Career Center

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
POSITION VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Assistant/Associate Dean for Clinical Services and Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital

The University of Illinois invites applications and nominations for the position of Assistant/Associate Dean for Clinical Services and Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The successful candidate will serve as the leader of the College’s clinical services.

The vision of the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is to be "a pre-eminent public CVM, provide a transformative educational experience for our students, create and communicate knowledge that changes the world, deliver outstanding clinical service to our patients and clients, and pursue excellence in all our endeavors". The College values collegiality and professionalism in all our interactions. The College also values, nurtures, and respects all members of its community and ensures an environment of inclusion where all students, faculty, and staff are inspired and empowered to achieve their full potential. In 2023 Forbes ranked the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as #9 among all US public colleges, on the basis of return on investment, student success, student debt, and alumni leadership and influence. Only one other campus featuring a veterinary college ranked above Illinois.

The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine was founded in 1944 as the nation’s 11th veterinary college and admitted its first class of 24 students in 1948. However, the history of veterinary education, research, and service on the Urbana campus began decades earlier with the appointment of Dr. H. J. Detmers as Professor of Veterinary Science in 1870, shortly after the University was founded as a land-grant institution in 1867. From these beginnings, the college has grown to be ranked 13th in the U.S. and 37th in the world in the 2019 QS World University Rankings of veterinary science programs. 

The University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital (UIVTH) on the Urbana campus is comprised of a small and a large animal clinic encompassing 233,540 sq. ft. The UIVTH added the Veterinary Medicine South Clinic to house our primary care and zoological medicine outpatient practices, shelter medicine program, and Wildlife Medical Clinic. A wildlife ambassador residence to support the wildlife outreach program was completed in April 2020, and an educational classroom is being developed. Additional upgrades to the UIVTH include a Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator installed in 2020 and an 8,000 sq. ft. small animal surgical wing addition to the small animal clinic was completed in 2022. Renovation and remodeling of the large animal clinic, including expansions of the equine surgical suites, is scheduled to be completed by October 2023. A $15.0M gift from a grateful client was matched with an internal investment from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to expand the UIVTH’s facilities for cancer care. A new wing, featuring a dedicated entrance for oncology clients, new oncology exam and treatment rooms, and space devoted to clinical trials for cancer patients, is slated to open in 2025. 

The clinical services on the College of Veterinary Medicine campus in Urbana serve as the primary clinical teaching laboratory for veterinary students in all years of the veterinary curriculum. Primary care practices in Chicago (IL) for small animals and Farmer City (IL) for equine patients contribute to the teaching caseload. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital reported 36,000 unique patient visits in the past fiscal year, with caseload approximately 30% large animal and 70% small animal. Zoological species represent about 10% of the reported small animal caseload. Annual revenue generated exceeded $22.0M. A full complement of specialty services makes the UIVTH the premier referral center for veterinary patients throughout central Illinois, in addition to drawing referrals from elsewhere in Illinois and neighboring states. Additionally, both in-house services and satellite clinical units associated with the College have established themselves as centers of excellence for general health and primary care of large, small, and zoological animal species.

The Assistant/Associate Dean for Clinical Services and Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital will serve as the chief administrator and financial officer for the UIVTH. In cooperation with the Hospital Board, the Assistant/Associate Dean for Clinical Services and Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital provides direction and leadership in all aspects of the UIVTH's role as a place to teach, learn, practice, do research, and obtain healthcare for animals in support of the College of Veterinary Medicine, while maintaining a positive working environment for employees and trainees. Additionally, this position provides strategic and budgetary support for all clinical services in the College of Veterinary Medicine, including the Medical District Veterinary Clinic in Chicago, Spay-Neuter and Community Outreach Program in Urbana, and Midwest Equine in Farmer City. 

Required qualifications: The successful candidate must have a DVM degree or equivalent, at least 5 years of  veterinary clinical experience, experience managing large business operations, and eligibility to hold a veterinary license in Illinois. Candidates with an MBA or board certification in a specialty recognized by the AVMA would be given preference.

The successful candidate should understand the role of a major veterinary teaching hospital within a land-grant university and embrace its tripartite mission of teaching, research, and clinical service. The successful candidate should be an excellent communicator, possess strong interpersonal, administrative, leadership and business management skills, be a strategic thinker, and an excellent mentor. The successful candidate will be appointed as either a Clinical (non-tenure track), Tenure Track, or Tenured faculty member at the Associate or Full Professor level, depending upon qualifications.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which have a combined population of 100,000 and are situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 120 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University employs 3,000 faculty members who serve 31,000 undergraduates and 12,000 graduate and professional students; approximately 25% of faculty receives campus-wide recognition each year for excellence in teaching. More information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu.

Applications: Applicant screening will begin immediately. Candidates are encouraged to review the details of the position description https://vetmed.illinois.edu/2023/10/27/clinical-services-dean/and submit their materials by 1/30/2024; however, screening will continue until the position is filled. The application packet should include a cover letter detailing how the applicant’s credentials and experience meet the needs, responsibilities, and qualifications stated above; a current curriculum vitae (CV); and contact information for three references (who will not be contacted without further correspondence with the applicant). Questions should be directed to Angela Ronk, College of Veterinary Medicine, 2001 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, IL 61802, aronk@illinois.edu, 217/300-1744.

Additional information about the position may be obtained by contacting:
Dr. Santiago D. Gutierrez-Nibeyro, Chair of the Search Committee
Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine
University of Illinois
1008 West Hazelwood Drive
Urbana, IL 61802
sgn@illinois.edu

The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment