California State University is looking for a Department Chair to provide collaborative, equity-centered leadership within the Watson College of Education. This role is responsible for advancing academic excellence, faculty development, student success, and strategic planning for a large, comprehensive academic department.
What You'll Do
- Provide day-to-day management of the department.
- Provide strategic and academic leadership for eight programs, ensuring alignment with College, University, CSU system, and Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) standards.
- Lead the development and implementation of a department strategic plan aligned with the College and University mission.
- Support and mentor a diverse faculty body, including tenure-track, tenured, lecturer, and university supervisors.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative departmental culture grounded in equity, culturally sustaining practices, and shared governance.
- Oversee program coordination, curriculum development, assessment, and continuous improvement processes.
- Lead accreditation efforts such as California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and WASC Senior Colleges and University Commission (WSCUC).
- Manage department budgets, course scheduling, workload assignments, and faculty evaluations.
- Develop departmental budgetary plans and resource requests in consultation with faculty and college leadership.
- Monitor enrollment trends and manage FTES targets.
- Support faculty recruitment, Retention, Tenure, and Promotion (RTP) processes, and professional growth.
- Advance student success initiatives with attention to closing equity gaps and serving first-generation and historically underserved students.
- Oversee student recruitment and retention initiatives.
- Collaborate with P–12 districts, community colleges, and community partners to strengthen early fieldwork, supervised student teaching, internships, and pipeline initiatives.
- Promote grant development, research, and externally funded initiatives.
- Maintain active engagement with discipline-based professional organizations at the state, regional, and national levels.
- Strengthen alumni engagement and collaborate with the Dean and University Advancement to support development initiatives.
- Oversee stewardship of departmental facilities, equipment, and instructional resources.
- Collaborate with college and university administrators regarding space planning and program-related facilities’ needs.
- Supervise department-sponsored lectures, public events, and program-related activities.
- Provide leadership in the development and expansion of online, hybrid, and innovative instructional delivery models.
- Represent the department in college and university leadership councils and events.
What We're Looking For
- Earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree in education or a related discipline represented within the department.
- Tenure or eligibility for tenure at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor at a public or private accredited university.
- Demonstrated record of effective leadership in higher education (e.g., program coordinator, associate chair, director, assistant or associate dean, or similar role).
- Evidence of successful experience working with diverse faculty, staff, candidates, and community partners.
- Experience coordinating or overseeing Single Subject or Multiple Subject teaching credential and/or graduate programs.
- Demonstrated knowledge of accreditation processes, particularly CTC accreditation and program review process.
- Record of scholarly achievement, appropriate for a comprehensive public university.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racist practices, and culturally sustaining pedagogy.
- Experience with faculty evaluation processes and budget oversight.
- Strong communication, organizational, and conflict-resolution skills.
- Experience of successfully working with staff in an academic department and across a college.
- Record of successfully working collaboratively with an education college Dean, college leadership team, faculty, and staff.
Nice to Have
- Experience as a department chair in multi-program department within a public university system, with a minimum of three years.
- Experience of serving as a Single Subject or Multiple Subject teaching credential, and/or early childhood credential program coordinator for at least three years.
- Demonstrated success mentoring junior faculty through the RTP process.
- Experience serving in an HSI, MSI, or other minority-serving institution and demonstrate records of supporting under-served student success.
- Experience strengthening partnerships with P–12 districts, especially in high-need communities.
- Experience advancing equity-focused initiatives and closing opportunity gaps.
- Record of securing or supporting external funding and grants.
- Experience with online, hybrid, and innovative program delivery models.
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex scheduling and workload issues in a unionized environment.
- Commitment to collaborative leadership and transparent decision-making.
- Evidence of scholarly activity, publication, and innovation. Evidence of exemplary graduate-level teaching and leadership experience at program level.
Team & Environment
The department includes eight programs. This role reports to the Dean of the Watson College of Education (WCOE) and works closely with program coordinators, faculty, staff, district partners, university leadership, and University Advancement.
Work Mode
This is an onsite position based in San Bernardino, CA.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are values central to our mission. We are committed to building and sustaining a CSUSB community that is supportive and inclusive of all individuals. CSUSB is a smoke & tobacco-free campus.
