Chairperson-Professor – Mathematics Department

23697BR

Mathematics

Position Overview

The University of Kansas seeks a Chairperson and Full Professor in the Department Mathematics to assume responsibilities by 8/18/2023. The chairperson provides leadership and oversight for all teaching, research, service, administrative, and outreach activities within the department. In addition, the chairperson maintains their own teaching/research/service responsibilities as a faculty member. This chair position reports to, and serves at the pleasure of, the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, for a term of 5 years that is renewable pending review with satisfactory performance.  After their term as chair, the candidate will continue as a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics.  The successful candidate for the position must be eligible to work in the U.S. prior to the start of the position.

Founded in 1865, the University of Kansas is a designated Carnegie comprehensive doctoral and research university and is one of only 34 public members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). The University enrolls more than 28,000 students and offers the highest quality undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, as well as outstanding libraries, museums and technology. The university fosters a multicultural environment in which the dignity and rights of individuals are respected. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the largest school within the campus and plays a central role within the University.

KU’s research residential campus is in the center of a vibrant and culturally-rich community — a quintessential college town. Visitors, students and new employees from outside the area enjoy discovering the many wonders of Lawrence, including a thriving downtown, diverse local and regional events, area lakes, vibrant arts and music scenes, and an indelible history. Home to nearly 95,000 people, Lawrence is located 45 minutes west of Kansas City and 30 minutes east of Topeka, the state capital. Along with the music, arts, culture and sports experiences offered at KU and in Lawrence, the short drive to Kansas City provides quick access to historic jazz clubs, museums, world-class music and theatre venues, and professional sports teams.

At the University of Kansas, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are an important part of our culture and university strategic plan. Applications from members of underrepresented groups are encouraged, noting the value that differences bring to our organization, students, staff, faculty, and community.

The College emphasizes interdisciplinary, experiential learning and global awareness, houses a vibrant university wide Honors Program that highlights undergraduate research and service activities, and has created strong affiliations with outstanding cross-disciplinary research centers. Faculty and academic staff have emphasized the importance of continuing and expanding on relationships with centers and entities including the Biodiversity Institute, Kansas Biological Survey, Kansas Geological Survey, the Hall Center for the Humanities , the Life Span Institute , the Institute for Policy and Social Research , the Spencer Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum. These relationships have brought a broad range of disciplines together to pursue and conduct sponsored research and education at the international, national, state, regional and local levels, and have created employment structures in which faculty and academic staff share appointments to emphasize collaboration. College faculty and research staff are welcomed as members in all KU’s designated research centers and institutes .

Job Description

The Department of Mathematics has an internationally recognized faculty and a strong graduate program leading to both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The department plays a central role in advancing the research and teaching missions of the university, especially as they relate to the advancement of the STEM disciplines. Students at all levels throughout the university benefit from the research, teaching and outreach efforts of the Mathematics Department. A broad range of programs is possible including algebra, analysis, combinatorics, control theory, dynamical systems, geometry, numerical analysis, probability, statistics, stochastic analysis/control, partial differential equations, set theory, and topology. The department has a long tradition of excellence. The first Ph.D. granted west of the Mississippi was in mathematics at KU in 1895.  Since then, the graduate program has been a central part of the department’s research and teaching. Historic Snow Hall, which houses the department, contains state-of-the-art classrooms, lecture spaces, computer labs, and other facilities.

Job Duties:
Chairperson Responsibilities (50%):

The Chairperson is responsible for the operation of the Department, including oversight and leadership of all Departmental units and activities.  Among other responsibilities and activities, the Chair:

