Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) invites applications and nominations
for the position of the Dean of the School of Education. Pacific
Lutheran University is a comprehensive master’s institution with an
enrollment of approximately 3600 students. Located on the Pacific
Rim in a uniquely scenic region, the university’s campus is 40 miles
south of Seattle in suburban Tacoma, Washington. As a New
American College, PLU accents integration between its liberal arts and
sciences programs and professional degrees in the arts, business,
education, nursing, and physical education, and embraces its primary
mission of educating students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service,
leadership, and care. PLU enjoys a healthy and progressive
relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA),
serves a diverse clientele, and endorses the goals of equal opportunity
and affirmative action.
The School of Education, with twelve tenure-track faculty, serves some
400 professional education students in a variety of innovative
undergraduate and graduate NCATE accredited programs. The SOE
also sponsors the programs for school partnerships and professional
development, which offer a set of diverse professional development
experiences for teachers in urban, suburban, and rural settings.
All SOE programs share a commitment to the core values of competence,
care, differences, leadership, and service, with particular focus on
inclusion, curricular integration, reflective practice, and
collaboration. These commitments are mirrored in the
implementation of a collaborative governance structure developed by
faculty over the past eight years. This structure includes a
leadership team, consisting of the Dean, the Associate Dean, and the
Director of Graduate Studies who work collaboratively with faculty in
the areas of curriculum, policies, professional development, and
community relations.
Qualifications. The School of Education is distinctive for its
engagement in collaborative work across campus and with outside
communities. The School therefore seeks an innovative leader who will
contribute to the growth of SOE faculty and has experience in
implementing reforms in teacher and administrator education.
Candidates must demonstrate a strong commitment to and have experience
with collaborative leadership, development of partnerships with public
school educators at the community and state levels, and cultivation of
external funding sources.
In addition, the successful candidate should have an exemplary record
in teaching, scholarship, and higher education administration;
demonstrate sensitivity to and commitment to issues of diversity and to
global education; demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication
skills; demonstrate the ability to work effectively within the
university community, especially with the other academic deans and the
provost; demonstrate a commitment to teaching excellence and the
ability to model excellent teaching. We expect that the candidate
will hold an earned doctorate in an appropriate field and qualify for
senior faculty rank and tenure, have teaching experience in K-12
schools and at the university level, and have experiences with
accrediting processes and agencies, e.g., NCATE.
To apply for the position, please send a curriculum vitae; a statement
of principles that guide your practice as an administrator, teacher,
and scholar; and a letter of interest in which you address your
qualifications for the position and describe your most significant
recent administrative, teaching, and scholarly accomplishments.
Please also include the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email
addresses of at least six professional references. Review of
applications will begin early April 2006 and continue until the
position is filled. Appointment could be effective as early as
July 2006. For additional information, please contact the chair
of the search committee at the address below or via email at
cdf@plu.edu. Send application materials to: