifications and Personal Qualities The ideal candidate will also have many of the following experiences, capabilities, and attributes:

● Experience managing change and working within a fluid and evolving institutional context;

● A record of creative and strategic thinking in developing programs, teams, or organizations—and of encouraging and facilitating innovation and collaboration across disciplines;

● A commitment to educating and empowering women and demonstrated commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion;

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● A focus on recruiting and retaining a culturally diverse faculty, staff, and student body;

● Strong fund raising experience (or capabilities) and the ability to engage, excite, and steward prospective donors;

● A successful record coaching and developing faculty to advance their scholarship and an understanding of the infrastructure needed to support faculty scholarly productivity;

● Commitment to professional development for faculty and staff;

● Experience managing and planning budgets and allocating resources effectively; ability to hold others accountable for results;

● Ability to balance advocacy for the College and its programs with the needs of the wider university community;

● Deep understanding of or informed curiosity about programs and disciplines within the College;

● Ability to communicate ideas effectively to donors, policy makers, academics, and university administrators;

● Capacity for university leadership—the ability to earn the respect, confidence, and trust of colleagues across the community;

● Outstanding leadership, analytical, strategic planning, and interpersonal skills;

● Demonstrated academic accomplishments appropriate for a tenured appointment at the rank of professor for traditional candidates, with a reputation in their field for leading diverse teams of faculty. Non-traditional candidates should have significant accomplishments, experience leading diverse teams of professionals and reputations in their field;

● Academic administrative experience at the level of dean, associate/assistant dean, department chair, center director, or equivalent experience in public service or the private sector; and

● A record of teaching and creative/scholarly/research activity. The Dean shall have an earned doctorate or equivalent terminal degree if s/he comes from an academic background. The Dean reports to Provost Katie Conboy.

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Simmons College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice: An Overview The College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice is composed of the Simmons School of Social Work—the first School of Social Work in the country and a model for clinical social work education—and several other critical social science and professional disciplines, including Economics, Education, Political Science & International Relations, Public Health, Public Policy, and Sociology. Some departments offer baccalaureate education; others offer masters or doctoral degrees, and some offer a combination of undergraduate and graduate programs (see below for details).

Department of Economics o Economics (BA) o Economics (BA) / Public Policy (MPP): 3+1 Program o Economics and Mathematics

o Financial Mathematics

Department of Education

o Health Professions Education (Ph.D.): cross-university collaboration with Health

Sciences

o MAT in Elementary Education (with or without a dual license in Special Needs)

o MSEd in Moderate and in Special Needs

Department of Political Science and International Relations

o International relations (BA)

o Political Science (BA)

o Political Science (BA) / Public Policy (MPP): 3+1 Program

Department of Public Health

o Nursing (MS) / Public Health (MPH): cross-university dual degree in collaboration

with Nursing

o Public Health (BS or BA)

o Public Health (BS) / Nutrition (MS): 4+1 Program: cross-university dual degree in

collaboration with Nutrition

o Public Health (MPH)

Department of Sociology

o Sociology (BA)

o Sociology (BA) / Public Policy (MPP): 3+1 Program

Graduate Program in Public Policy

o Public Policy (MPP)

o Public Policy (MPP) and Gender/Cultural Studies (MA): cross-university dual

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degree in collaboration with Gender & Cultural Studies

School of Social Work o Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) o Master of Social Work (MSW) o Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Simmons College: An Overview A highly respected university in Boston, Massachusetts, Simmons has a cherished history of visionary thinking and social responsibility and a strong mission that has been sustained for over a century: to provide transformative learning that links passion with lifelong purpose. Decades before women in America gained the right to vote, Boston

