Dean and Vice-Provost (Graduate Studies)

Located in Canada’s most enterprising city, the traditional territory of the peoples of Treaty 7 and the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6), the University of Calgary (UCalgary) is a global and innovative intellectual hub for teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and community engagement.
Calgary is a welcoming city, known for its thriving innovation ecosystem, leadership in energy transition and its openness and commitment to equity and diversity. The Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) fosters excellence, creativity, and innovation in graduate education and research at the University of Calgary. It provides leadership and support to our diverse community of over 8000 graduate students in more than 80 programs. In support of the University of Calgary’s new Strategic Plan, “Ahead of Tomorrow,” FGS aims to engage graduate students with excellent supervision and research and learning opportunities.
Reporting to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic), the Dean and Vice-Provost (Graduate Studies) has a complex, dual role as the leader of the faculty and the campus champion of graduate education. The Dean is responsible for growing and driving institutional priorities that further enhance the University’s graduate education portfolio, including the implementation of new transdisciplinary credentials and programming. The Dean will work with a dedicated team to build on best-in-class successes already achieved at the University of Calgary to increase graduate enrolment by 7,000 by 2030. Working across the University’s academic and administrative portfolios, they will lead the identification and implementation of innovative approaches for advancing post-secondary education for the next generation of scholars, practitioners, and professionals.
As Dean and Vice-Provost, you will solidify the University reputation as a global hub of innovation. You will help grow both course and thesis-based programs and assure that our graduate students advance the University’s mission while ensuring that graduate supervision is innovative, professional and ethical. You will advance our passionate graduate learning community as a centre of excellence, embedding strong communication and leadership skill development alongside core subject learning in a future focused and entrepreneurial educational environment. You will challenge our students’ self-perceptions of their own capabilities. With a demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and Indigenization and Reconciliation, you will maintain a professional reputation to serve as a visible presence within the University community.
As the ideal candidate, you will have a PhD or equivalent professional and academic qualifications commensurate with an appointment with Tenure at the rank of Professor. You have demonstrated excellence through your post-secondary academic leadership over a minimum of 5 years from previous positions that may include roles such as Associate Dean, Department Head or Institute Director. Your established leadership, organizational and administrative ability includes extensive graduate supervision, financial and budgeting skills, community engagement and proven fund development experience, with a track record of securing funding. You have demonstrated experience in a position of influence including guiding a vision through to accomplishment, are an exceptional listener, communicator, and collaborator with the capacity to advocate and inspire in a wide variety of settings and across a diverse demographic of stakeholders. You are student-centered and passionate about graduate student success.
Our graduate students embody the institution’s dynamism, vibrancy, and entrepreneurial spirit as they pursue their personal, educational, and professional goals. You will harness their inspiration as you redefine what is possible in graduate education.
The successful candidate will provide leadership in creating space for people who hold diverse perspectives, and will actively lead local implementation of university strategies including Indigenous (ii' taa’poh'to'p), Sustainability, Global Engagement, Mental Health, as well as an emerging EDIA strategy. The appointment as Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies is for a five-year period with the possibility of renewal. The successful candidate will be offered an academic position “With Tenure” at the rank of Professor.

About The University of Calgary
UCalgary is one of Canada’s top five comprehensive research universities, with over 8,000 graduate students and 28,500 undergraduate students, over 1,800 academic staff (continuing, contingent term or limited term appointment), and more than 1,300 sessionals, over 3,200 non-academic staff, in 14 Faculties, across five campuses. As one of the top start-up universities, our focus on innovation and entrepreneurial thinking provides our students with the tools to succeed in our changing economy. The vibrant and research-intensive environment at UCalgary is home to 169 research chairs (75 Canada Research Chairs), and more than 50 research institutes and centres. UCalgary has the fastest growth rate in attracting research funding among the 10 largest universities in Canada. The recently completed Energize: The Campaign for Eyes High, was the third-largest fundraising campaign in Canadian history, surpassing our goal of $1.3 Billion.
We strive to innovate and create societal impact. With a consolidated budget of more than $1.6 billion, which includes an annual operating budget of just over $800 million and external research revenues of over $504 million, the University of Calgary is among Calgary's largest employers and contributes nearly $16.5 billion annually to Alberta’s economy.
Building on the success of the Eyes High strategy, the University embarked on a new strategic visioning process to continue our excellence in research and teaching and strengthen our community engagement in one of Canada’s most diverse and fastest growing cities. This new strategy is supported by the University of Calgary’s academic and research plans as well as the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility, Indigenous, mental health and sustainability strategies.
The University of Calgary’s remarkable trajectory reflects strong growth and entrepreneurial spirit. Our students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and community have built a bold university in less than 60 years. This Strategic Plan - Ahead of Tomorrow - shapes our journey toward 2030, considered through long-term, foundational commitments to: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility; Indigenous Engagement; Mental Health; Global Engagement; and Sustainability.
Based on our unique approach to teaching and learning, research excellence, community partnership, and campus operations, this Strategic Plan and our foundational commitments together lay a mosaic for the future.
Click this link to learn more about the 2023-2030 Ahead of Tomorrow Strategic Plan: https://www.ucalgary.ca/about/2030

About Calgary
Recently ranked the 2nd most liveable city in North America and 7th in the world (2023) by The Economist Intelligence Unit, and possessing one of the youngest populations of major cities in Canada, Calgary is home to world-class attractions, sporting amenities and public infrastructure that supports a healthy lifestyle, making it a great place to raise a family (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnh-WugziiiHwMT44-sVwrA). Situated where the Canadian plains reach the sunny foothills of Canada’s majestic Rocky Mountains, Calgary is a major urban centre surrounded by an area of profound beauty with an awe-inspiring mountains, lakes, rivers and gorgeous prairie.
Consistently rated by the United Nations as the world’s best country to live in, Canada is the world’s second largest country by total area and is one of the most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations. Canada ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education.
To explore this opportunity further, please send your CV and Letter of Interest in confidence, with the subject line “Dean and Vice-Provost, Graduate Studies” to: apply@jssearch.ca
The University of Calgary’s comprehensive benefits and pension program is designed to promote a productive level of health and well-being to staff members. In Alberta, decanal salaries are provincially regulated with the total compensation maximum set by the reform of Agencies, Boards, and Commissions (Post-Secondary Institutions) Compensation Regulation. In alignment with this regulation the salary range for this position is $210,000 - $260,000. To learn about our comprehensive benefits package for this Calgary-based, English-speaking position, please visit https://www.ucalgary.ca/hr/benefits-pension.
The University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here; in particular, we encourage members of equity-deserving groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding diversity at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodation can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).