The Opportunity

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Dean, The Frank Batten School of

Leadership and Public Policy Position Description

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The Opportunity

The Opportunity

The University of Virginia seeks an experienced and strategic leader to become the next Dean for the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. The Dean is the primary champion of academic excellence at the School and will work to further inspire, define, and grow a new and distinctive model for leadership and public policy education.

Reporting to the Executive Vice President and Provost, and a part of the President’s Cabinet and Leadership team of the University, the Dean will come into this role at a pivotal time as the Batten School moves forward on an ambitious path of growth, innovation and cross-collaboration. On this path, the Batten School will expand the scale and real-world impact of its research activities and will feature full integration of leadership and policy analysis skills throughout its curriculum. The Dean will play an important role in raising the profile of Batten nationally and internationally, while enhancing research, innovative approaches in education and instruction, service, and fundraising.

The next Dean of the Batten School will join the University at a time of celebration, opportunity, and shared sense of vision. The University welcomed its ninth president, James E. Ryan, in August of 2018, and will welcome a new provost in 2019, M. Elizabeth (Liz) Magill. This year also begins the commemoration of the University’s Bicentennial. The Batten School is uniquely positioned within the University and is poised to expand its profound impact and serve as a model for other policy schools through the efforts of wonderfully dedicated and collaborative faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

The University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy was founded to develop leaders and generate new knowledge to solve the world’s toughest public policy challenges. With a 100 million-dollar gift from the late Frank Batten Sr. and a charge to prepare “enlightened and ethical leaders,” the Batten School opened its doors in 2007 to a small cohort of graduate students. Today the school offers a Masters of Public Policy alongside its Bachelor of Arts program, dual-degree offerings, and an emerging executive education program, while maintaining small cohorts crucial to student cohesion and leadership opportunities.

“Never has there been a greater need for the University’s most important

product: enlightened and ethical leaders who leave grounds prepared

for public life in their communities, in their professions, and in the world at

large.” Frank Batten Sr.

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The Opportunity

The school is also home to seven faculty-led research centers on education policy, health policy, global policy, social entrepreneurship, national security policy, effective lawmaking, and leadership simulation and gaming. Batten’s talented, multidisciplinary faculty represent some of the sharpest minds at work in economics, social psychology, political science, policy and leadership.

Batten differentiates itself as a model for policy schools around the nation with its emphasis on inspiring change through a unique combination of policy analysis and leadership. Now in its eleventh year, it’s clear that the model is working: Batten’s growing alumni base includes change-makers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, entrepreneurs, Fulbright scholars, and future elected officials.

The Batten School is at an exciting nexus on many dimensions that provide opportunities for the new Dean. The School combines the scholarly excellence of an elite research university with the pedagogical and external engagement focus of a top professional school. Batten’s focus on leadership provides a powerful accent to the policy analysis at the heart of the School’s MPP program, while providing a model for training enlightened and ethical leaders from among UVA undergraduates. The University of Virginia also features many policy-oriented units, including the Miller Center, Weldon Cooper Center, Center for Politics, and Sorensen Institute, which complement the mission of the Batten School.

The University of Virginia

The University of Virginia was founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 to advance human knowledge, educate leaders and cultivate an informed citizenry. Over the past three decades, U.S. News & World Report has continually ranked UVA among the top three public universities. The University of Virginia consistently ranks among the top 30 of the nation’s public and private universities combined. We are a thriving and diverse global community of nearly 54,000 students, faculty and staff. University students hail from virtually every state in the nation, and 111 countries, and our 220,000 alumni around the world actively support our mission to serve the greater good.

For more information, see Appendix A.

The Role

The University is seeking a highly qualified and visionary leader who has the experience, energy and drive to leverage the many opportunities before the Batten School and guide its continued rise and growth into the ranks of the top public policy schools in the nation. The Dean will have responsibility

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The Opportunity

for the strategic, programmatic, financial, fundraising, and management operations that support the mission and vision of the School and its role within the broader University. The Dean will demonstrate an active commitment to the University’s mission and the students it serves.

