Indiana University Dean of Social Work Position Profile

Indiana University seeks an accomplished, passionate, visionary, strategic, and values-driven leader to serve as the next dean of the School of Social Work. Based at the Indiana University Indianapolis campus, the next dean will support one of the most structurally complex schools of social work in the country with programs across six Indiana campuses, as well as online. An entrepreneurial and innovative leader, the new dean will foster the school’s commitment to building stronger communities, celebrating difference, and promoting social and economic justice for vulnerable populations. The next dean will set a bold and ambitious vision for the school and for social work in Indiana.

Reporting to the IU Executive Vice President and Chancellor of Indiana University Indianapolis, the next dean will arrive at a time of tremendous opportunity and optimism. Serving as the chief academic officer of the school, the dean will connect talent, creativity, diversity, expertise, and passion across the state. A dynamic leader who embraces the complexity of IU’s School of Social Work, the dean will empower all faculty, support student success, lead staff, and represent the school within the university, its communities, the state, and in the broader world. 

About the University

Since its founding in 1820, Indiana University (IU) has built a globally recognized reputation for academic rigor, world-renowned research, and creative excellence while serving Indiana, the nation, and the world. Comprising the university are IU Bloomington, IU Indianapolis, five regional campuses (IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast), two regional centers (IU Fort Wayne and IUPUC, which will become IU Columbus in 2024), nine School of Medicine campuses, and several Global Gateways connecting the university to the world. Only the School of Social Work and the School of Medicine are “system schools” with programs located throughout the state of Indiana.

IU’s global reputation has been built in large part by the more than 21,000 world-class faculty and staff who teach innovative courses, conduct ground-breaking research, engage meaningfully with the broader community, and support the overall operation of the institution. Faculty and other researchers collaboratively pursue all lines of academic inquiry—from the study of religion, ethics, and society to cutting-edge information technology questions to the latest innovations in improving STEM learning among students—across more than 200 research centers, institutes, and museums. IU received $777.74 million in sponsored funding in FY 2023, of which $551.1 million was for research.

The university enrolls more than 71,000 degree-seeking undergraduate students and 19,000 graduate and professional students in over 930 academic programs. Students participate in more than 1,500 student clubs and organizations; compete in 40 Division I athletic teams across IU Bloomington and IU Indianapolis, as well as more than 60 NAIA athletic teams across the five regional campuses; and benefit from study abroad programs in more than 70 countries. Reflecting the university’s commitment to access, 76% of degree-seeking undergraduates receive financial aid, and 47% of bachelor’s degree recipients graduate with no student debt.

Upon commencement, these students join an active and engaged body of more than 760,000 living alumni—placing IU among the nation’s five universities with the largest bodies of living alumni—who participate in more than 160 IU Alumni Association chapters and groups worldwide. These alumni regularly become leaders in their fields and are widely recognized for their achievements. Among their many accolades, IU alumni have earned nine Nobel Prizes, 21 Pulitzer Prizes, 104 Olympic Medals, 357 Fulbright Awards, four Tonys, six Oscars, 33 Emmys, and 50 Grammys.

The university is united by an aspirational vision for its third century. Guided by three pillars—Student Success and Opportunity; Transformative Research and Creativity; and Service to Our State and Beyond— and seven core principles, IU 2030: The Indiana University Strategic Plan outlines an ambitious and shared path to new heights that reaffirms the university’s rightful place within the highest tier of American public higher education.

Indiana University Leadership

Pamela Whitten became the 19^th president of IU on July 1, 2021. A visionary scholar and accomplished educator and researcher, Whitten has held a variety of leadership roles, beginning at Michigan State University where she served as a dean for five years, and most recently as president of Kennesaw State University. As IU’s first female president, Whitten assumed the helm at one of the nation’s leading research universities at a time of record-level research funding and philanthropic support.

