Associate Dean/Professor Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs_Fall 2025

Description

THE SEARCH

The Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (the School) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) seeks an accomplished and highly entrepreneurial academic administrator to serve as Associate Dean. The Baker School is now serving nearly 150 students in its second year of operation. The school’s graduate programs are growing rapidly and the undergraduate degree, now in its inaugural year, has proven to be popular among first-year students at UTK. The School has an extraordinary building on campus, a faculty known for expertise in key public policy fields, and a dedicated group of faculty and staff who are committed to building a leading school of public policy and public affairs at the University of Tennessee. The Associate Dean will serve as the School’s chief academic officer, overseeing faculty and programs to set the School up for long-term success. In partnership with the Dean, the Associate Dean will operationalize the School’s strategic initiatives, lead all facets of faculty oversight, including recruitment, retention, and development, as well as curricular enhancements, and serve as the School’s liaison to the broader UTK campus, particularly those programs with cross-listed academic offerings and joint faculty appointments.

The Baker School has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this recruitment effort. All applications, inquiries, and nominations, which will remain confidential, should be  directed to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document. 

ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATE DEAN

The Associate Dean will have an opportunity to shape the Baker School’s trajectory at a critical moment in its development and help build a world-class public policy and public affairs school for students, faculty, and staff. Reporting directly to the Dean, the Associate Dean has a central role in the administration of the Baker School. This position provides leadership and direction for the Baker School's faculty and academic programs. The Associate Dean is responsible for setting the strategic hiring goals of the school, mentoring and retaining faculty, and overseeing tenure and promotion processes and the annual review process. The Associate Dean’s role in developing academic programs complements the faculty affairs portion of the position. The directors of graduate and undergraduate studies report to the Associate Dean, and the allocation and development of faculty teaching and research resources to meet program growth is a key part of the Associate Dean’s portfolio.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE ASSOCIATE DEAN

The Associate Dean will be a highly collaborative and strategic leader with proven experience elevating academic excellence and driving key administrative decisions. To be successful in this work, the Associate Dean will address the following opportunities and challenges:

Partner with the Baker School Dean to drive strategy

Leaders inspire others to work toward a shared vision. The Associate Dean will help shape and drive the vision of the Baker School, serving on the Dean's cabinet and providing advice and information to the Dean on all matters related to faculty, academic programs, and curriculum. The Associate Dean will also serve as the voice of the faculty on the Dean’s cabinet, ensuring that the faculty perspective is well represented in strategic conversations about the future of the Baker School. In addition, the Associate Dean has an opportunity to provide fundraising support to the Dean and the School’s Director of Advancement in development activities focused on academic priorities. 

As the Baker School grows and finds its foothold amongst its peers nationally, the Associate Dean will partner with the Dean and other School leaders in conducting national surveys, special events related to faculty and students, benchmarking, college-wide instructional activities, and public policy and public affairs education-related research and development. This is an opportunity for a systems-oriented leader to influence and execute the Dean’s strategic vision for the Baker School and build on a solid foundation primed for growth.

Serve as the chief faculty affairs administrator for the Baker School

As the Baker School continues to grow and meet increasing demand for public policy and public affairs education in Tennessee and beyond, the Associate Dean will be responsible for the professional growth and development of current and future faculty, including recruiting and hiring, retention, promotion and tenure, and annual reviews. As a critical liaison between the Dean and faculty, the Associate Dean is expected to be highly visible and accessible to faculty while serving as a key point of communication in both directions. The Associate Dea