Key Responsibilities Vision and Strategy The Dean will provide strategic leadership by engaging the Batten School community in

further defining and executing an aspirational and unifying vision for the future in collaboration with the School’s faculty, staff, students and alumni. Key to this will be the ongoing effort to create a new model for leadership and public policy education. It is critical that this plan meets the needs of its internal constituencies while responding to the needs of the community and a broad range of prospective employers.

The Dean will articulate a clear and compelling vision for the School to diverse constituencies both internally and externally, including prospective students, alumni, employers, donors, academic partners, and the broader public policy community. The Dean will serve as a unifying force within the School and as an effective external leader and advocate for the School.

Recruit, Develop, and Retain a Distinguished Faculty The Batten School has achieved tremendous growth in the size and scholarly productivity of

its faculty in recent years. Tenure-line faculty in economics, social psychology, and political science form a collaborative interdisciplinary research community with a common focus on the creation of behavioral and social scientific knowledge. Teaching-oriented general faculty and professors of practice add tremendously to the teaching and engagement missions of the School. Faculty benefit from mutual admiration of the contributions each bring and from a deep commitment to the value of blending research, teaching, engagement, and service. The School’s endowment has supported highly competitive salaries, light teaching loads, and substantial research funding.

Recent increases in the School’s endowment, currently at $141 million, present further possibilities for endowed chairs, enhanced research center activities, and attractive returns to faculty and centers of the overhead on grants.

The Dean will collaborate with faculty to guide resources toward a further alignment of research center goals with the School’s overall mission.

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The Opportunity

Inclusive Excellence The Dean must have a commitment to and record of advancing diversity, and will help to

ensure Batten’s leadership in building diversity in all its forms, by recruiting and retaining faculty, staff, and students, and developing a culture in which everyone feels valued and supported.

The Dean will have the ability to identify, engage and excite prospective donors who have an interest in supporting and helping to shape the School’s future.

Resource Development The Dean will take an active and enthusiastic role in fundraising for the School and the

upcoming Bicentennial Campaign in close collaboration with University Advancement, the Batten Foundation Board, and alumni.

The Dean should expect to devote a significant amount of time to this effort with a primary goal of securing significant additional space for the growing School. The Dean will have the opportunity to complete an ongoing building-focused fundraising campaign and oversee the construction of a new, right-sized facility in a location that positions the Batten School as a host of cross-disciplinary research teams, a home of innovative training and education, and a convener of important policy conversations.

Visibility and Impact The Dean will enhance the Batten’s School reputation, both on a national and global level, in

the worlds of public policy and leadership, including engaging with high-level public officials and supporting the School’s many efforts to increase its real-world impact. The Dean will also lead the way in outreach to a broad network of external contacts.

Leadership and Relationship Building The Dean will promote and serve as an example of increased collaboration and cooperation

among disciplines and programs and set high standards and expectations for faculty performance. The Dean will continue to build partnerships with other schools and units at UVA and beyond. The Dean will work to connect students, alumni, faculty and the School’s Foundation and Advisory Boards in an ongoing manner.

To be most effective, the Dean should be a known and visible presence throughout the School, as well as with UVA leadership and external constituents, and embody the ideals of trust, open communication, transparency, and collegiality.

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The Opportunity

Continuous Improvement The Dean will build upon and reinforce the Batten culture of continuous improvement. The

School has increasingly adopted data-driven processes for self-assessment and improvement in all areas of its operations. The Dean will trust and empower faculty and staff to use their experiences and knowledge to advance the School’s mission in their own areas of expertise.

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Candidate Profile

The Candidate Profile The successful candidate possesses a demonstrated record of creative, inspiring and accomplished leadership in complex environments with the highest level of commitment to advancing the mission of the Batten School. Because a distinctive feature of the Batten School is the emphasis on leadership, the successful candidate will embrace this aspect of the School and have the needed experience to give clear direction within the academic and extracurricular programs. While no single individual will possess all the desired experiences and qualifications, the successful candidate should possess many of the following attributes:

Professional Experience

PhD, JD, or other terminal degree; a record of successful scholarship, exemplary teaching, significant research contributions, and experiences to qualify as a full professor in a relevant program within the School.

