Chair *Department of Information Systems University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland* The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) seeks a collaborative and entrepreneurial leader to serve as Chair for the Department of Information Systems. Leading one of the University’s longest-standing and largest departments, the next Chair will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Department. UMBC is an emerging, dynamic, and diverse public research honors university in Baltimore, Maryland, known for its innovation and undergraduate teaching. With about 14,000 total students, UMBC is a mid-size university with a welcoming, close-knit community. With this reputation and location, the Department of Information Systems is well poised to continue building relationships across campus and externally with nearby funding agencies and major corporate collaborators, such as the National Science Foundation and the Northrop Grumman Corporation. The successful candidate shall have a track record of leading collaborative efforts on research and teaching and is expected to lead growth and capitalize on the opportunity to shape the department, set the vision for its future, and establish its identity. The new Chair will also sustain and broaden relationships with University and external partners to increase opportunities for interdisciplinary research, funding, cooperative education, and employment. In addition, the next Chair will lead a strategy in building faculty capacity and reputation while focusing on retention and strengthening research and graduate programs. UMBC has engaged Isaacson Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist with this important search. Inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed in confidence as indicated at the end of this document. THE UNIVERSITY AND ITS MISSION A member of the University System of Maryland, UMBC is a dynamic public research university integrating teaching, research, and service to benefit the citizens of Maryland. As an Honors University, the campus offers academically talented students a strong undergraduate liberal arts foundation that prepares them for graduate and professional study, entry into the workforce, and community service and leadership. UMBC emphasizes science, engineering, information technology, human services, and public policy at the graduate level. UMBC contributes to the economic development of the state and the region through entrepreneurial initiatives, workforce training, K-16 partnerships, and technology commercialization in collaboration with public agencies and the corporate community. UMBC is dedicated to cultural and ethnic diversity, social responsibility, and lifelong learning and redefines excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement. For the past four years, U.S. News ranked UMBC in the top ten on a list of the nation’s “most innovative” national universities. For the past ten years, U.S. News also consistently ranked UMBC among the nation’s leading institutions for “Best Undergraduate Teaching.” To learn more about UMBC’s strategic planning to fulfill its mission, please visit *https://planning.umbc.edu/strategic-plan/. <https://planning.umbc.edu/strategic-plan/>* UMBC is committed to advancing knowledge, economic prosperity, and social justice by welcoming and inspiring inquisitive minds from all backgrounds. Of UMBC’s 11,250 undergraduate and 2,500 graduate students, nearly half are students of color. The faculty is made up of 546 full-time and 292 part-time members. The University is led by Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, who has served as President since May 1992. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with special emphasis on minority participation and performance. He chaired the National Academies’ committee that produced the 2011 report, Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads. He was named in 2012 by President Obama to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. President Hrabowski has received numerous accolades, including being named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report in 2008 and one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2012 by TIME Magazine. THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERINNG AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) distinguishes itself by a continued commitment to cross-disciplinary research and education and by providing outstanding education opportunities to graduate and undergraduate students to contribute to the professional workforce in engineering, computing, and information systems. COEIT is home to about 4,000 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students across more than 20 programs. Last year, COEIT awarded 726 bachelors degrees, and 90% of undergraduate degree recipients reported employment, further studies in a graduate/professional school, or both at the time of graduation. On the graduate side, 319 masters degrees and 31 doctoral degrees were awarded last year with a placement rate of 94%. For 2017, the research expenditure of the college exceeded $14M, of which approximately $12M is federally funded. Through innovation and collaboration, the College of Engineering and Information Technology will capitalize on our geographic location and unique blend of engineering and information technology to transform lives and meet societal challenges. COEIT’s strategic plan, adopted in Fall 2015 (*https://coeit.umbc.edu/coeit-strategic-plan/ <https://coeit.umbc.edu/coeit-strategic-plan/>*), identifies concrete strategic directions, goals, and metrics to meet this vision. THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS Founded in the early 1980s, the Department of Information Systems focuses on the entire system of information, knowledge, delivery, and use, taking an external, human-based perspective on technology and how it can be implemented to serve the informational needs of people and organizations. The department is an iCaucus member institution and is an early member of the iSchool movement (*https://ischool.org <https://ischool.org/>*). An integral part of COEIT, the Department currently offers a variety of degrees and certificates for undergraduate and graduate students, including a B.A. in business technology administration, B.S. in information systems, accelerated B.S./M.S., M.S. in information systems, which is also offered online, M.S. in human-centered computing, Ph.D. in information systems, and Ph.D. in human-centered computing. Through these offerings, students study the design, implementation, and evaluation of information technologies and leave UMBC with a strong business and management background paired with excellent human communication skills that can be used to interact with a variety of audiences with various backgrounds. The department currently has 30 full-time faculty members, many of whom get recognition for contributions in their respective research areas. Faculty members are engaged in state-of-the-art research that has resulted in numerous new external grants in areas such as Health IT, Cybersecurity, Big Data/Data Science, Human Centered Computing, and Artificial Intelligence. To learn more about faculty research, visit *https://informationsystems.umbc.edu/home/faculty- <https://informationsystems.umbc.edu/home/faculty-and-staff/>* *and-staff/. <https://informationsystems.umbc.edu/home/faculty-and-staff/>* With over 1,800 students across the eight academic programs, the Department graduated 305 undergraduate students, 159 Masters students, and 9 Ph.D. students last year, many of whom are pursuing careers in the industry, government, and academia, while others are pursuing graduate studies at the master’s and Ph.D. levels. The Department has over 10,000 alumni, accounting for a considerable portion of UMBC’s total alumni base of 75,000. THE ROLE OF THE CHAIR The Chair serves as the principal academic and administrative officer for the Department, setting priorities and leading the unit’s faculty, staff, and students. Mentoring, recruiting, and promoting faculty and ensuring up-to-date curricula and successful accreditation of programs are crucial responsibilities of the Chair in continuing to strengthen and promote Information Systems at UMBC. The Chair manages a budget of $8M and oversee 27 full-time faculty and 4 staff. