Description
The University of California, Santa Cruz, seeks a collaborative leader and strategic convener to serve as the Dean of the Social Sciences Division. The Dean serves as the executive officer of the Division and partners closely with the Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor to lead the Division and help guide the academic program of one of the nation's most distinctive research universities through a period of transformative opportunity and change. The Dean will join a highly collegial and collaborative group of academic leaders and be expected to work closely with the deans of the four other academic divisions (Arts, Engineering, Humanities, Physical and Biological Sciences).
Set within 2,000 acres of coastal redwood forest overlooking Monterey Bay, UC Santa Cruz is a top-tier public research university that combines academic excellence with a bold commitment to access, sustainability, and social impact. With a total enrollment of nearly 20,000 students—approximately 17,370 undergraduates and 1,890 graduate students—UC Santa Cruz is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and holds R1 status. In fiscal year 2024, UC Santa Cruz secured over $250 million in extramural research funding, reflecting a dynamic research enterprise. The University's annual operating budget exceeds $1 billion, with core funds supporting its mission of teaching, research, and public service. Guided by its strategic plan, Leading the Change, UC Santa Cruz is advancing student success, interdisciplinary innovation, and inclusive excellence.
The Division of Social Sciences at UC Santa Cruz encompasses eight academic departments: Anthropology, Economics, Education, Environmental Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, Politics, Psychology, and Sociology. It is the largest division on campus, enrolling roughly 36% of UCSC's undergraduates and 17% of its graduate students. The Division offers fifteen undergraduate majors, four master's programs, and eight doctoral programs—many of them interdisciplinary in scope and design.
Research in Social Sciences is supported by a wide array of interdisciplinary centers and initiatives that address critical social, economic, and policy issues. These include the Center for Agroecology, which manages a 35acre organic farm in partnership with UCSC's Agricultural Experiment Station, as well as the Center for Economic Justice and Action, the Center for Integrated Spatial Research, the Dolores Huerta Research Center for the Americas, the Center for Analytical Finance, the Science and Justice Research Center, the Center for Statistical Analysis in Social Sciences, the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History, the Center for Labor and Community, the Right Livelihood Center, and the Institute for Social Transformation. The Division also houses two residential undergraduate colleges—College Nine and John R. Lewis College—whose Provost reports to the Dean and the Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education. In total, the Dean oversees a $40 million budget, approximately 150 fulltime faculty, and more than 100 staff members dedicated to advancing the Division's teaching, research, and public service mission.
The next Dean of Social Sciences at UC Santa Cruz will assume this role at a pivotal time. As the Division with the largest undergraduate enrollment, a diverse interdisciplinary research portfolio, and a deep commitment to social justice, Social Sciences requires an experienced leader who will lead with vision and creativity. Navigating fiscal realities while driving innovation within the Division, the Dean will be tasked with strengthening research and teaching infrastructure, advancing graduate pathways, enriching experiential learning, deepening community engagement, and amplifying the Division's impact locally and globally.
Equally critical will be the Dean's role in expanding fundraising and strategic partnerships. The Dean must articulate a compelling vision that attracts transformative investments and cultivates collaborations with industry, government, and nonprofits. Through courageous leadership, creative problemsolving, and a commitment to socially engaged scholarship, the next Dean will position Social Sciences as a dynamic, resilient, and globally impactful division, ensuring its continued role as a leader in innovation, equity, and public good.
The Dean must be an accomplished academic leader with national or international distinction as a scholar and educator, qualified for appointment as a tenured full professor in the Division of Social Sciences. The candidate must bring extensive experience in fostering interdisciplinary research and education, including the creation of new academic programs, as well as the ability to communicate effectively with administrators, faculty, students, and staff within a framework of shared governance. They must show a deep appreciation for the mission and responsibilities of a public R1 university serving a diverse state, coupled with a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. Proven aptitude and success in fundraising and securing external support, as well as the ability to cultivate and sustain positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, will be imperative.
All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as two separate documents, a CV or resume, and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile.
WittKieffer is assisting UC Santa Cruz in this search. For full consideration, candidate materials should be received by March 9, 2026.
Nominations and inquiries can be directed to Suzanne Teer, Alejandra Gillette-Teran, and Sarah Seavey at UCSCDeanSocSci@wittkieffer.com.
The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $345,000 to $385,000. Please visit UCnet to learn about the benefits of working at UC.
It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.
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