Job Description / Duties

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Works collaboratively with faculty to build a positive culture and effective structures, policies, and communication channels.

Serves as the chief advocate for advancing the mission of the Department of Health & Human Performance as well as advocate for the college and university.

Assesses departmental performance and determines critical requirements for program practices and documentation.

Leads best practice expectations for recruitment and retention of students, faculty success, alumni relations, securing and managing extramural funding, and other scholarly and fundraising initiatives.

Promotes and mentors the professional development of faculty within the academic department. Encourages and supports attendance at professional conferences, grant writing, academic and research publications, professional consulting, mentoring, and community engagement. Mentors faculty to success in achieving tenure and advancing through ranks. Maintains professional development and ongoing success of seasoned faculty.

Performs annual evaluations of faculty and staff. Develops annual performance plans outlining what each faculty or staff member will accomplish in the coming year. Combines results of individual plans to produce an annual performance plan for the department as a whole.

Ensures that departmental course offerings optimize resources and are offered in a timely manner with adequate student input to ensure the smooth flow of student progress toward graduation.

Exercises fiduciary responsibility on all departmental operating, special, and endowment accounts as well as fixed and consumable assets assigned to departmental programs. Monitors dedicated scholarships closely and ensures that awards are made in a timely fashion.

Develops and improves departmental plan for curriculum development, review, and revision. Utilizes course student assessments and input from faculty, program graduates, and external stakeholders/employers. Utilizes results from these assessments to identify and respond to areas of greater demand and to seek out new areas of strength.

Oversees, in conjunction with program faculty and departmental staff, an effective and continuous student academic advising program for each academic program of study in the department. Monitors graduation rates and ensures compliance with any relevant Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board requirements, particularly, where appropriate, state-mandated core curriculum learning goals.

Collaborates with departmental faculty to mentor new graduate students and ensures that any graduate assistants employed by the department, including those supported by extramural funds, receive appropriate training and mentoring to enable them to perform their job assignments professionally.

Serves as the primary departmental liaison with the dean, graduate school, the registrar, and institutional effectiveness.

Oversees the assessment processes used for regional accreditation.
Keeps faculty informed of institutional issues in a timely and transparent fashion and manages departmental student issues; the graduation process; employment of adjunct faculty and GAs; departmental and program marketing, including the departmental website; student internships; alumni records; departmental fund-raising initiatives; ordering of equipment and supplies; facility renovations; and the completion of various required reports.

Serves on selected departmental, college, and university committees.

Qualifications / Required Skills

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education: Doctoral degree in Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Sport & Recreation Management, Public Health, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.

Experience/Knowledge/Skills: Academic background commensurate with the rank of associate professor or higher. Proven teaching competency and effectiveness at the university level within HHP programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Demonstrated ability to produce research, publish scholarly work, and pursue grant funding. Post-doctoral experience; experience in organizing and managing a research lab; thesis advising; and a commitment to shared governance and quality programming.

Ability to: Ability to manage multiple tasks with competing priorities and work cooperatively with faculty, staff, and students. Ability to work beyond normal office hours and on weekends as needed. Ability to travel.

Additional Information

PREFERRED EDUCATION/SKILLS/EXPERIENCE:

Strong leadership and administrative experience, including managing faculty and staff, departmental budgeting, resource allocation, and strategic planning.

Experience in curriculum design, program assessment, and familiarity with accreditation processes to ensure academic excellence across various programs.

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary department and university environment.
Experience in developing interdepartmental collaborations and fostering cross-functional teamwork.

Demonstrated engagement in professional organizations with involvement in national initiatives.

Strong written and oral communication skills.

Evidence of effective interaction with students, faculty, administration, community, and professional organizations.

SUPERVISION OF OTHERS:

Departmental staff and faculty.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.

Contact Information

HR.Hiring@tamuc.edu

Employer Profile

SUMMARY:

The Department of Health & Human Performance is looking for a faculty member to serve as department head with half-time teaching responsibilities. Position is responsible for developing a productive and collaborative atmosphere, mentoring faculty, developing an effective shared governance system, working effectively with the college dean and senior administration, building excellence in curriculum and coursework scheduling in collaboration with the department faculty, and initiating and sustaining an externally funded research program.

The Department of Health and Human Performance serves almost 900 students in both graduate and undergraduate programs in the areas of Public Health, Kinesiology, Sport Management, Exercise Science, Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning, and Athletic Administration.

Texas A&M University-Commerce offers more than 100 degrees at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels to over 12,000 students. Located one-hour East from downtown Dallas, Commerce is a community with a rich combination of local music, festivals, and other unique entertainment. A&M-Commerce has a Dallas campus and the public health programs are offered in that location.