Whitten holds a Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Kansas, a master of arts in communication from the University of Kentucky, and a bachelor of science in management from Tulane University. She is an internationally recognized expert in the field of telemedicine. As part of her work in higher education, she has also held leadership roles at the University of Georgia and the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Indiana University Indianapolis

Indiana University Indianapolis is the home campus for the Indiana University School of Social Work, but the school leads the entire state in social work education with programs on six IU campuses. Since 1969—the year Indiana University and Purdue University came together to create IndianaUniversity-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)—IUPUI has been recognized for its outstanding teaching and learning, resourceful innovation, commitment to community engagement, research that changes lives for the better, and efforts to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion. The campus and its more than 200,000 living alumni have long played a critical role in the metropolitan Indianapolis region, central Indiana, and across the state. In June 2023, the Indiana University and Purdue University Boards of Trustees approved a definitive agreement to formalize separation and realignment of the campus into two entities: IU Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis. The independent campuses will enable the two major research universities to build upon their legacies of excellence and impact to meet the needs of Indiana and its capital city for decades to come. Following a final year of operations which will serve as a period of transition, the campus will officially become IU Indianapolis on July 1, 2024.

The campus is a comprehensive research university with extensive undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs spanning the full spectrum of inquiry, as represented by the diverse array of schools that will constitute the institution. All academic programs —with the exception of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology and the Department of Computer Science within the School of Science—along with 1,308 faculty, 2,195 professional and support staff, and 85% of all current IUPUI students (approximately 23,500 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students) will be a part of IU Indianapolis including the following schools: Dentistry; Education; Health andHuman Sciences; the Herron School of Art and Design; Kelley School of Business; Liberal Arts; Lilly Family School of Philanthropy; Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering; Robert H. McKinney School of Law; Medicine; Nursing; Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs; Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health; Science; The School of Social Work; Honors College; University College; and IU Graduate School Indianapolis. Learn more about this Vision 2024 Realignment here. 

Excluding the School of Medicine, the total operating budget for the campus for FY 2023-24 totals approximately $818 million; 52% derives from student tuition and fees, 27% from state appropriations, 13% from assessments revenue, 4% from other revenue, 2% from indirect cost recovery, and 2% from fee replacement. IU Indianapolis received $93.2 million in sponsored grants and contracts in FY 2023, of which $51.2 million was for research. The permanent endowment totals approximately $229 million.

Strategic Plan

IU has defined a clear and ambitious vision for its campus in the state’s capital city: IU Indianapolis aspires to be one of the nation’s preeminent urban research universities. The university aims to increase the number of job ready graduates in an innovation-led economy, fuel economic growth in the region and the state, and enhance service to the Indianapolis community and beyond. Aligned with the university-wide strategic plan, the IUIndianapolis2030 strategic plan is organized around three central pillars, each with defined goals, objectives, and metrics: Student Success and Opportunity, Transformative Research and Creativity, and Service to Our State and Beyond. The institution has a longstanding tradition of collecting and reporting progress made toward institutional goals, which is presented in annual reports.

IU Indianapolis’s approach to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) centers around creating a welcoming and inclusive environment driven by faculty, student, and staff success. Recognizing the importance of advancing DEI efforts across the entire campus, leadership developed the IUPUI Diversity Plan to guide institutional efforts from 2016-2021. More recently, specific DEI-oriented goals are embedded into each of the three central pillars of the current IU Indianapolis 2030 strategic plan. Further, with guidance from the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the campus has supported each school and unit in the creation of local diversity plans.

IU’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Indiana University has made a bold commitment to diversity, anti-racism, and social justice as part of its work to create a more just and equitable higher education community. IU has expanded community, cultural, and academic programs and initiatives, strengthened its partnerships, and enhanced its civic engagements and collaborations with the communities it serves across Indiana.

