Dean, College of Nursing

Auburn University invites nominations and applications in its search for the next 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. In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, Auburn’s nursing program is ranked 25th among public universities and 40th among national universities. In addition, the College of Nursing’s online master’s programs ranked 81stnationally and 6th nationally for the Graduate Nursing–Nurse Practitioner/Family program and tied for 4th in Graduate Nursing–Nursing Education. The College of Nursing has approximately 1,300 undergraduate students (over 690 pre-nursing students and over 580 majors), admitting up to220 undergraduate students to the major 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 39 full-time faculty, 29 staff, and 88clinical associates. The 2026 budget showed $23 million in revenue from all sources.

Auburn University is one of the nation’s premier public land-grant institutions, ranking 49^th among public universities U.S. News and World Report’s2026 “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, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy. Its fall 2025 enrollment of 35,172 students includes 28,953undergraduates and 6,219 graduate students. Organized into 12 academic colleges, Auburn’s more than 1,500 faculty members offer approximately 285educational programs spanning undergraduate, graduate, and professional education. The university is nationally recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, positive work environment, student engagement, and beautiful campus.

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. or D.N.P., 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.

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