Grand Valley State University is seeking a dynamic and collaborative academic leader to serve as the next Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is the university’s largest and most academically diverse college, offering over 50 undergraduate degrees and a growing number of advanced programs across the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and the arts. CLAS serves as the foundation of the university’s general education curriculum, fostering critical skills in inquiry, analysis, and communication that prepare students for meaningful careers and lifelong adaptability. With more than 1,000 courses, active faculty scholarship, and opportunities for hands-on learning and community engagement, the College equips students with both immediately marketable skills and the intellectual agility to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences oversees the largest academic unit at GVSU. The college plays a central role in delivering the university’s general education program and is distinguished by a commitment to student success, faculty excellence, and community engagement. The next Dean will have the opportunity to shape the future of a dynamic, diverse, and highly collaborative college that is integral to GVSU’s mission and impact across the region and beyond. The dean reports to the provost and is the college's chief administrative, academic, and budgetary officer. The next dean will oversee a large team of 18 within the dean’s office and will manage a budget of $107 million. The dean serves as a role model of integrity and professionalism for the college’s faculty of teacher-scholars and for staff, and is accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students. The dean collaborates closely with the other deans as well as others across the university, the region, the nation, and the world to coordinate academic programs, interdisciplinary initiatives, and applied research.