Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University invites nominations, applications, or expressions of interest for the position of Dean of the School of Nursing.

About the University

Founded October 3, 1887, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is a public, historically Black university located in Tallahassee, Florida. What distinguishes FAMU from other universities is its legacy of providing access to a high-quality, affordable education with programs and services that guide students toward successfully achieving their dreams. FAMU is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

In addition to the main Tallahassee campus, FAMU has several satellite campuses across Florida. These include the College of Law in Orlando and the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, which has sites in Crestview, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami.

University Mission Statement

FAMU is an 1890 land grant, doctoral/research institution devoted to student success at the undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional levels. FAMU enhances the lives of its constituents and empowers communities through innovative teaching, research, scholarship, partnerships, and public service. The University continues its rich legacy and historic mission of educating African Americans and embraces all dimensions of diversity.

University Vision Statement

FAMU will be recognized as a leading national public university that is internationally renowned for its competitive graduates, transformative research, and innovation.

University Values

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is committed to the values of accountability, inclusion, innovation, and integrity. The University also values and endorses the Board of Governors' Statement of Free Expression and expects open-minded and tolerant civil discourse to take place throughout the campus community. These values represent the tenets that guide our actions, enable us to sustain our historical mission, and realize our strategic plan.

About the School of Nursing

Established in 1904 as a hospital-based program, FAMU’s School of Nursing (SON) became the first baccalaureate program in Florida in 1936. The Florida Board of Nursing approved the program, and its graduates were permitted to write the licensure examination in 1941. Ten years later, the program obtained accreditation by the Collegiate Board of Review of the National League of Nursing Accreditation Service. The School of Nursing is currently accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), with a continued goal to reach the NCLEX pass rate of 90%.

In SON’s continued pursuit of being internationally recognized as a premier land grant and research program committed to exemplary teaching, research, and service preparing transformational graduates with high ethical values dedicated to solving complex issues impacting our global society, the purpose of SON is to prepare exceptional nurses by creating a dynamic atmosphere where intellectual leaders are prepared to assume advanced roles as esteemed members of the Health Care team in order to improve delivery of health care and scientific knowledge underpinning evidence-based, culturally appropriate nursing practice to the residents of the state, the nation, and the world. Its focus is on educating quality individual practitioners rather than quantities of students.

The faculty of FAMU’s School of Nursing understands their role in expanding and developing new knowledge for clinical practice and preparing the next generation of nursing leaders. As such, they consider their roles as educators and practitioners important in educating the next generation of nurses to have the skills and knowledge to use research-based care in their daily clinical practice.

Currently, the program offers both baccalaureate and master's degrees: the Bachelor of Science degree for students who have completed requirements for admission to the professional level; and a Master of Science in Nursing degree for post-baccalaureate nurses. The baccalaureate program is an upper-division (junior and senior year) five-semester program for generic students. The fast track for RN-BSN students can be completed in three semesters. The graduate program has both face-to-face and online options.

The Master of Science in Nursing and Post-Masters Certificate programs, with a specialty focus in Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner preparation, was approved by the State University System Board of Regents in 1997 and admitted its first class in 1998. The Master of Science in Nursing program received initial accreditation from NLNAC in 2002 and continuing accreditation in 2007. Following University approval, the first cohort of online students was admitted to the master’s program in the Fall of 2011. The forty-two-credit hour full-time curriculum can be completed in two years or five semesters, while the part-time curriculum plan can be completed in seven semesters.

The core values of FAMU’s School of Nursing is congruent with the philosophy of FAMU: Scholarship, Excellence, Openness, Fiscal Responsibility, Accountability, Collaboration, Diversity, Service, Fairness, Courage, Integrity, Respect, Collegiality, Freedom, Ethics and Shared Governance.

About the Position

Reporting directly to the Provost, the Dean is the chief executive officer of the School of Nursing. The ideal candidate will be a professional nurse who has the concomitant responsibility to work with faculty and staff to represent the Schools's departments, programs, offices, and centers; oversees strategic planning, advancement, and budget development; and guides resource allocation, teaching, research, service, outreach, and administration.

The Dean also provides leadership and advocacy for faculty and staff recruitment, professional development, evaluation, and retention; enrollment planning, student recruitment and retention; program review and accreditation; cultivate and steward alumni and community relations; collaborate with partners within and outside the University; and secure and facilitate external funding through fundraising and grant acquisition, both public and private. In addition to supporting shared governance and promoting a diverse and collegial environment, the Dean actively encourages and supports cross-department and cross-School/College collaboration in teaching, creative activity, and scholarship. The Dean serves as a member of the Provost’s Leadership Team, working collaboratively with a team of deans and academic affairs administrators. 