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES UMBC seeks a chair who will articulate the Department’s vision, inspire its constituencies, and align department plans and priorities with COEIT’s and UMBC’s strategic priorities. UMBC believes that the next Chair will need to engage successfully with the following specific challenges: *Lead the Department in Solidifying its Identity and Creating a Vision for the Future* The Chair will inspire the next phase of Information Systems by leading the Department in an inclusive strategic planning process that fully engages stakeholders across the Department, College, and UMBC. The aim is to build upon the Department’s successes and strengths, reinforce its identity as a center for multi-disciplinary study, and continue to move the Department to become one of the preeminent Information Systems program in the country. The Department has played an important role at UMBC and in the region’s community, industry, and economy, and as such, the Chair will also be responsible for articulating the identity, vision, and strengths across UMBC and externally. *Engage Stakeholders* The Chair will be a key leader in helping shape the potential of the College and will represent the Department externally to current and prospective partners, especially the business community and recruiters. UMBC has the largest cooperative education program in Maryland, and Information Systems students participate in this program in greater numbers than any other major on campus. With the Baltimore/Washington corridor becoming one of the largest centers for technology employment, the IS department is poised to continue its growth as a research center and connect well-trained students to thousands of new jobs. By one estimate, there are as many as 50,000 technology job openings in the region, a unique opportunity to deepen the Department’s regional impact. *Expand the Department’s Collaborative work Across Disciplines* The next Chair will work collaboratively across the College and UMBC to maintain and enhance the broad range of current collaborations, as well as to identify and forge new opportunities, especially in growing the Department’s research footprint. UMBC’s size and affinity for interdisciplinary efforts empower the Chair to be innovative and proactive in such endeavors. There are several active examples of the type of collaboration that UMBC would like to replicate, including research relationships with the Erickson School (*https://erickson.umbc.edu <https://erickson.umbc.edu/>*), Imaging Research Center (*https://www.irc.umbc.edu <https://www.irc.umbc.edu/>*), the Hilltop Institute (*https://www.hilltopinstitute.org <https://www.hilltopinstitute.org/>*), the professional schools of the University of Maryland Baltimore (*https://www.umaryland.edu <https://www.umaryland.edu/>*), the National Federation of the Blind (*https://nfb.org <https://nfb.org/>*), and the Digital Harbor Foundation (*https://www.digitalharbor.org <https://www.digitalharbor.org/>*). *Grow the Faculty through Hiring and Retention Efforts* To support continuously growing enrollments, the Chair will lead efforts to recruit, retain, and develop outstanding faculty. With the increasing number of students entering both undergraduate and graduate programs, it is important that the next chair create a strategy to increase faculty capacity for teaching. Additionally, the next Chair has the opportunity to increase the reputation of the department by bringing in well-respected faculty to lead cutting-edge research funded by a wide range of institutions and government entities. It is expected that the Chair will oversee the hiring of faculty members on an annual basis to meet the growing demand from students and employers for the foreseeable future, in addition to creating conditions for retaining outstanding faculty. *Leverage Diversity and the Power of Students* The Department of Information Systems is home to one of the most diverse student populations on campus, and its students are true problem solvers and ideal employees for public and private sector organizations. It is imperative that the Chair not only celebrate the diversity and strength of Information Systems students but also advocate on their behalf to create opportunities for them, the Department, and UMBC. The department has had a long history of success in their students earning employment after graduation. Most recently, 89% of undergraduate and 93% of graduate students are employed at the time of graduation. The new Chair is charged to continue that post-graduation employment success while broadening relationships with local and national partners. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE Candidates should have significant understanding of the academic fields of study commonly included in schools or departments of information systems. In addition, the successful candidate will bring the following professional qualifications, skills, experiences, and personal qualities: · An entrepreneurial spirit and a demonstrated ability to work across disciplines; · A demonstration of leadership quality; · A strong record of externally funded research; · A deep commitment to and history of celebrating diversity, championing equity, and growing a culture of inclusion; · An effective communicator who works well with others and is comfortable taking both a leadership role and a supporting role; · A background in Information Systems and an understanding of how systems work and interact with human beings is required; · A PhD or terminal degree in a related field and credibility to be a full professor under UMBC’s criteria (*https://provost.umbc.edu/files/2015/05/section6.pdf <https://provost.umbc.edu/files/2015/05/section6.pdf>*); · An understanding of the iSchool movement and ability to define future directions for UMBC’s Information Systems Department. TO APPLY Nominations, applications, and inquiries are being accepted for the position. Consideration of candidates will continue until the position is filled. Candidates must submit a curriculum vitae and cover letter. All inquiries, nominations, referrals, and resumes with cover letters will be held in strict confidence and should be directed to: *http://www.imsearch.com/6835 <http://www.imsearch.com/6835>* Andrew Lee, Partner Martens Roc, Senior Associate Kaden Stearns, Associate Isaacson, Miller *UMBC values safety, cultural and ethnic diversity, social responsibility, lifelong learning, equity, and civic engagement. Consistent with these principles, the University does not discriminate in offering equal access to its educational programs and activities or with respect to employment terms and conditions on the basis of a UMBC community member’s race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, ancestry, age, gender identity or expression, national origin, veterans status, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or genetic information.* -------------------------------------------- Associate Professor Department of Information Systems University of Maryland, Baltimore County http://userpages.umbc.edu/~nroy --------------------------------------------