The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) provides leadership, vision, and direction for all aspects of CVM, including the operations of the Veterinary Medical Center, a fully functional teaching hospital providing around the clock emergency, specialized, and general care serving pet owners and the livestock industry. With a workforce of 500 faculty and staff, and an annual operating budget of $70M, CVM strives to protect public health, enhance medical knowledge, and generate economic benefits to the state and the nation, while also generating revenues of $24M annually through clinical care.

 

As a direct report to the UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President, and a member of the UTIA Executive Committee, the CVM Dean contributes to the achievement of UTIA’s strategic goals and actively supports critical working partnerships with various internal and external constituents. 

 

The CVM Dean will join UTIA at a time of enormous opportunity and potential impact as UTIA and CVM are positioned for enrollment growth and academic program enhancement over the decades to come. Information about CVM programs and personnel may be found at: https://vetmed.tennessee.edu/

 

As part of UT Knoxville, Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, UTIA provides Real. Life. Solutions. to some of society’s most pressing issues. UTIA is creating a global impact through its statewide presence and international work. In addition to CVM, UTIA is home to the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT AgResearch and its ten AgResearch and Education Centers across the state, and UT Extension, which has a presence in all ninety-five Tennessee counties. UTIA also boasts the Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture as well as the State Botanical Gardens of Tennessee. Through teaching, research, and outreach, UTIA seeks to support food, fiber, and energy systems; enrich the economy; enhance biodiversity and environmental quality; develop the workforce; and strengthen the health of humans and animals.

 

The UTCVM mission is focused on advancing animal, human, and environmental health. The mission is accomplished through educating students in the art and science of veterinary medicine and related biomedical sciences, discovering and disseminating new knowledge to veterinarians and others, and providing exceptional veterinary care to animals. Through these acts, the UTCVM supports our stakeholders (e.g., alumni, veterinarians, producers, animal enthusiasts, Tennesseans, and others) through outreach activities and life-long learning.

 

The UTCVM vision is to create and sustain a college environment supportive of each individual’s professional and personal growth, where all students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to expand their knowledge, to deliver exceptional service, and to enjoy life beyond the work environment.?

 

• Professionalism. Professionalism is our foundational value as it encompasses all values we strive to follow as members of the College of Veterinary Medicine. Professionalism applies to each of us as we carry out our daily responsibilities. We are compassionate, honest, responsible, loyal, respectful, confident, and continuously striving to improve.

• Quality. Quality is a characteristic, innate or acquired, that implies a high level of value or excellence. We strive to deliver high quality in our teaching, research, and service commitments. 

• Respect. Respect means taking someone’s feelings, needs, thoughts, ideas, wishes, and preferences into consideration and valuing their contributions to the college. 

• Inclusiveness. Inclusive organizations are comprised of diverse individuals and value the perspective and contributions of everyone. We recognize, understand, and appreciate individual differences and strive to incorporate the needs and perspectives of all our people into the design and implementation of our programs. 

• Creativity. Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is formed. We encourage and support the creation of new ideas and approaches to move our College and our profession forward. 

• Commitment. Commitment is a quality that inspires individuals who make a promise to fulfill that promise. We are committed to creating and delivering high quality educational instruction for veterinary and graduate degree-seeking students, interns, residents, and graduate veterinarians; to providing exceptional healthcare; to treating clients and referring veterinarians with respect and dignity; and, to discovering and sharing new knowledge broadly for the benefit of animals, people, and the environment.?

 

Primary responsibilities of the Dean are to carry out visionary leadership, administration, and advocacy; promote excellence and innovation in veterinary educational programs and initiatives that meet needs of the people of Tennessee; promote the recruiting and professional development of a qualified faculty and staff; manage and oversee finances and assets; provide leadership in securing funds and other resources from multiple sources (sponsored and phillanthrophies); nurture productive relationships with a variety of entities across the Institute of Agriculture and the broader University community as well as with the Tennessee Legislature, County Executives, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Tennessee Department of Health and Human Services, Tennessee Department of Education, United States Department of Agriculture, veterinary educational  services in other states, and other constituents external to The University of Tennessee; promote a workplace environment that values access and engagement and is based on teamwork, inclusive decision-making, and a sense of shared community within CVM and across  UTIA and the University.

