Administrative Search and Review
Administrative Searches
Administrator Search Process
The University of Louisville is home to 13 academic units led by deans, including four located on the Health Sciences Center campus and nine on the Belknap campus. The Office of Faculty Affairs coordinates searches for academic deans on behalf of the Executive Vice President and University Provost. Dean searches are conducted in accordance with the procedures outlined in Redbook Section 3.2.1, Appointment of Deans.
Dean searches are designed to identify outstanding academic leaders who will advance the University's mission and strategic priorities. Search committees are appointed to assist with the recruitment and evaluation process and typically include representation from faculty, staff, students, administrators, and other stakeholders as appropriate.
Searches for administrators other than academic deans are coordinated by the division or office to which the position reports. The responsible unit oversees the search process, committee formation, candidate review, and selection procedures in accordance with applicable university policies and practices.
The Office of Faculty Affairs may provide guidance and support for leadership searches and administrative reviews as requested.
Administrator Review Process
Deans of the academic units receive annual performance reviews from the Executive Vice President and University Provost. Every five years, a comprehensive review of the dean's performance and overall effectiveness of the unit administration is conducted as described in Redbook Section 3.2.3.
Other administrators receive annual performance reviews from the person to whom the administrator reports.
Faculty Fellow for Student Success Search
Faculty Fellow for Student Success
Student Success Data & Insights Initiative
Office of the Provost | University of Louisville
Appointment Period: Spring–Fall 2027; nine-month faculty: Spring and Fall; twelve-month faculty: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Faculty Support: 10% base salary release funding paid to the academic unit/department to offset reassigned faculty effort; no additional compensation to the Fellow
Application Deadline: November 20, 2026
Reports to: Senior Vice Provost
Position Overview
The Office of the Provost invites applications for a Faculty Fellow for Student Success to advance the university’s Student Success Data & Insights initiative, a university-wide effort to use institutional data and research to improve undergraduate retention, academic progression, and degree completion. The initiative identified six interconnected areas of inquiry: Student Trajectories, Momentum & Completion, Academic Experience, Conditions for Success, Institutional Barriers, and Intervention Effectiveness.
The Faculty Fellow will work closely with Institutional Research and Analytics for Decision Support (IRADS) and university partners to identify data needs, develop analytical approaches, directly conduct priority analyses, interpret findings, and translate evidence into actionable recommendations for changes to university policies, practices, programs, and student support strategies. The Fellow is expected to bring the analytical skills and capacity to carry out substantial hands-on research.
The Fellow will begin with Student Trajectories, examining why similarly situated students experience different academic outcomes, when their trajectories diverge, and which factors contribute to academic success, recovery, or attrition. Because the six areas are interconnected, the Fellow may pursue questions across multiple areas as findings emerge, rather than completing one area before beginning another. Priorities will be guided by institutional impact, data availability, and opportunities for meaningful action.
The fellowship emphasizes moving from data and research to institutional improvement, rather than producing analyses solely for reporting purposes.
Project Objectives and Deliverables
1. Establish Research Priorities and Data Needs
Collaborate with IRADS to review the Data & Insights research agenda, prioritize questions, identify available data and gaps, and determine appropriate analytical methods. Draw on existing IRADS analyses, data definitions, and methodological guidance to develop a feasible plan that clearly identifies analytical responsibilities and anticipated support needs.
Deliverable: Prioritized research and analysis plan, beginning with Student Trajectories and incorporating related questions from other areas as appropriate.
2. Conduct and Interpret Student Success Analyses
Take an active, hands-on role in analyzing student outcomes, early indicators of academic difficulty, risk and protective factors, academic recovery, and other priority questions. Work with IRADS on data access, definitions, methodology, validation, and targeted analytical support as needed. Pursue related questions across the six areas when findings suggest connections that could inform institutional action.
Deliverable: Findings from an initial set of priority analyses, including interpretation of results and identification of factors UofL may be able to influence.
3. Develop Actionable Recommendations
Translate research findings into recommendations for improving student outcomes. Potential recommendations may involve academic policies, course structures, advising, financial practices, early interventions, institutional processes, or student support programs. Prioritize based on evidence, potential impact, feasibility, resource requirements, and the university’s ability to implement changes.
Deliverable: Three to five evidence-based, actionable recommendations, with proposed responsible units, implementation considerations, and expected outcomes.
4. Advance Recommendations Toward Implementation
Collaborate with university leadership and appropriate units to develop implementation plans for selected recommendations, identifying responsibilities, resources, timelines, and evaluation measures. Operational responsibility will remain with the appropriate university units.
Deliverable: One or two recommendations advanced to an implementation-ready stage, with defined responsibilities, resource requirements, timelines, and evaluation plans.
5. Report Findings and Establish Future Priorities
Summarize completed analyses, key findings, recommendations, and implementation progress. Identify additional research priorities and data needs to sustain the initiative.