In 1999, Indiana University established the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (OVPDEI) to cultivate a diverse, inclusive environment that supports equal access, participation, and representation on all IU campuses. Since then, IU has been intentionally committed to this work, striving for a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning environment for people from all backgrounds and engaging in annual reevaluations and assessments of its progress. The new pathway for promotion and tenure for faculty whose research, teaching, and service all intersect around DEI, described in more detail in the “Ensuring a Diverse and Inclusive Environment” section below, will serve to further attract faculty of color and those interested in diversity-focused research. Today, IU is proud to be prioritizing and aligning its investments to create the most diverse student and faculty bodies in the university’s history.

With a population of approximately 880,000, Indianapolis, the capital city of Indiana, is the 16^th largest city in the United States. Home to several major league sports teams, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Headquarters, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, White River State Park, and numerous museums and other cultural attractions, Indianapolis was recently recognized as one of the top 100 places to live by U.S. News. The state legislature and many companies—including Eli Lilly, Roche Diagnostics, Elevance Health (formerly Anthem), Elanco, and Corteva—are headquartered in the city, creating a rich ecosystem for collaboration and partnership. CNBC recently ranked Indiana as the fifth best state for infrastructure, specifically noting the state’s strategic geographic location, investments in rail lines, access to key ports, good condition of roads and bridges, and widespread access to broadband.

The Indiana University School of Social Work

As the oldest university-affiliated school of social work in the nation, the Indiana University School of Social Work (IUSSW) has been dedicated to developing competent, caring professionals who are qualified to assume leadership roles in social work practice and who strive to enrich the lives of the people they serve. The school currently serves communities and students with programs on campuses across the state of Indiana, including Indianapolis, Bloomington, Gary, New Albany, Fort Wayne, and South Bend. Students can enroll in programs across a variety of modalities: IUSSW offers a fully online Master's in Social Work (MSW) program as well as face-to-face, hybrid, and online options in the Bachelor's of Social Work (BSW) and MSW programs. The school also offers a doctoral degree (PhD) and certificates. The Department of Labor Studies, also part of the school, offers associate’s and bachelor’s degrees, certificates, and a minor, all online. In 2021, IUSSW attained reaffirmation of accreditation for its MSW and BSW Programs for another 8 years (until February 2029), with no citations noted by the accrediting body.

The IUSSW is also home to Advances in Social Work, a peer-reviewed journal. Advances is recognized as one of the first open-access online journals.  A recent survey of reviewers that was conducted for Advances identified 172 active reviewers, located in 6 countries, representing 45 U.S. states and territories, and 124 colleges and universities. As part of the racial reckoning across the United States, IUSSW and Advances chose to help facilitate this important dialogue by working with guest editors to publish a double issue of the journal in 2021 entitled, “Dismantling Racism in Social Work Education: We Build the Road by Walking.” The issue included contributions from notable social work scholars and garnered rave reviews from its readership.

Through its faculty, staff, students, graduates, and community partnerships, IUSSW has a major impact on the state of Indiana and the field of social work. Through the Child Welfare Education and Training Partnership, IUSSW has been awarded grants and the opportunity to work with the National Child Welfare Workforce Initiative and the Indiana Department of Child Services. The IUSSW also provides training, consultation, and evaluation services to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction. In addition, the school partners with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for research on treatment approaches for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The IUSSW collaborates with the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to educate and train professionals and paraprofessionals in behavioral health. Federal funding across IUSSW has increased from $334,000 in 2018 to a high of $4,000,000 during the past five years. These types of relationships enhance education and scholarship and give IUSSW students, faculty, and staff throughout the state the chance to make a difference in the lives of children, families, and adults across the state, country, and world.

IUSSW also has a strong commitment to international and global social work education, research, and service.  With nearly one-third of its faculty engaged in some form of international and global work across five continents in 11 countries, IUSSW faculty continue their commitment to strengthening international social work education at home and abroad, contributing to the development of three social work programs in Croatia, Ethiopia, and Nigeria; increasing their global community-engaged scholarship by valuing epistemic diversity, multiple sources of knowledge and local and global partnerships to find solutions to the most pressing challenges shared by our human communities; and promoting education abroad, through field education and service-learning experiences in which local partners become co-educators, and co-learners, imparting their wisdom and sharing their expertise with IUSSW’s academic community. IUSSW faculty are honored Fulbright Scholars, and IUSSW’s work advances the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals while serving, learning, and strengthening its global presence.