 

The CVM Dean will exhibit qualities of emotional maturity, genuineness, self-confidence, common sense, judgment, fairness, creativity, discretion, decisiveness, political savvy, diplomacy, tact, resiliency, adaptability, courage of convictions and tolerance for ambiguity. 

 

Demonstrated behavioral expectations include:

• Uncompromised honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness;

• Demonstrated commitment to excellence;

• Recogniton of the value of all people, roles, and positions as well as the ability to demonstrate respect and honor the dignity of others;

• Ability to collaborate, problem-solve, and promote teamwork;

• Unfailing commitment to transparency;

• Commitment to CVM’s mission and strategic vision, as well as the missions and strategic visions for UTIA, UT Knoxville, and the University of Tennessee System; and

• Ability to make sound, consistent, and fair data-informed decisions.

 

• Candidates must have earned a terminal degree in veterinary medicine and evidence of scholarly, professional, or creative achievement sufficient to qualify for tenure as a full professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

 

• Previous professional experience in veterinary medicine and hospital operations as well as a working knowledge of and appreciation for effective veterinary education programs. 

• Supervisory experience.

• Direct experience with the preparation of, participation in, and response to successful accreditation reviews.

• Experience leading large-scale project implementation in a multi-department, operational hospital environment.

• Experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Workday) and medical records and patient data systems;

• Commitment to the importance and applicability of access and engagement in all aspects of the operation including the workplace, constituent services, and vendor contracts.

 

• The communication and public relations skills and other personal attributes necessary to motivate and decisively lead CVM. 

• Demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to sustaining an inclusive and accessible working and learning environment for all students, staff, and faculty.

• Demonstrated ability to administer budgets.

• Demonstrated ability to resolve complex, controversial and/or unprecedented issues and challenges.

• Ability to lead effectively across units relying on collaboration and influence to guide broad decision-making.

• Ability to lead and work with cross-functional and diverse teams and to foster teamwork across complex organizations.

• Demonstrated interpersonal relationship skills including inclusive communication (oral and written), creative problem-solving, and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.

 

Land-grant university experience, particularly in Colleges of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and/or Veterinary Medicine.

Experience in statewide and or national veterinary medicine organizations, professional associations, and advisory boards. 

Financial oversight in responsibility-centered management (RCM) budget models.

 

For full consideration, candidates should apply electronically using the link below with a cover letter addressing their interest in and qualifications for the role, curriculum vita with a summary of accomplishments for each leadership role, and list of 5 professional references on or before January 2, 2024. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

 

Application Link: https://apply.interfolio.com/135979 

 

To express interest, schedule a confidential conversation or to nominate a candidate, please contact Brooke Swart (bswart@utk.edu), Senior Executive Recruiter for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

 

Compensation for the position will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits and much more.

Additionally, Tennessee residents do not pay a state income tax. For more information on the University of Tennessee’s benefits, visit https://hr.tennessee.edu/benefits/

 

The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem surrounded by eight gorgeous lakes, with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a diverse music scene including internationally recognized festivals, active neighborhoods, unique locally sourced restaurants, and a robust offering of diverse cultural and outdoor activities. Knoxville and the surrounding counties have a population of more than 850,000 people. The Knoxville region houses many leading corporations, including Bush Brothers & Company, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PetSafe/Radio Systems Corporation, Pilot/Flying J, and Tennessee Valley Authority.  Knoxville’s regional airport has numerous direct flights to large metropolitan areas and is located within easy driving distance to the Great Smoky Mountains, Atlanta, Nashville, Asheville, Charlotte, Louisville, and Cincinnati. It is only a day’s drive to Memphis, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.