Deliverable: Final report documenting accomplishments, proposed institutional changes, implementation plans, and priorities for continued research and evaluation.
Proposed Work Plan
The work plan will accommodate the selected faculty member’s existing appointment period, with fellowship activities in Spring and Fall for nine-month faculty and in Spring, Summer, and Fall for twelve-month faculty.
Period | Activities |
|---|---|
| Spring 2027 | Review existing IRADS work; prioritize Student Trajectories and related questions; identify data needs; begin analyses |
| Summer 2027 (12-month faculty only) | Continue analyses, interpret findings, pursue related questions, and develop preliminary recommendations |
| Fall 2027 | Complete priority analyses; refine recommendations with institutional partners; advance selected changes toward implementation; develop evaluation plans |
| December 2027 | Submit final report with findings, recommendations, implementation progress, and future research priorities |
Minimum Expected Outcomes
By December 2027, the Faculty Fellow is expected to:
- Complete an initial set of priority analyses, beginning with Student Trajectories and incorporating related questions from other areas as appropriate.
- Develop three to five evidence-based, actionable recommendations for improving student success.
- Advance one or two recommendations to an implementation-ready stage, including responsible units, resource requirements, timelines, and evaluation plans.
- Produce a final report summarizing findings, recommended institutional changes, implementation progress, and priorities for continued work.
The scope and sequencing of activities will be adjusted as appropriate for nine-month and twelve-month appointments while maintaining these core expectations.
Faculty Fellow Qualifications
Applicants must be full-time University of Louisville faculty members. The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- Demonstrated ability to independently conduct quantitative research and statistical analysis, including preparing and analyzing complex data, validating findings, and evaluating educational outcomes.
- Knowledge of evidence-based teaching, learning, and student success practices in higher education.
- Ability to translate research findings into actionable recommendations for institutional policies, practices, and programs.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across academic disciplines and with institutional research professionals, administrators, and student support units.
- Strong analytical, project management, and communication skills.
- Experience working with complex institutional or longitudinal student-level data, predictive modeling, or program evaluation is desirable. Applicants should be prepared to become familiar quickly with UofL’s institutional data and context. Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to apply.
Appointment and Faculty Support
The Faculty Fellow will work under the direction of the Senior Vice Provost in close collaboration with IRADS and other university partners. The Fellow will be responsible for actively conducting the priority analyses and translating findings into institutional recommendations. IRADS will serve as a collaborative partner by facilitating access to institutional data, advising on data definitions and methodology, sharing existing analyses, and providing targeted analytical support as feasible within agreed-upon priorities and capacity. Specific responsibilities and support needs will be established jointly at the outset of the fellowship.
The appointment will align with the faculty member’s existing contract: Spring and Fall 2027 for nine-month faculty, or Spring, Summer, and Fall 2027 for twelve-month faculty.
The fellowship will provide 10% salary release funding, calculated on the faculty member’s base salary under their existing nine-month or twelve-month contract. This funding will be provided to the faculty member’s academic unit/department to offset reassigned faculty effort. It does not constitute additional compensation to the Faculty Fellow.
Interested faculty are asked to consult with their dean before applying.
Applicants should submit:
- Letter of interest (maximum two pages) describing relevant quantitative research and hands-on data analysis experience, familiarity with student success, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Current curriculum vitae.
- Project statement (maximum two pages) describing a feasible approach to personally conducting priority analyses for the Data & Insights initiative, beginning with Student Trajectories; collaborating with IRADS; and translating findings into institutional improvements.
Selection will emphasize demonstrated capacity to conduct substantive quantitative analysis, familiarity with complex data, collaborative skills, and the feasibility and potential impact of the proposed approach.
Application Deadline: November 20, 2026
Submit Applications To: Jeremy Raines jeremy.raines@louisville.edu
Interested faculty are asked to consult with their dean before applying.
Dean of Speed School of Engineering (SOE) Search
Learn more about WittKieffer (PDF).
Learn more about the Position Profile [PDF].
Search Committee
Dean, Speed School of Engineering (SOE)
Participants:
- Jeffrey M. Bumpous, M.D., FACS, EVPHA/ Dean, Schol of Medicine - Committee Co-Chair
- Michael McIntyre, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, SOE – Committee Co-Chair
- Tom Berfield, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, SOE
- Erin Gerber, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept of Industrial & Systems Engineering, SOE
- Jeff Hieb, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept of Engineering Fundamentals, SOE
- Adrian Lauf, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering, SOE
- Peg O’Neil, District Manager, Air Network Planning & Industrial Engineering, UPS Air Group
- Bella Saalfeld, President, Student Council
Zhihui Sun, Ph.D., Professor, Dept of Civil & Environmental Engineering, SOE - Angela Thompson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept of Engineering Fundamentals, SOE
- Mani Vangalur, Director, Speed Technology Solutions, SOE
- Hui Wang, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, SOE
Ex Officio:
- Cherie Dawson-Edwards, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