Develop an inclusive vision for the School based on a deep understanding of trends in public policy and leadership. This should include previous experience in the creation and implementation of a strategic plan and a demonstrated record of leading and managing change.

Experience and passion to be an exceptional fundraiser. Candidates should be able to demonstrate that they will be able to identify, engage, and excite prospective donors who have an interest in supporting and helping to shape the School’s core teaching, research, service, and public engagement missions.

Accomplished administrator with significant experience in a leadership role in university, private sector and/or public service setting. Demonstrated fiscal responsibility and business sense and the ability to manage budgets.

Demonstrated commitment to building an inclusive and diverse community – faculty, staff, and students.

Deep experience and success recruiting, retaining and developing leadership teams. Significant management experience and a style that is adaptive, inclusive and views faculty, staff and students as engaged participants.

Demonstrated experience in the public policy process and in engaging with policy makers.

Highly collaborative member of the University leadership team, with a firm and abiding

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Candidate Profile

commitment to shared governance.

Sound understanding of the research frontier in relevant social science and behavioral science disciplines and a proven capacity to communicate complex ideas to highly varied audiences.

Interpersonal Characteristics

Exceptional personal and professional integrity;

Thoughtful, transparent and collaborative;

An excellent verbal and written communicator;

Actively listens and learns;

Ability to influence at all levels;

Encourages debate and effectively deals with conflict;

High energy and a good sense of humor.

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To Apply

To Apply or Nominate: To learn more about this opportunity and the search committee, please visit: http://executivesearch.virginia.edu/search/dean- frank-batten-school-leadership-and-public-policy Please submit applications to our Jobs@UVA portal. Applications should include a resume and letter of interest. The search will be carried out with full confidentiality; candidates will be notified before references are contacted. For confidential inquiries or to nominate someone for this opportunity, please contact Nalini Turner, Managing Director - DC of UVA’s Executive Search Group, at naliniturner@virginia.edu.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

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Appendix A: About the University

The University of Virginia Research Portfolio UVA was founded to question convention, expand understanding and harness the “useful sciences” as a means to advance society. Two centuries later, as a major research institution, we continue to uphold the ideals that made us unique among universities: our pursuit of discovery through collaboration and cross-disciplinary exploration. With core investments in strengthening our research capabilities, UVA is focusing research on intellectual and societal challenges where it can have the most impact. As part of this effort, the University is investing in several cross-disciplinary initiatives that address complex challenges – including data science, environmental resilience, global infectious disease and neuroscience – that provide valuable education and research opportunities and generate impactful scholarship. UVA was awarded $394 million in sponsored research funding in 2018. A World Treasure In 1987, UNESCO named Jefferson’s Academic Village at the University of Virginia a World Heritage Site. This rare distinction – bestowed in conjunction with Monticello – marks the world’s most culturally significant landmarks. In fact, UVA is one of only two such sites still used for its original purpose. Today, Jefferson’s Academical Village continues to bring his vision to life and the Rotunda – originally the University’s library – remains the heart of UVA. The Lawn, a central feature of UVA’s Grounds, retains the unique pavilions and student living quarters originally sketched by Jefferson and plays a major role in the University’s community. Financial Strength As of the end of fiscal year 2017, UVA’s assets totaled $11.2 billion. The University’s endowment, an essential source of permanent support, ranks among the top-five largest for public institutions of higher learning and is among the top 20 of all U.S. colleges and universities. Financial leaders at the University have also designed and implemented a highly efficient debt structure, and UVA is one of only four public institutions with a AAA bond rating from all three rating agencies – Moody’s Investor Services, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Investor Services. UVA has a remarkably beneficial economic effect on the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2016, an external research firm placed the University’s impact on Virginia at $5.9 billion, including substantially aiding in the creation of over 51,000 jobs and $239.9 million in state and local government revenues.