The school has a sound fiscal basis that supports these ongoing efforts and makes future innovations possible. The school has an operating budget of $24 million and active grants totaling more than $14 million. It enrolls over 2,000 students (966 undergraduate and 1,015 graduate and doctoral), and employs 85 faculty (80 social work, 5 labor studies), 202 adjuncts (195 social work, 7 labor studies), and 61 staff members across its campuses. There are over 14,000 living alumni, of whom approximately 70% live in Indiana. In its last fundraising campaign, the school raised $1.5 million dollars. Its current annual goal is $440,000 as the school continues to identify donor prospects that could lead to its first endowed professorship or chair. The economic impact of COVID has made student financial support imperative and the total amount of scholarships the school awarded to students grew from $52,000 in 2018 to $139,450 in 2023, reflecting a 167% increase and 22 new scholarships created in only five years. Among these scholarships, the school secured its two largest endowed donor gifts ever, one for $250,000 and a $1.5 million planned gift to support scholarships.  Donors helped to create four new scholarships specifically to support underrepresented students. IUSSW has also substantially increased support for its doctoral students, moving from 2 to 4 years of financial support. 

The school’s underlying values include social and economic justice, diversity, effectiveness, empowerment, excellence, and integrity. These values lead to the mission of the IUSSW, which is excellence in education, research, and service to promote health, wellbeing, and social and economic justice in a diverse world. Its vision is to be an exemplary university and community-based collaborator that advances social, environmental, and economic justice, empowerment, and human wellbeing in a changing global landscape.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The IUSSW is committed to being a welcoming community that reflects and enacts the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion that inform academic excellence. The school is dedicated to enhancing its representational diversity and engaging in research, teaching, and community engagement efforts that contribute to diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning and working environments for its students, staff, and faculty. The IUSSW endeavors to move beyond mere statements by interrogating its policies, procedures, and practices to identify sources of inequity and oppression. The IUSSW recently hired its first Associate Dean for Diversity Affairs and has an active Diversity Council. Faculty within the IUSSW are conducting research on racial, ethnic, and religion-based inequities in healthcare access, health and wellbeing, educational engagement and advancement, and the school-to-prison pipeline; the well-being of sexually- and gender-minoritized youths; service access and utilization among refugees; global interfaith peace; combating racism and advancing decolonialization; social justice and critical multiculturalism; sexual, gender, and racial identity development; anti-racist and culturally-responsive social work; healthcare access and equity for LGBTQ+ individuals; first generation college student success; international social work and street-based trauma; and oppositional consciousness.

Ensuring a Diverse and Inclusive Environment

A key priority for the IUSSW has been enhancing its internal structures in ways that reflect the school’s commitment to equity and inclusion. Over the past five years, the school has more than doubled the number of people (3 to 12) and percent (15% to 38%) of racially and ethnically diverse persons serving in key positions. Notably, 62% of all new leadership positions created are occupied by a faculty or staff member of color.  IUSSW intentionally sought to develop advancement opportunities for its professional staff and non-tenure track faculty, resulting in 5 non-tenure track faculty and 7 staff advancing into leadership or progressively advancing positions. These outcomes serve as a testament to how the school is living its commitment to diversity as espoused in its mission and IUSSW strategic plan.

Another notable achievement in this space has been the school’s contributions to creating a new pathway for promotion and tenure for faculty whose research, teaching, and service all intersect around diversity, equity, and inclusion. IUSSW faculty not only helped to pioneer IUPUI’s newly adopted tenure and promotion pathway, they also created such an option for faculty within the IUSSW. In its initial year of implementation, the first faculty in the school and one of the inaugural group of faculty at IUPUI successfully achieved promotion and tenure through this integrated DEI pathway.