Duties and Responsibilities

FAMU’s Dean of the School of Nursing will be responsible for:

• Administering and providing leadership for all aspects of the School – academic, research, and extension programs and other activities;
• Working with and being responsible for recruiting, hiring, and supervising a diverse faculty;
• Promoting the land-grant mission of the University;
• Representing SON, and working closely with the Provost, Deans of the other schools/colleges and schools within the University, and other university administrator, alumni, and stakeholders;
• Securing extramural advancement, student recruitment and retention, and maintaining high academic and professional standards;
• Being accessible and providing academic and professional leadership to the faculty, students, and all stakeholders;
• Ensuring SON continued leadership in advancing “Boldly Striking” FAMU’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Plan’s goals related to Student Success, Academic Excellence, Leverage the Brand, Long-Term Fiscal Health and Sustainability, and Organizational Effectiveness and Transformation;
• Working with and mentoring department heads and school directors, center directors, and others to ensure that each has a strategic framework that advances SON goals;
• Communicating with transparency and clarity all aspects of SON initiatives, operations, and challenges and opportunities with administrators, faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders;
• Leading the development of data-driven mutually beneficial affinity partnerships with healthcare entities to increase research funding, connect talent and workforce development pipelines, and advance research, discovery, and innovation programming in SON;
• Aligning and managing personnel, financial, and physical facilities across Florida responsibly and strategically to maximize the effectiveness of those resources, exhibiting fiscal discipline and transparency, and using best management practices;
• Working with SON expanded leadership team in donor engagement, fundraising, and stewardship to advance research, discovery, and innovation goals;
• Ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations and requirements related to SON research activities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The ideal candidate will have knowledge, skills, and leadership experience in the following areas:

• A strong record of effective organization and administration skills;
• Ability to promote the importance of SON on and off campus, and in interactions with local healthcare communities;
• A strong understanding and promotion of integrating technology and innovation within nursing education and practice;
• Clinical nursing experience for insightful academic program direction, understanding student, faculty, and broader healthcare community needs;
• Resilience and leadership skills, essential for managing challenges such as public health crises and internal university concerns;
• Proven experience in formulating and executing revenues generation strategies, obtaining external funding, and judiciously managing budgets to safeguard the financial health of academic programs;
• Understanding trends affecting Schools/Colleges of Nursing locally and nationally;
• Ability to provide leadership and guidance to SON in fulfilling its vision to be recognized as a premier land grant and research program committed to exemplary teaching, research, and service preparing transformational graduates with high ethical values dedicated to solving complex issues impacting society;
• A solid record of performance in teaching, research, and publication;
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills;
• A commitment to high performance, meeting targets, and the effective management of the faculty;
• Commitment to student success in all phases of their academic career (access, retention, and graduation);
• Strong advocate of the faculty and its constituents;
• Excellent strategic vision and ability to manage operations of the faculty with a focus on its immediate, medium term and long-term development.

Other Preferred Qualifications Include:

Successful applicants must have academic qualifications and record of achievements consistent with an appointment as a tenured full professor. The Florida Board of Nursing and SON’s accrediting body (ACEN) require that the Dean, as chief administrative officer, is doctoral prepared and eligible for RN licensure in Florida.

In addition, it is preferred that candidates have an administrative record that demonstrates:

• Progressive academic administrative experience;
• Demonstrated and thorough understanding of the land-grant system, experience managing institutional budgets and fairly distributing assets;
• A demonstrated commitment to shared governance, experience recruiting qualified faculty, promoting faculty development, working with all stakeholders in a school/college, university and in the community;
• Deep insight into global nursing trends and challenges, highlighting the evolving healthcare dynamics and the interconnected global healthcare system;
• A strong record of research, creative activity, and/or scholarship, as well as a strong commitment to clinical and mentoring activities with students;
• A demonstrated ability to generate external institutional funding;
• Evidence of excellent organizational, communication, interpersonal, decision-making and leadership skills;
• A commitment to the university’s motto of “Excellence with Caring”;
• Appreciation for the role of scholarly research in the teaching and learning process, at both the undergraduate and graduate level;
• An innovative mindset that will position the school well in maintaining its competitiveness within the evolving landscape of higher education;
• Experience and knowledge of holistic student success, including academic and career development;
• Demonstrated success with extramural funding and facilitating high-quality education and curriculum design;
• A commitment to student learning and promoting a culture that values diversity.

Nomination and Application Process

Parker Executive Search is assisting Florida A&M University in the search for the Dean of the School of Nursing. The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made.  It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to March 27, 2024. For additional information, please contact:

Porsha Williams, Vice President
Jacob Anderson, Senior Principal
Parker Executive Search
Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875
Atlanta, GA 30328
770-804-1996 ext. 111
pwilliams@parkersearch.com || janderson@parkersearch.com

The Florida A&M University (FAMU or University) is committed, as evident in our policies, principles and practices, to an educational environment and equal opportunity workplace wherein each member of the University community is free from any form of harassment and discrimination. Therefore, the University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, age, disability, sex, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, genetic information, and veteran status, or any other legally protected group status (including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972), in accordance with state and federal laws. Discriminatory conduct in the form of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking, is also