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Appendix A: About the University

Strategic Investment Fund Authorized by the Board of Visitors in February 2016, the University’s Strategic Investment Fund has invested more than $300 million to date in advances in scientific research and innovation, educational opportunities, matching funds for student scholarships, recruitment and retention of distinguished faculty, enhanced student life, philanthropic endeavors, and more. The fund was created to provide funding to “transform a critical area of knowledge or operation; further research progress of the University; materially enhance the quality of the academic experience; support an affordable and excellent education for Virginians and expand economic development in the Commonwealth,” according to its website. Below is a look at four recent initiatives. The Bicentennial Scholars Fund and the Bicentennial Professors Fund were recipients of a $100 million grant and a $75 million multiyear grant, respectively. Both are matching programs designed to draw private donors to match the University’s contributions. The scholars fund will help ensure affordable access to UVA for students of all backgrounds through need- and merit-based scholarships; the professor’s fund, endorsed by 10 deans at UVA, aims to continue the University’s commitment to attracting and retaining distinguished faculty through the creation of an estimated 70 endowed professorships. With $15.7 million committed by SIF in June of 2017, the University will build upon its advanced brain research, particularly increasing research capabilities concerning neuromodulation—the direct stimulation of the nervous system with electrical signals and its use in therapies for neurodegeneration and epilepsy. Complementing the efforts of the pan-University Brain Institute established in 2016, the funds will go toward research tools including brain mapping, focused ultrasound, bioinformatics, imaging and data mining. UVA is a national leader in the study of Type 1 diabetes; the $17 million investment committed in December of 2016 via the SIF “will allow us to develop further our artificial pancreas studies, create a statewide genomics screening program to identify children at risk of developing Type 1 diabetes and advance our existing work on human beta cell regeneration,” says Dr. Richard P. Shannon, EVP for health affairs at the UVA Health System. To continue UVA’s positioning as a leading institution focused on strengthening global democracy, the SIF committed $10 million in June 2017 (with required matching philanthropic commitments) toward UVA’s Democracy Initiative, focusing on interdisciplinary research, education focused on

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Appendix A: About the University

humanities disciplines, as well as team- and project-based labs to engage students with leaders and scholars around the world. Health System The University of Virginia Health System, led by an incredible team, is committed to providing outstanding patient care, educating tomorrow's health care leaders and researching breakthroughs to treat disease. U.S. News and World Report has named the UVA Health System the best hospital in Virginia every year since 2016 and ranked 10 specialties among the top 50 in the nation. Over the past three years, the Health System leadership team has proven itself one of the most effective in the country. With a $2.3 billion annual operating budget, the UVA Health System leads the University in generating many areas of research and forging innovative affiliations. Notable associations include a joint venture with Novant Health to provide clinical services to patients in north-central Virginia and an academic affiliation with Inova Health System, the largest health care provider in Northern Virginia, collaborating on research, medical education and the recruitment of preeminent researchers, scientists and investigators to the Commonwealth. This partnership creates an expanded presence in the Washington, DC, region for additional academic pursuits, including engineering, graduate business and leadership training. Global Engagement Jefferson understood the importance of cultivating a global perspective. Of UVA’s eight original faculty members, five were from outside the United States. Today, our level of engagement in the world is stronger than ever, including research initiatives designed to address key global challenges, such as our partnership with the Max Planck Society; UVA’s established presence in Shanghai and London, where we’re working to internationalize our curriculum and strengthen global partnerships; and the efforts of Darden and McIntire to place business students into current practice in the global business landscape. Making a World-Class Education Accessible to All The University of Virginia offers an affordable, world-class education that is consistently ranked among the nation’s best. UVA admits talented students from across the Commonwealth, the nation and the globe, without consideration of their financial situation. In fact, UVA is one of only two public universities in the nation that has both a need-blind admission process and that meets 100 percent of admitted students’ demonstrated financial need. The University is committed to providing robust