Awards

The IUSSW’s faculty have won numerous awards for scholarship, teaching, and leadership. Several of the School’s faculty were named Outstanding Leaders and others have received the IUPUI Glenn Irwin Research Scholar Award for their high level of achievement in research, scholarship, or creative activity at IUPUI. Faculty have also received university-wide awards such as the Herman Frederic Lieber Memorial Award for teaching excellence and the Thomas Ehrlich Award for Service Learning. Richard Reed, who earned his BSW and MSW degrees at the IU School of Social Work, went on to work as a special advisor to President Obama, and received IU’s Distinguished Service Alumni Award.

Doctoral Program (PhD)

The development of leadership in social work is at the core of the doctoral program at IUSSW. Advanced research and scholarship are woven through a comprehensive program to prepare students for leading roles in areas such as social work education, social welfare, policy analysis and development, administration, social work practice, and advocacy. The PhD program is built around a flexible interdisciplinary model which includes a carefully integrated series of didactic and experiential learning opportunities. And, while solidly grounded in the profession of social work, doctoral students may take advantage of the rich learning experiences available in other disciplines throughout the university.

The mission of the IUSSW Ph.D. program is to prepare research-oriented scholars and innovative educators and leaders imbued with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary to advance health, wellbeing, and social and economic justice in a diverse world. The vision of the IUSSW Ph.D. program is to graduate interprofessional scholars, educators, and leaders with cutting-edge theoretical and methodological expertise who advance social justice in a changing global landscape.

The Doctor of Philosophy program currently has 34 enrollees (including pre-doc) and is offered in Indianapolis both full and part time. It is the only PhD program in social work in Indiana.

Master of Social Work (MSW)

The Master of Social Work degree at IUSSW is the highest-ranked MSW program in the state of Indiana. It has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) since 1923.

The education students receive in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program provides them with the skills they need to choose a career within the broad area of social work at both the micro and macro levels. The MSW curriculum includes three distinct levels through which students progress toward the advanced degree in social work: foundation courses, a concentration in Clinical and Community Practice, and a variety of focus areas. IUSSW offers focus areas across its campuses that include Children, Youth & Families; Health; Community and Organizational Leadership; Mental Health & Addictions; and Schools. The MSW program also offers two dual degree programs: MSW/Doctor of Jurisprudence and MSW/Masters in Public Health and a certificate program: e-Social Work Practice Graduate Certificate.

MSW Direct is the IUSSW’s completely online distance education program. MSW Direct is accredited under the auspices of the MSW Program and has the second largest enrollment of distance education programs at Indiana University. MSW Direct uses a rolling admissions process with three enrollment periods each year, and all courses within the degree are taught each semester. MSW Direct coursework is developed and delivered in-house and does not contract with external parties for any part of its program. All courses within the MSW Direct program are ADA accessible, adhere to interactive standards of Indiana University, and implement nationally recognized principles of online course development.

The MSW program enrolls 1017 students (480 are in the MSW Direct Online program) and is offered at the campuses in Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Gary, Indianapolis, IU Online, New Albany, and South Bend.

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

The BSW program prepares students for generalist social work practice, is based on a strong liberal arts curriculum, and provides a foundation for life-long learning. The BSW is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). In surveys completed by BSW graduates between 2016-2022, 84% of respondents were either employed or students continuing to pursue the next level of their education (Institutional Research).

The BSW provides a competency-based education. Through a rigorous course of study, students develop the ability to demonstrate ethical and professional behavior; engage in practice which respects diversity and difference; advance human rights as well as social, environmental, and economic justice; engage in research informed practice; and assess, intervene, and evaluate practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

In addition to highly effective faculty and classroom and online experiences, the BSW program offers an extensive field placement opportunity where students work in agencies, learn from experienced social workers, and discover what they would like to do upon graduation. The BSW Program enrolls 1117 students and is offered at the campuses in Indianapolis, Bloomington, Gary, Fort Wayne, and South Bend.