businessman John Simmons had a revolutionary idea – that women should be able to earn an independent livelihood. Simmons College was born of that vision. Simmons continues to educate students for successful careers and meaningful lives. Located in Boston’s historic Fenway area, Simmons is a private, non-sectarian university that has educated students for enriching careers and useful, independent lives since it was chartered in 1899. Simmons is in the midst of an exciting period of innovation. It seeks to distinguish itself as the global expert in educating women for their own empowerment; as a beacon of leadership that acts as a resource to the nation and the world; as a proven expert in fields that improve the human condition; and as the college of choice for those who believe in inclusive leadership, social justice, and crossing boundaries to create opportunities. Simmons is the fastest growing women’s college in the country; it has robust undergraduate numbers and enviable graduate enrollments in both campus-based and online platforms. The College is in strong and stable financial condition; it ranks #14 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of Master’s Universities, North – the most competitive higher education region in the country. Simmons will continue to offer a broad range of undergraduate programs. Currently, the College offers 52 majors and 66 minors. Over 40 different Certificate, Master’s, and Doctoral degree programs comprise the graduate program, and there are five 3+1 accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs and nine graduate degrees offered as 4+1 programs. Simmons will always be the home of noted faculty researchers, authors, Fulbright scholars,

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health professionals, and community leaders. Simmons faculty members advise government, non-profit, and corporate organizations in the United States and around the world, while remaining passionate educators who take pride in personally mentoring their students. 48,000 alumnae/i include philanthropists, CEOs, innovators, thought leaders, and high profile professionals in the media, the arts, politics, and health care. Philanthropy will continue to be vital to Simmons as it provides the resources necessary to pursue its mission. In its last capital campaign, Making Education Work (MEW), Simmons achieved its original goal of $85 million nearly a year earlier than planned. The campaign came to a close in June 2015, having surpassed the revised goal of $100 million. Academic Redesign In November 2015, with the College’s new strategic plan nearing completion, at the request of the Board of Trustees President Helen G. Drinan and Provost Katie Conboy prioritized one of the new strategy’s initiatives: to plan a new model for the College’s academic organization. Given the impact and reach a new structure would have on the College and its future, the Board wanted that concentrated effort to precede its review of the overall strategy. The Academic Redesign effort focused on a design to enable Simmons to:

● Innovate to meet current and future educational demand; ● Provide an attractive learning community for students, faculty, and staff; and ● Deliver a financially sustainable academic organization.

After the creation of multiple models, extensive community input, and detailed financial analysis, a new four-college structure was endorsed by the Board on October 21, 2016. The roll-out of this new model commenced on July 1, 2017. In addition, the Board of Trustees authorized the President to seek permission from the

Commonwealth of Massachusetts to become Simmons University. “Redesign” became the theme of the College’s new strategic plan, as well. Over a two and a half year period (including the concentrated effort on academic redesign), Simmons faculty and staff identified strategic opportunities, defining the work of the coming years. For more information on the Academic Redesign, visit: http://www.simmons.edu/about-simmons/why-simmons/our-future Faculty Simmons faculty are distinguished scholars, practitioners, and experts in many areas and they share a common goal. Each is dedicated to inspiring and empowering their students to become

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leaders in their chosen fields. Simmons employs 215 full-time faculty members, 70 percent of whom are women and approximately 200 part-time faculty (most are clinical faculty with full-time jobs in schools, hospitals, businesses, etc). The College offers a 10:1 student-faculty ratio, ensuring that every student gets personal attention, and the average class size is 18. Nearly 90 percent of liberal arts faculty have doctorates in their fields or terminal degrees. Simmons faculty have received research awards from funders such as the Ford Foundation, Freeman Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and United States Institute of Peace. Simmons has a strong history of faculty governance. The Faculty Senate is the primary governance body for the Simmons College faculty, and provides a forum and voice beyond the individual Schools that enables the faculty to assert its viewpoint and principles in support of the general welfare of Simmons College. The Senate serves as the primary means of communication from the Board and the Administration to the faculty and vice versa. Students Simmons students are intellectually motivated and open-minded. They are serious about their academic and career goals, and are determined to make their mark in the world. Simmons enrolls approximately 1,763 undergraduate women students and 4,640 graduate students (2,479 of which are graduate students in online programs), representing 36 U.S. states (online students representing 50 states) and 53 countries. Simmons is a diverse and welcoming environment; 24 percent of students self-report as African-American, Latina, Asian, Native American, and multiracial students; 3 percent are international students For extracurricular activities, the College offers over 80 student groups, a campus art gallery, ten NCAA Division III varsity teams, and student performances and events. Governance Simmons is governed by a 24-member Board of Trustees that meets collectively three times a year and provides policy-level leadership to the College. Standing committees of the Board include a Committee on Educational Stewardship. President Helen G. Drinan Helen G. Drinan is the eighth President of Simmons College. During the past five years, President Drinan has used her leadership experience to guide the institution to a position of competitive strength financially, academically, and operationally. Before being named President in 2008, Ms. Drinan served as the Chair of the Simmons College Board of Trustees. An alumna of the Simmons School of Management and the Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science, her relationship with Simmons spans nearly four decades. Since assuming the presidency of Simmons College, Ms. Drinan has been recognized by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts as a Leading Woman (2013), by Woman LEAD as a “Woman Who Leads in Academia and Inspires Others” (2013), and by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce as a Pinnacle Award Recipient for Excellence in Arts & Education (2012).

