Chairperson - Alcorn State University

TITLE: Chairperson

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2010

DEPARTMENT: Agriculture

REPORTS TO: Dean, School of Agriculture, Research, Extension and Applied Sciences (AREAS)

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Regular (full-time position)

SALARY RANGE: Negotiable

CLOSING DATE: October 15, 2009

PRINCIPAL PURPOSE OF JOB: The Chairperson provides leadership in the Department of Agriculture (One of three academic units in the School of AREAS).

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY: The Chairperson is responsible for the general oversight of the Department of Agriculture, including undergraduate and graduate degree programs, administration of budgets and personnel (faculty and staff), recruitment and retention, strategic planning for the department, establishing and maintaining productive professional working relationships with other units on campus, government agencies, and the private sector in order to effectively achieve the goals and objectives of the Department.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
The Chair of the Department of Agriculture will:

• Provide essential leadership to develop and enhance undergraduate and graduate instructional programs along with the faculty of the various programs in the department
• Work to enhance instructional budgets to provide adequate faculty and staff salaries and operational resources to facilitate faculty and student travel, contractual services, commodities and instructional equipment
• Develop and monitor the scheduling of courses and faculty teaching assignments for optimal distribution of faculty time between teaching, research and extension, while ensuring that students graduate within the time allotted for the degree
• Work with the faculty to upgrade courses and curricula, as needed, to ensure that students graduating from the programs are nationally and globally competitive
• Develop and implement effective student recruitment and retention strategies in collaboration with the faculty and staff, the Dean of the School of AREAS, the Office of Admissions, the General College of Excellence and other appropriate units on Campus
• Serve as liaison with the private sector, government agencies, and professional associations; maintain relationship with those entities to facilitate students’ experiential learning, service learning and professional development
• Identify and recruit talented faculty to fulfill the goals and objectives of the Department of Agriculture
• Serve as a strong advocate for the faculty and students in the Department of Agriculture, and facilitate faculty and staff development
• Teach at least one course per semester in field of expertise
• Lead departmental PME (planning, management and evaluation) activities, including institutional effectiveness for accreditation
• Create and maintain a working environment conducive to excellence in teaching, learning and discovery
• Demonstrate commitment to diversity for all faculty, staff and students
• Respond appropriately to the demands of the administration, the faculty, staff and students.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Doctor of Philosophy degree (or equivalent) in an Agriculture discipline, such as, Agricultural Education, Animal Science, Agronomy, Horticulture, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, or a related field of study
• Demonstrated experience in teaching and research qualifying him or her for at least the rank of Associate Professor in the area of specialization
• Experience in planning, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating teaching and research agriculture-related programs at the university level
• Experience in providing effective leadership to faculty, staff and students
• Experience in handling complex issues within a department, professionally
• Experience in mentoring new faculty Licensing and Certifications Preferred if applicable, but not required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated ability to work well with colleagues to foster a collegial environment conducive to team work and students’ high level of learning
• Growth-oriented leader, visionary individual who is knowledgeable about the trends in higher education related to agriculture
• Demonstrated grantsmanship ability
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with stakeholders to obtain results
• Record of integrity, loyalty, and timely response, expected.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to sit at a workstation for extended periods
• Occasional ability to lift, carry, and put away parcels weighing up to 25 pounds
• Adequate physical mobility, which includes movement from place to place on the job taking distance and speed into account
• Adequate physical agility, which includes ability to maneuver body while in place
• Adequate physical strength to handle routine office materials and tools
• Adequate dexterity of hands and fingers
• Adequate coordination, including eye-hand, hand-foot

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: Interested individuals who meet the criteria described above should submit an application packet that includes the following:

• (1) Letter of application;
• (2) Alcorn State University official application for employment (completed by the applicant; available on the university website @www.alcorn.edu);
• (3) three letters of recommendation;
• (4) official academic transcripts of all universities attended; and
• (5) Curriculum vitae.

All application materials should be submitted to:

The statements contained herein reflect general details necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required, and the scope of responsibility; however, should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of the job requirements.

Alcorn State University, in compliance with Federal and State Laws, is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to employment without regard to race, religion, gender, national origin, handicap, age, or marital status.

1000 ASU Drive # 390, Alcorn State University,
Alcorn State, MS 39096-7500