• executes decisions of the Voting Department and Senior Staff and presides at meetings of these bodies and the Executive Committee;
• serves as the liaison between the Department and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as well as other administrative offices of the University;
• administers the budget of the Department, includes state, endowment, and research funds;
• in conjunction with the Executive Committee, evaluates annually the full-time faculty in the Department, including tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenured professors and lecturers; supervises the evaluation of support staff, GTAs, and part-time lecturers;
• calculates and recommends to the College merit salaries for full-time faculty and supervises merit salary calculation and recommendations for support staff, GTAs, and part-time lecturers; 
• initiates the process for preparing materials for faculty being considered for promotion and tenure and makes recommendations to the Dean based on the vote of eligible Senior Staff members; also makes recommendations for promotion of full-time lecturers, academic staff, and support staff; 
• initiates the process and makes recommendations for the appointment of new full-time faculty; supervises the hiring and reviews of support staff and other instructional staff; 
• adjudicates personnel matters and serves as the administrative representative for grievance procedures for the Department; oversees long-range plans for the Department in the areas of teaching, hiring, mentoring, research, and service in consultation with relevant Departmental bodies; 
• provides oversight and leadership for all unit activities, including outreach; 
• seeks enhancement of all unit resources by actively seeking external funding; 
• administers the undergraduate and graduate academic programs of the unit; 
• develops and enhances research and educational relationships between the unit and other units within the University, as well as with agencies outside the University, governmental, public, or private; 
• executes College and University policy in the unit effectively; and,
• represents the unit and reports to CLAS, and represents the unit to other University entities.

Faculty Responsibilities (50%):
20% Teaching

• Teach 2 courses per academic year in field of specialty.
• Mentor graduate and/or undergraduate students in research.
• Supervise graduate teaching assistants, as assigned.
• Serve on graduate student committees that supervise and evaluate progress toward degree completion.

20% Research

• Engage in scholarly research, including publishing appropriate peer-reviewed works, and presenting research at professional conferences on a regular basis.

10% Service

• Provide general service to the department, the College, the University, and to the academic profession.

Faculty members are expected to carry out their responsibilities in accordance with the Faculty Code of Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, currently viewable at: http://policy.ku.edu/FacultyCodeKULawrence/faculty-code-of-rights

Required Qualifications

Evaluation of the following requirements will be made through: (a) descriptions of research agenda and teaching philosophy in letter of application, (b) record of accomplishments and productivity included in curriculum vitae, and (c) information provided from four professional references.

Tenured appointment with the rank of Full Professor.

Demonstrated ability to serve as an academic leader and team builder, developing and enhancing research and educational relationships among faculty and between the unit and its affiliated units, as evidenced by application materials. 

Teaching experience at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and commitment to teaching excellence. 

Strong record of scholarly achievement, as evidenced by an established program of research with the promise of continued productivity. 

Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and to manage interpersonal relations, as evidenced by application materials. 

Commitment to enhancing and promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Preferred Qualifications

Demonstrated excellence in administrative and management skills.

Experience in seeking outside funding and managing multiple projects.

Professional style that is approachable and understanding of the differences among students.

Contact Information to Applicants

Gloria Prothe
785-864-7302
[email protected]

Additional Candidate Instruction

For complete information and to apply, go to https://employment.ku.edu/academic/23697BR .  A complete application packet will include the following materials: (1) cover letter; (2) curriculum vitae including record of accomplishments and productivity; (3) research statement including a description of research agenda; (4) a teaching philosophy statement; and (5) the names, email and contact information for four professional references. In addition, at least four recommendation letters (teaching ability must be addressed in at least one letter) should be submitted electronically to https://www.mathjobs.org/jobs/list/21213
. 

Include a statement of your goals for the unit, responding to the following questions:

• What challenges and opportunities do you think the Mathematics Department faces in the next few years?
• What should be the Department’s priorities?
• How do you see yourself participating in these challenges, opportunities, and priorities, and how can you affect these changing trends?

In addition to the materials above, learning about each applicant’s contribution and engagement in areas of diversity is an important part of KU’s mission. As a result, applicants will be presented the following question at the time of application in KU’s applicant tracking system:

• Describe your experiences working with people from diverse backgrounds and explain how those experiences reflect your commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Applicants are also encouraged to include or expand upon how they have contributed to building a culture of belonging through DEI initiatives within the required application materials provided.

Application review will begin November 28, 2022 and will continue until a pool of qualified applicants is obtained.

Application Review Begins

28-Nov-2022

Anticipated Start Date

18-Aug-2023

Primary Campus

University of Kansas Lawrence Campus

Advertised Salary Range

commensurate with experience and education

Disclaimer

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university’s programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, [email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).