Location: Florence,SC, USA
Francis Marion University is seeking a director to develop, articulate, and implement a plan which establishes the Forestry Program as an integral part of a public comprehensive university that emphasizes a liberal arts curriculum as well preparation for professional programs at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral levels. The Director will oversee the Society of American Foresters (SAF) accreditation process that will include designing the curriculum and hiring faculty. As faculty for the inaugural Department of Forestry are hired the Director will assume academic and strategic leadership of the faculty and serve as department chair. He/she will oversee the operations of the Forestry Program including, consulting during the construction of the Environmental Science and Forestry Building (ESFB), establishing professional partnerships within the Pee Dee region, and recruiting students.
Required qualifications and skills:
* Ph.D., or terminal degree, in forestry, natural resources, or closely related disciplines.
* Extensive research, teaching, service, or practical experience in her/his discipline.
* Knowledge of current practices in forest management and related applied fields.
Preferred qualifications and skills:
* Prior academic administrative role.
* Demonstrated experience with the SAF accreditation process.
* Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships within FMU and between University and Community constituents.
* Ability to present information to diverse audiences.
Salary and Benefits:
Salary and academic rank will be competitive and commensurate with the level of experience.
The state of SC defined-benefit and defined-contribution retirement plans; health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans; and investment options are highly competitive with FMU supplementing the employee's contribution by 9% of the individual's gross income to either retirement plan. Current participants in the defined-contribution retirement plan are TIAA, Empower/Mass Mutual, AIG, and VOYA.
Anticipated start date: August 2025
Application instructions:
Candidates are encouraged to submit the following materials by March 1, 2025.
* A cover letter (Referencing Position Number 25-14). describing your interest in the position and addressing your compatibility with the required and preferred qualifications and skills.
* A current resume/curriculum vitae.
* A statement describing your philosophy of leadership and vision especially as it relates to developing a new department of forestry.
* A statement describing your philosophy of teaching and research within the context of a public liberal arts program.
* Copies of all graduate transcripts.
* Contact information for three references.
* References will only be contacted during the final phases of the search.
* FMU Faculty Application. (To obtain the FMU faculty application please click here.)
Send complete application packet to:
Dr. Charlene Wages
Vice President for Administration and Planning
Francis Marion University
P.O. Box 100547
Florence, SC 29502-0547
Please direct all questions to:
Dr. T. Alissa Warters
Provost
...@fmarion.edu 843-###-####
About Florence and Francis Marion University:
Francis Marion University (FMU) is a state-supported, regional university located in Florence, South Carolina. Located about six miles east of the city of Florence, SC, FMU's 400-plus-acre main campus is known for its natural beauty, including hundreds of acres of mixed pine/hardwood and bottomland forests. Additional land holdings bring the total to almost 850 acres including a 20-acre pond.
FMU prides itself on providing a strong liberal arts education that serves as the foundation for a variety of professional careers. The University offers a broad range of undergraduate degrees and a select number of graduate programs that serve the needs of the community, and of local businesses and industries of the Pee Dee region. As a comprehensive public university, FMU offers an outstanding educational experience in a superb learning environment. The mission of the university is threefold: to provide students with an excellent education, stimulate inquiry and research, and serve the Pee Dee region and the state of South Carolina.
FMU has been named a Great College to Work For since 2013 as acknowledged in Annual Supplements to the Chronicle of Higher Education. In addition, it has been recognized for its excellence in education by several national ranking agencies, among them the US News and World Report survey, which has named FMU as one of its top regional universities in the south for more than a decade.
Florence, SC, is located at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95, and is within a few-hour drive from several metropolitan areas, including: Columbia, SC; Charleston, SC; Charlotte, NC; and less than an hour drive from Myrtle Beach, SC. While the official population size is given as 40k, the city of Florence serves closer to five times that many people on a daily basis throughout the surrounding communities of the greater Pee Dee region.
Candidates will find this area to be an excellent place to live. Florence enjoys award winning schools, affordable cost of living, excellent healthcare, and robust recreational programs including sports, community events and festivals. Florence is a growing city with a vibrant arts culture. Florence's thriving downtown was recently awarded the prestigious Great American Main Street Award, which recognizes communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization.
As Francis Marion University has continued to be recognized for its diverse student body, it especially welcomes applicants who can affirm and enhance its mission.
Applicants honorably discharged from a branch of the United States Armed Forces, who meet the minimum training and experience requirements, are given employment preference by all State agencies and higher education institutions in South Carolina.
FMU Is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution