Dean, College of Nursing
Auburn University
Auburn, AL - United States
Auburn University invites nominations and applications in its search for the next Barbara S. Witt Professor and Dean of the College of Nursing. The Dean serves as the College’s chief academic and administrative officer and provides vision and leadership that enhances its tradition of excellence in research, scholarship, instruction, and outreach. The Dean reports directly to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.
The College of Nursing is recognized as a leader in nursing education, earning the top spot in Alabama in RegisterNursing.org’s 2024 RN Program rankings. The College of Nursing has more than 1,100 undergraduate students (over 600 pre-nursing students and 500 majors), admitting up to 220 undergraduate students each year. Additionally, the College has more than 90 graduate students. The College currently offers the traditional BSN, RN-BSN, MSN, post MSN certificates, DNP, and a newly created Ph.D. The College of Nursing has 41 full-time faculty, four part-time faculty, 16 full-time staff, six part-time staff, and 213 clinical associates. The 2024 budget showed $20 million in revenue from all sources and has an endowment of nearly $7 million.
Auburn University is one of the nation’s premier public land-grant institutions, ranking #105 nationally in U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 “Best Colleges” edition. Auburn, an R1 research university, maintains high levels of research activity and high standards for teaching excellence, offering bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees in the arts and sciences, agriculture, engineering, nursing, and the professions. Its fall 2024 enrollment of 33,885 students includes 24,953 full-time undergraduates. Organized into 12 academic colleges, Auburn’s more than 1,400 faculty members offer more than 150 educational programs. The university is nationally recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, positive work environment, student engagement, and beautiful campus. Auburn’s Board of Trustees approved a new 10-year strategic plan in September 2024.
The next Dean must have a demonstrated record of strategic leadership in higher education and the skills required to oversee an evolving college. The successful candidate must possess a Ph.D., a graduate degree in nursing, and academic and professional accomplishments that are sufficient to merit appointment with tenure at the rank of professor. This individual will play a critical role in maintaining the College’s record of excellence in the education of its students, evaluating its efforts in research and scholarship, and furthering its impact in communities throughout the state of Alabama and beyond.
All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile and a CV or resume. WittKieffer is assisting Auburn University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by December 18, 2024. Application materials should be submitted to WittKieffer’s candidate portal using the buttons below. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to Ryan Crawford, Claudia Teschky, and Cody Burke at [email protected].