Certificates and Continuing Education

The Certificate in Child Abuse and Neglect provides additional pathways for preparation to students interested in careers in public child welfare as well as in supporting children and families at risk for child abuse and neglect. Students must already be enrolled in an undergraduate program at IUPUI to be eligible to apply for the certificate.

The Certificate for Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counseling is for the student pursuing a concurrent degree in any area. It is also appropriate for the student who has completed a degree and wishes to have a concentrated study in this area. It provides a practice-oriented knowledge base in both concepts and applications. The major objectives of the certificate program are: preparation of students for employment in substance abuse treatment settings; increase students' awareness and understanding of alcohol and drug abuse in society; provide current information on alcohol and drug abuse treatment and practice; and provide current information, knowledge, and skills in working with substance abusers and their families.

The Certificate in Intergroup Dialog is the first undergraduate interdisciplinary certificate, serving IUPUI’s strategic plan initiative to promote an inclusive campus culture. The certificate is a collaborative effort between: IU School of Liberal Arts; IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs; IU School of Social Work; Purdue School of Engineering and Technology; and the IUPUI Office of Intercultural Literacy, Capacity, and Engagement.

The e-Social Work Practice Graduate Certificate is the nation’s first telehealth certificate program designed specifically for social workers. In a world where online and remote access are essential, today’s social workers need specialized training to reach and serve people in new ways. This graduate certificate in e-Social Work Practice provides the knowledge and skills needed to practice ethically and responsibly through a variety of electronic platforms.

The Trauma-Informed Care Professional Development Certificate was developed by the School of Social Work in partnership with the IU Center for Rural Engagement and the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. This certificate is highly accessible to learners across the world as it is offered free-of-charge, is fully online, and self-paced.

The school also offers continuing education on current and emerging social work issues.

Labor Studies

With more than 60 years of leadership in the field of Labor Studies and Labor Education, IU continues to pioneer innovative and quality educational opportunities in this field. The online program caters to students with diverse backgrounds and educational needs – from adult learners to traditional students – in the areas of work, the workplace, organized labor, labor and social movements, the impact of global markets, and changing institutions. The Department of Labor Studies joined the IUSSW in 2007.

The Department of Labor Studies prepares students to assume leadership roles in the workplace and in communities. The program is designed as an interdisciplinary major for college students and working adults seeking a university-level education.

The mission of the Department of Labor Studies is to:

• Provide credit and non-credit university-level education for current and future workers to increase knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking about work and labor organizations within today’s global context;
• Broaden access to the university for working-class and other underserved constituencies, providing opportunities for life-long learning and college degrees;
• Collect, systematize, and create new knowledge in collaboration with our students;
• Examine the global socio-economic system and the impact of its inequalities on working people;
• Promote respect for workers and understanding of working-class histories, experiences, perspectives and knowledge; and,
• Empower our constituents to be engaged citizens and social and political agents of change who will create a more just and equitable world of work.

The vision of the Department of Labor Studies is to be the leading, collaborative program in labor and work issues in interdisciplinary scholarship, education, training, and empowerment nationally and internationally.

The Department of Labor Studies offers the following options: Associate of Science in Labor Studies (AS-LS), Bachelor of Science in Labor Studies (BS-LS), Certificate of Labor Studies, and a minor in Labor Studies. Labor Studies courses are offered on all IU campuses and all courses are available online. Currently, there are 78 labor studies majors. The program has 539 students enrolled and when students finish enrolling in their compressed courses for fall, 2023, it’s predicted that the number will be approximately 800 students taking labor studies classes.

The Role of the Indiana University Dean of Social Work

The next dean of the IU School of Social Work will lead a nationally recognized school that spans multiple campuses, will be an effective champion for the role of social work and its programs on IU campuses and throughout the state, and will harness the strengths and commitment of faculty, staff, and students to be the catalyst for a compelling vision of the future of social work at IU.