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Appendix A: About the University

aid and support to attract the best and brightest deserving students form all backgrounds while protecting students and their families from excessive debt. Student Experience The student experience at UVA is unique, characterized by the elegance of Jefferson’s architecture; the Honor System and the consequent community of trust; the Lawn and its residential community for faculty and students; the retention (96.5% first year retention) and graduation (six year rate of 95%) rates, which are among the highest in the country; the primacy of student self-governance; the engagement of faculty with students; and the emphasis on service. These intangibles of the student experience add a special dimension to student life that shapes graduates who are intellectually curious and conduct themselves with integrity. The current community is made up of 16,034 undergraduate and 6,771 graduate students. The University’s most recent admitted undergraduate class (2022) was among its most diverse and saw the highest percentage of first-generation students in UVA’s history. Honor the Future: The Campaign In October, 2019, the University will mark the public launch of a multibillion dollar Capital Campaign designed to support a bold and ambitious vision for its third century. Charlottesville Located in Central Virginia just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Charlottesville offers stunning beauty, extraordinary culture and an inexhaustible list of cultural and recreational activities. With exceptional restaurants, cultural events like the Virginia Film Festival and Festival of the Book, hiking and kayaking along the scenic Rivanna River and a variety of music venues including John Paul Jones Arena and the Charlottesville Pavilion, Charlottesville offers an extraordinary quality of life. It also boasts a vibrant ecosystem of rapidly growing entrepreneurship and innovation. A wonderful place to raise a family, Charlottesville and Albemarle County have schools that are consistently ranked top in Virginia and the nation. Just outside the city limits, Albemarle County offers a rich variety of cultural, natural and historic attractions. Most notable among these is Monticello, the famous home designed by Thomas Jefferson, where he spent many years of his life, living, working and writing. The county also hosts Highland, home of President James Monroe.

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Appendix A: About the University

Charlottesville is easily accessible with daily Amtrak service to Washington, DC, and enjoys its own convenient airport. The Richmond International Airport and Washington, DC, Dulles International Airport are about 60 and 90 miles away. This juxtaposition of a bustling city and rural life creates a rich diversity in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. The Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of approximately 230,000 people. It is challenging to put any community into words: we recommend watching this video to get a better sense of this special region.

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Appendix B: About Batten

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy is authoring a new model of public policy education. Of the 250-plus schools of public policy and administration in the United States, the Batten School has the distinction of being the only one explicitly committed to teaching leadership—how it works, why context matters in decision-making and which actions lead to tangible results. The School’s programs inspire students to act vigorously, effectively and ethically on behalf of the common good. The Batten School was a much different place when its doors first opened in 2007. There were two full-time faculty members, three staff and two dozen students enrolled in the new master’s program. From this modest beginning, the School has grown more than tenfold in just over a decade. Nearly 170 students are enrolled in the post-graduate and accelerated Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs, joined by 175 undergraduates in the BA program and 30 students minoring in Public Policy and Leadership. Batten graduates are in high demand—the School’s MPP class of 2017 reached full employment within six months of graduation. Students emerge from the Batten School understanding social responsibility and equipped with specific skills to work collaboratively and successfully in real-world environments to achieve a shared mission and accomplish common goals. In response to surging demand, Batten has expanded to more than 30 staff and 70 interdisciplinary faculty scholars (view the Batten School Organizational Chart). The School’s innovative approach has attracted leading scholar-practitioners in political science, social psychology, policy history, economics, and law from around the globe. Their areas of focus reflect the drive and research of some of the sharpest minds at work in policy and leadership today. Batten faculty also lead the School’s seven research centers, which focus on the areas of health policy; social entrepreneurship; education policy; global policy; leadership and simulation; effective lawmaking; and national security policy. While much has changed over the years, the Batten School remains committed to its founding mission: to produce enlightened and ethical leaders who leave Grounds prepared for public life—in their communities, in their professions, and in the world at large.

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