The University of Sydney invites applications for the position of Dean
in one of Australia's most successful faculties of agriculture, which
will celebrate its centenary in 2010. The position is available from
January 2008, following the end of the term of Professor Les Copeland as
Dean.
The Faculty continues to lead and to respond to new developments both in
education and in research in agriculture. It offers a diverse range of
courses in the sciences and economics related to agricultural
production, processing, marketing, and natural resource management in
Australian and international contexts. The combination of applied
sciences and applied economics gives the Faculty its special character
and provides an excellent environment to foster essential interactions
between these disciplines for teaching, research and technology transfer
in food systems and natural resource management.
The Faculty has the advantage of being largely metropolitan-based in the
Camperdown Campus near the Sydney CBD where it is co-located with the
extensive facilities of other sections of the University, but it also
has important facilities in the Camden Campus on the south-west fringe
of metropolitan Sydney, at Narrabri (580 km from Sydney) in the
north-west of NSW in a summer dominant rainfall area that is a rich and
diverse agricultural area of dryland and irrigated cereals, pulses and
cotton, and the Holtsbaum Agricultural Research Institute (Nowley Farm),
located in one of the most versatile and reliable winter and summer
dryland cropping regions of Australia, the Spring Ridge/Liverpool Plains
district of the central/north west slopes of NSW. The Faculty also has
access to other University Farms, especially "Arthursleigh", a grazing
property of 7,800 ha in the Southern Highlands of NSW. The Faculty has
developed extensive international links through research collaborations
and educational programs.
The Faculty is non-departmental, consisting of three discipline groups;
Sciences, Agricultural and Resource Economics, and the Plant Breeding
Institute. Each of these has a discipline leader, or Director, in the
case of the Plant Breeding Institute. In addition to leading the groups,
the discipline leaders and Director PBI, together with the Pro-Dean,
provide advice to the Dean by serving on the Faculty's executive
management committee.
The University has recently created clusters of faculties to encourage
synergies in learning and teaching, and in research, and to facilitate
academic co-operation and administrative efficiency. The Faculty of
Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources is part of a cluster of
science-related faculties known as the Faculties of Science, which
brings together the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources,
the Faculty of Science, and the Faculty of Veterinary Science. The
Faculties of Science is headed by an Executive Dean who has managerial
oversight of these cooperative activities. The Dean of the Faculty of
Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources should be prepared to also serve
in the role of Executive Dean.
The Dean, as chief executive of the Faculty, is responsible for
providing leadership both within the University and nationally, for
maintaining and strengthening the Faculty's record of innovation and
productivity in research and education and for contributing to the work
of the Faculties of Science, the University, the agriculture and
resource sector and the wider community.
Attractive terms of appointment will be negotiated with the successful
candidate. The initial appointment as Dean will be for a period of five
years. At the conclusion of this period, the appointee may be invited to
undertake a further specified period as Dean. At the conclusion of the
term as Dean, the appointee may be offered a continuing appointment as a
Professor within the Faculty. It is anticipated that interviews for the
position will be held in October 2007.
Confidential enquiries concerning the position may be directed to the
Liaison Officer appointed by the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and
Natural Resources, Professor Peter Sharp, on +61 2 9351 8803 or email:
p.sharp@usyd.edu.au. Applications and enquiries may also be addressed to
the recruitment consultant advising the University, Mr James Allen,
Director, Stanton Chase International by telephone on +61 2 9251 7188 or
by email: j.allen@stantonchase.com
The University reserves the right to appoint by invitation and not to
proceed with any appointment for financial or other reasons. Equal
employment opportunity and no smoking in the workplace are University
policies.
The position is listed on http://fmweb01.ucc.usyd.edu.au/personnel/
Closing date: 31st August 2007