The dean will report to the IU Executive Vice President and Chancellor of IU Indianapolis. Given that IUSSW is a “system-wide” school, the dean works collaboratively with academic and administrative leaders while advocating for the programs on all IU campuses where the school has a presence. Reporting directly to the dean are the following:

• Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration
• Assistant Dean for Student Success
• Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
• Associate Dean for the IU School of Social Work on Bloomington Campus
• Associate Dean for Research
• Chair of the Department of Labor Studies
• Communications and Marketing Director
• Development Director
• Director of the Child Welfare Education and Training Partnership
• Director of Information Technology
• Director of International and Global Affairs
• Executive Assistant to the Dean
• Senior Director of Alumni Programs

Opportunities and Challenges 

Indiana University is seeking a Dean of Social Work who will embrace the following priorities:

• Collaboration and Inclusion: The IUSSW family is made up of a diverse group of faculty, staff, administrators, and students who support the school’s mission, its students, the communities it serves, and each other. The next dean will continue to foster a culture of support, mutual respect, participation, and collaboration and ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all.
• Seeing the Big Picture. As a “system school,” the IUSSW plays a powerful role in educating social work professionals across the state of Indiana. This complex structure provides unique opportunities for statewide research and community partnerships as faculty scholars, committed graduate and undergraduate students, alumni, and multiple urban and rural communities engage together through the IUSSW.
• Strategic Planning and Vision: As the IUSSW continues to be an important contributor to the field of social work in higher education, in Indiana, and beyond, the next dean will have the opportunity to review, update, and implement a strategic plan that allows the school to further define its areas of leadership, partnership, and vision for the future in alignment with the new IU Strategic Plan. The next dean will join the IU community at a key moment, as the next IU Executive Vice President and Chancellor of Indiana University Indianapolis will soon be named and will be a key partner in shaping both the campus and university vision.
• Research productivity: As a professional school, the IUSSW contributes great work in the areas of scholarship and service. With recent strategic investments, including appointing the school’s inaugural Associate Dean for Research and hiring an exclusive grants manager, the number of faculty successfully securing external funding to support their research and scholarship has steadily increased in both number and amounts awarded. As such, the school is well positioned to be influential in how social work is delivered in the state of Indiana and beyond. Continuing to produce strong research from the school will provide additional avenues of impact for giving hope and changing lives. The next dean will promote research and encourage and support faculty across all campuses in their scholarship.
• Innovative curriculum and delivery: The IUSSW has a track record of offering innovative and important social work programs and providing students with a variety of options to pursue their education. With the recent release of the Council on Social Work Education’s new curriculum standards, the school will engage in an extensive process to re-envision its BSW and MSW curricula and how it can best meet the needs of the students and communities the school serves. The next dean will support creative innovation in curricula, programs, and delivery of instruction.
• Student and Alumni Success: Today’s social work graduates are entering a dynamic workforce environment and the next dean will play a key role in ensuring that IUSSW’s current students and over 14,000 alumni are poised for success. The dean will partner with the new Assistant Dean for Student Success to shape a supportive and inclusive environment across all IUSSW’s campuses, with an emphasis on the mental health and wellness of its students. They will ensure a focus on post-graduate development from the moment of enrollment through to graduation and beyond. With new data highlighting the racial and social disparities in social work licensure pass rates nationally, the dean will be prepared to collaborate both within IUSSW and with peers across the nation to close these achievement gaps through innovative policy and program development that puts the success of diverse learners at the forefront.
• Leadership on state and national issues: The IUSSW has a strong history of partnering with communities and working collaboratively with the state and legislature to address important issues related to social work and to provide solutions. The next dean has the opportunity to be a leader in responding to major issues, such as the national and state movements around racial justice, social and economic justice, gender equity, LGBTQ+ topics, and behavioral health, and to position the school to serve as an expert consultant to the state for policy making in areas that relate to social work.
• Interprofessional education: IU has created an environment where the schools can work together across campuses to promote common interests and create programs to best serve the students and community. This includes co-training social work students with students in medical fields such as nursing, medicine, dentistry, and optometry to simulate real-world career experiences, for example, the Interprofessional Practice and Education Center is adding IP clinical placements in collaborative practice sites. Collaborations also include a new Wellness Partnership initiative which offers IUSSW graduate students a practicum experience providing wellness services to their peers with the aim of positively impacting student retention and success across the University’s other academic units. The next dean will have the opportunity to join the leaders of other schools to continue to look for ways to ensure IUSSW students are receiving an education that prepares them to serve at the forefront of the future of health care.