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Ms. Drinan is dedicated to women’s education as a pathway to successful women leaders. As an undergraduate alumna of Mount Holyoke College, she understands firsthand the value of an all-women’s college. In addition to her work at Simmons, Ms. Drinan is a member of several organizations working to empower women including 2020 Women on Boards, an organization dedicated to increasing the number of women on U.S. public boards to 20 percent or greater by the year 2020; the Massachusetts Women’s Forum; and is a former member of the Mount Holyoke College Board of Trustees. Previously, Ms. Drinan was Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Caritas Christi Health Care. She received national attention for the strength of character and values she displayed in her service to Caritas Christi, and for her work cultivating a culture focused on those the institution serves. Ms. Drinan also served as President and CEO of the Society of Human Resources Management, a professional organization with the largest human resource membership in the world; and as Executive Vice President of Human Resources for BankBoston, where she developed nationally recognized programs on executive compensation, work-life strategy, and diversity. Ms. Drinan has been recognized by several organizations for her achievements. In 2001, she was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources, and in 2007 she received the John D. Erdlen Five Star Award, the highest award given annually by the Northeast Human Resource Association. Ms. Drinan currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM), and the Board of Directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. She resides in Boston with her husband, David H. Drinan. They have three children and six grandchildren. Metro Boston The capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston city proper covers 48 square miles with an estimated population of 673,184 in 2016, making it the largest city in New England and the 23rd most populous city in the United States. Boston is one of the oldest cities in the country, founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from England. It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston. Boston is known for its wide array of art, music, history, and other cultural institutions and is home to more than 300,000 college students. Simmons's main campus and residence campus are located in Boston's vibrant Fenway neighborhood, next door to the Longwood Medical Area's internationally famous teaching hospitals and biomedical research centers. From campus, students can walk to colleges, museums, parks, performance venues, cafes, shops, and movie theaters. Just steps from Simmons are some of the greatest works of art in the world at the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Just down Huntington or Brookline Avenue are the world-

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renowned musical venues Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory. In the immediate neighborhood, Fenway Park – the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball – is the home of the Boston Red Sox.

Procedure for Candidacy Confidential inquiries, nominations, and applications are invited. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Candidates should provide a resume or CV, letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the leadership profile, and the names and contact information of five references. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval of candidates. These materials should be sent electronically via email to Simmons College’s consultants Ann Yates and Concetta M. Stewart, Ph.D. at SimmonsCSSPP@wittkieffer.com. Material that must be mailed may be sent to:

Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice Simmons College C/O WITT/KIEFFER

Attention: Ann Yates and Concetta M. Stewart, Ph.D. 2015 Spring Road, Suite 510

Oak Brook, Illinois 60523

The Simmons College values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex,

sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by law.

The material presented in this leadership profile should be relied on for informational purposes only. This material has been copied, compiled, or quoted in part from Simmons College documents and personal interviews and is believed to be reliable. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the original source documents and factual situations govern. All images and logos used in this leadership profile were attained from Simmons College and/or are owned by Witt/Kieffer via Getty Images.

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