Dean, College of Public Affairs and Education (CPAE)
The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) seeks a committed, student‑centered, and collaborative leader to serve as Dean of the College of Public Affairs and Education (CPAE). Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Provost, the Dean serves as the College’s chief executive—empowered to lead, advocate, and shape a dynamic academic enterprise that prepares future educators, policymakers, communicators, legal and civic professionals to make an immediate and lasting impact.
About CPAE. CPAE comprises five units—the School of Education, School of Communication and Media, Department of Legal Studies, School of Politics and International Affairs, and School of Public Management and Policy—with approximately 50 full‑time faculty. The College offers 11 baccalaureate programs, nine master’s programs, and the university’s sole doctoral program, serving 378 undergraduate and 436 graduate students. Consistent with the College mission, CPAE engages, teaches, and inspires ethically grounded leaders; advances the public discourse; and conducts policy‑relevant, knowledge‑generating research that makes a difference.
The Role. The Dean will champion inclusive excellence; foster a student‑centered culture; and build strategic relationships across the university, the Springfield community, and beyond. The successful leader will grow innovative programs; strengthen external partnerships and fundraising; support high‑quality teaching and research; and steward resources with transparency and strong financial acumen—positioning the College at the nexus of education, public service, law, media, and policy.
The University & Location. UIS is one of three universities in the world‑class University of Illinois System. All UIS courses are taught by talented faculty who are leaders in their fields, and students benefit from uncommon leadership opportunities that accelerate career readiness and graduate study. Our 746‑acre campus in Springfield, Illinois—the capital of the nation’s sixth‑largest state economy—provides unparalleled access to policymakers, agency leadership, think tanks, and conversations that matter. UIS is approximately 200 miles southwest of Chicago and 100 miles northeast of St. Louis.
Ideal Candidate Profile.
- Innovative, effective, and entrepreneurial academic leader
- Demonstrated financial acumen and resource stewardship
- Collegial, cooperative, and highly engaged collaborator and spokesperson for the College
- Record of advancing inclusion and belonging and a deep commitment to civic engagement
- Success in fundraising and cultivating external partnerships
- Earned doctorate or terminal degree in a field aligned with CPAE’s mission and a distinguished record of teaching, scholarship, and service meriting senior appointment in the College
Join us to engage, teach, and inspire the ethically grounded leaders of tomorrow—graduates prepared to understand society’s most complex challenges and equipped to solve them.
Minimum annual salary: $150,000 with robust benefits package
Tentative timeline:
- Applications accepted through October 10, 5pm Central
- Semi-finalist Zoom interviews anticipated October 24-31
- Finalist on-campus interviews anticipated December 1-10
- Start date July 1, 2026
Access the detailed job description and the leadership profile (Box)
Link to the UIS Job Board to apply