Position Announcement – Chair, Department of Mathematics
The Department of Mathematics at Illinois State University invites applications for the position of Chair. This is a 12-month appointment, preferably to begin July 1, 2023. As the Department’s chief administrative officer, the Chair reports to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The Chair will be expected to provide vision and leadership, secure resources to accomplish the Department’s goals, and foster a collegial atmosphere conducive to teaching, research, and service. The Chair also teaches one course per year.
To be considered for this position, applicants should have an earned doctorate in Mathematics, Mathematics Education, Statistics, or a related field and hold the rank of Associate Professor or Professor. Applicants should also have a distinguished record of scholarly productivity and demonstrated administrative competencies and the interpersonal skills necessary to provide innovative leadership to a productive, well-functioning department with a diversity of research interests and specialties. State law mandates demonstrable oral proficiency in the English language as a requirement for this position. This position is security sensitive and subject to a criminal background investigation based on University policy. Employment is contingent upon the candidate’s satisfactory clearance of a criminal background investigation.
The Department has a special interest in candidates who can demonstrate commitment to the core values of both the Department and the University, which include equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Candidates who have experience working with a diverse range of faculty, staff, and students, and who can contribute to the climate of inclusivity are especially welcome to apply. Women, veterans, persons with disabilities, and people of color are encouraged to apply.
The Department of Mathematics: The Department (https://math.illinoisstate.edu/) is a vibrant, dynamic, and energetic group of faculty, staff, and students. We are academically diverse and passionate about meeting the needs of our students. We have built a strong reputation for scholarly work in actuarial science, algebra, biomathematics, discrete mathematics, statistics, and mathematics education while maintaining a commitment to teaching, collegiality, and service. The Department has approximately 30 tenure-track faculty, 33 non-tenure-track faculty, and 5 staff currently serving about 300 undergraduate majors, 60 MS students, and 18 Ph.D. candidates. The Department also has a substantial commitment to the General Education program.
The Department offers majors in actuarial science, mathematics, mathematics teacher education, statistics, and data science and computational mathematics. It also offers a 5-year accelerated BS/MS program in mathematics, master’s programs in actuarial science, applied statistics, biomathematics, mathematics, and mathematics education in elementary and middle school, and a Ph.D. program in mathematics education. Currently, approximately half of the undergraduates in the Department are mathematics teacher education majors and each year ISU graduates about 25 secondary mathematics teachers. The actuarial program is a Center for Actuarial Excellence and won the Casualty Actuarial Society University Award.
Illinois State University: Illinois State University (http://www.illinoisstate.edu) is committed to fostering a small-college atmosphere with large-university opportunities. The University and the Department are committed to shared governance and academic freedom. Founded in 1857, ISU is the oldest public university in Illinois with an enrollment of approximately 20,500 students in its six colleges. The Department of Mathematics is housed with the College of Arts and Sciences (http://www.cas.ilstu.edu) which is home to 19 academic departments and interdisciplinary programs. Please visit the University’s points of pride at https://illinoisstate.edu/points-of-pride/. Illinois State made U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 rankings of America’s best public national universities based on academic quality and excellence. The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Edvocate have consistently named Illinois State University one of the “Great Colleges to Work For”. Washington Monthly ranked the University No. 62 out of all national universities for the institution’s contribution to the public good through social mobility, research, and public services. The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) recognized Illinois State University with the 2021 Excellence and Innovation Award for Civic Learning and Community Engagement, highlighting the University’s efforts encouraging students to be engaged and educated citizens in partnership with the community.
Bloomington-Normal Community: Illinois State University is located in the growing twin cities of Bloomington and Normal, with a population of approximately 167,000. The community is home to Illinois Wesleyan University, Heartland Community College, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Carle BroMenn Medical Center, Rivian Motors, Country Financial, and State Farm Insurance Corporate Headquarters. The community has distinguished itself for its outstanding school systems and educational attainment, parks and recreation, health care, job growth, economic opportunity, and low crime. Forbes magazine ranked Bloomington-Normal the 66th best small places for businesses and careers and 13th best for education (https://www.forbes.com/places/il/bloomington/) Bloomington-Normal is conveniently located about three hours from Indianapolis, two hours from both Chicago and St. Louis and an hour from Peoria, Champaign-Urbana, Decatur, and Springfield, many of which are accessible by Amtrak Train. For more information on our community, please visit http://www.visitbn.org/.
Application Procedure: Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. For full consideration, submit all materials by December 1, 2022. Please complete an online application (www.jobs.ilstu.edu) by uploading the requisite documents, which include:
- cover letter of application
- detailed letter indicating fit to the position and giving concise philosophies about teaching, research, and leadership style, as well as a statement about your commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
- curriculum vita
- names and contact information for three professional references.
If you have questions about the position, please contact the search committee chair, Dr. Jon Friesen (jfriese@ilstu.edu).
Illinois State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.