Desired Qualifications and Characteristics

The ideal candidate will be a visible, entrepreneurial, and dynamic leader who personifies the mission and vision of Indiana University as a whole, and the School of Social Work in particular, supporting programs across all campuses and online. The IUSSW is seeking a bold and dynamic leader who brings passion, innovation, new approaches to existing challenges, and an understanding of the values that drive the school’s and university’s success and impact. 

The ideal candidate will be:

• A visionary leader who embraces research, fieldwork, teaching, and service; supports a culture of innovation, openness, and intellectual curiosity; and who can inspire others to engage broadly in solving intractable problems;
• A strong promoter of faculty research with a demonstrated record in securing external funding and research support;
• A champion and strong communicator of the university’s mission of equity, inclusion, and diversity who will challenge racist and oppressive systems, and who will possess the necessary experience to make strong contributions to enhancing inclusion and structural and functional diversity;
• An adept, engaged, and conscious listener who can respond to the ideas and concerns of multiple constituencies;
• A leader who deeply understands the nature and complexities of a system school and is passionately committed to providing equitable social work education to students across all of IU’s campuses and at all levels across Indiana, an expansive and diverse state;
• An educator with a commitment to student success both in and outside the classroom who will champion the needs of diverse learners and support holistic student wellness and health;
• A leader who will advocate for social justice in vulnerable and at-risk communities across the city, state, and nation;
• A highly relational leader who values working in partnership with the other deans and looks for opportunities to foster interprofessional education;
• A skillful budget executive who can contribute to financial stability through careful management and strategic use of funds;
• A thoughtful and supportive leader of international programs that connect students and programs with needs across the globe;
• An open and transparent communicator who possesses the ability to develop a shared vision;
• A relationship builder with the ability to fundraise and steward donors;
• An experienced leader accustomed to interacting with local community organizers, nonprofit and corporate leaders, and the state legislature and other government leaders; and,
• A person of great energy, enthusiasm, and spirit.

Candidates for the Dean of the School of Social Work should demonstrate the following qualifications and traits: 

• Academic qualifications and achievements consistent with an appointment as a tenured, full professor in the school;
• Passion for and a demonstrated commitment to the field of Social Work;
• Experience with licensure and accreditation requirements;
• Significant administrative experience in a complex environment; and,
• Demonstrated track record for serving in a leadership capacity.

Compensation

This is a full-time position that will be performed on-site across IU’s campuses in the state of Indiana. Salary will be commensurate with experience and includes a generous benefits package.

Procedure for Candidacy

The review of credentials will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. To apply, please submit a current curriculum vitae, a letter of interest describing interest in and qualifications for the position, and a list of five references which may include administrators, faculty, students, and community leaders. Applications, nominations, and inquiries should be directed to:

                                                           Steve Leo, Managing Director
                                                           Alyssa Perez, Senior Associate
                                                           Storbeck Search
                                                           IUDeanSW@storbecksearch.com       

For more information about the Indiana University School of Social Work, please visit https://ssw.iu.edu/

Indiana University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, and a provider of American Disabilities Act services. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ethnicity, color, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, marital status, national origin, disability status, or protected veteran status. Indiana University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs and activities, including employment and admission, as required by Title IX.