Dean of the College of Agriculture
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, CHICO
California State University, Chico invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the
College of Agriculture. The Dean is the executive officer of the College.
The College of Agriculture offers programs in Agricultural Business, Agricultural Sciences/Education,
Animal Science, and Crops/Horticulture/Land Resource Management. The curriculum is structured to
create an integrated and interdisciplinary course of study. Bachelor of Science degrees are offered in
Agricultural Business, Animal Science and Agriculture. The teacher education program is a post-graduate
option leading to secondary teaching credentials in Agriculture. A Masters in Agricultural Education is a
fully online, self-support graduate degree option for agricultural educators offered through an
innovative collaboration with the Ag*IDEA Consortium. Integrated into the instructional program and
managed by the College is an 800-acre irrigated farm and 240 acres of rangeland. The College receives
external funding and support to accomplish its mission; it enjoys strong relationships with producers and
processors in the agricultural industry and various support groups; it has especially strong connections
with its 12-county service region in northern California. The College has 18 tenure/tenure track faculty;
9 full-time equivalent lecturer positions, and 23 staff positions, including an Advancement Officer. The
College has experienced double-digit enrollment growth in the last 5 years, which shows no signs of
tapering off.
The Community that encompasses Chico State is located in the beautiful and verdant northern
Sacramento Valley in Chico, California. Chico is a community with a rich heritage of agriculture and a
deep connection to the local environment, including Bidwell Park, one of the largest municipal parks in
the United States. It is within this unique context that, for over 60 years, the College of Agriculture has
impacted the quality of life in California and across the nation by educating and equipping agricultural
leaders who have the theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and decision-making abilities that
allow them to excel in their chosen career. The close, friendly nature of the College, combined with an
integrated agricultural curriculum and remarkable access to hands-on education, creates a fertile
learning environment for our students and the agriculture industry we serve.
Responsibilities: As chief academic and administrative officer for the College, the Dean reports to the
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and is responsible for administration, development and
direction of academic programs of the College of Agriculture, including the oversight of the Agricultural
Research Institute Funds. The successful candidate will understand and support the values of a public,
comprehensive, residential campus, recognizes the critical role of faculty and staff in the life of the
University, and will actively participate in collaboration. Specific responsibilities include College
leadership for academic excellence in teaching, research, university service, and the development of
external support and fundraising through building relationships with alumni, friends, and industry and
community organizations. The Dean is responsible for setting College-wide strategic directions, guiding
academic policy, administering resources for instruction and research, managing fiscal and personnel
resources of the College, and guiding student recruitment and retention. The Dean will serve with a
strong administrative team committed to making CSU, Chico one of America’s outstanding
comprehensive universities.
This position is a “designated position” in the California State University’s Conflict of Interest Code. The
successful candidate accepting this position is required to file Conflict of Interest forms subject to the
regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Required Qualifications:
 An earned doctorate, and academic accomplishments equivalent to the rank of professor in
the College of Agriculture at CSU Chico.
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A record of outstanding administrative leadership and consultative management style.
Evidence of expanded alliances with both the public and private sector.
Strong experience and commitment to engage the College in a comprehensive program of
advancement / fund raising activities.
Demonstrated experience / knowledge in the agriculture industry.
Demonstrated experience in fiscal and personnel management.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to represent the diverse interests of the College
both on campus and externally.
Ability to promote excellence in teaching, scholarship, and professional activity in the College.
Preferred Criteria:
 Ability to communicate a vision for the future of agriculture.
 Experience working in an applied agricultural research program that engages students.
 Experience working with shared governance; collective bargaining; and interdisciplinary
collaborations.
 Commitment to enhancing the sustainability of agricultural systems.
 Ability to promote student success, retention and recruitment.
 Ability to manage effectively in a dynamic and evolving environment.
The University: California State University, Chico is one of the most highly ranked regional public
universities in the West and one of the most popular within the California State University 23 campus
system. With 16,000 students, 7 colleges, and 70 undergraduate and 35 graduate degrees, Chico State
provides students a northern California small-college-town, residential campus experience that rivals
many private universities. The campus emphasizes and fosters sustainability, service to the community,
and civic engagement that transforms student learning and enhances the local and extended
environment. Over 100,000 alumni have achieved distinction as graduates. Corporate and alumni
development plans are fully implemented, and the Wildcats NCAA II athletic teams routinely compete
for national championships.
As a university that educates students of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, we value a diverse
faculty, staff, and administration and seek to create as diverse a pool of candidates as possible. The
University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis
of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity,
gender expression, marital status, medical condition, national origin, sex, sexual orientation,
covered veteran status, or any other protected status.
Review of applications will begin October 1, 2015, and continue until the position is filled. As a
condition of employment, persons will have to submit to a confidential background check and submit
official, sealed transcripts. All information obtained will be strictly confidential.
Applications/Nominations: Applicants should submit a complete and current curriculum vitae, as well
as names, addresses and telephone numbers of up to five references. A cover letter of interest should
indicate how the applicant’s qualifications relate to the responsibilities of the Dean. Applicants should
briefly articulate their administrative philosophy and the role of the College of Agriculture in public
higher education. In addition, each applicant must complete the Academic Application form which is
available online: http://www.csuchico.edu/faaf/facultyrecruit/facultyapplication.pdf.
Applications/Nominations should be sent electronically, and in confidence to:
Sharon Tanabe, Partner or Emy Peña, Principal
Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates
6512 Painter Avenue
Whittier, CA 90601
Electronic submissions are preferred. Please email us at
stsearch@storbeckpimentel.com Subject: DCOA
For a confidential inquiry or to submit a nomination, please contact Ms. Peña, Principal at 562-360-1710
The University employs only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States.
CSU, Chico is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disability
The person holding this position is considered a “mandated reporter” under the California Child Abuse
and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive
Order 1083 as a condition of employment.
An annual security report disclosing crime statistics for California State University, Chico can be obtained
by contacting the California State University Police Department (530) 898-5372 or by accessing the
following web site: http://www.csuchico.edu/up/
Additional information about the University and the College of Agriculture is available on the World
Wide Web: http://www.csuchico.edu/ag.