Associate Dean for Research & Learning
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries seeks a strategic, relationship-driven leader to serve as Associate Dean for Research & Learning. This is a full-time, 12-month administrative appointment with an anticipated start date in late summer or early fall 2025. The successful candidate also will be a member of the University Libraries’ faculty.
The Associate Dean joins the Libraries at a pivotal time, as we advance a bold vision for the future of public research libraries through the development of the Nebraska Model—a relationship-first framework that centers stewardship, shared purpose, and community impact. Our vision is a public research library that effects transformational encounters with information so that all can thrive as individuals, communities, and worlds.
UNL Libraries is a special place—defined by a culture of ingenuity, a commitment to inclusive excellence, and a push to connect Nebraska’s land-grant mission with global scholarship. Through initiatives such as Pages to Paths—a year-long campaign marking key milestones in our history and inviting broader engagement with our evolving identity—we are reflecting on our past and actively shaping the Libraries’ future. That future is rooted in responsiveness, creativity, and relationships.
The Research & Learning division is responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of UNL Libraries’ efforts to advance student learning, development, and success; anticipate, respond to, and engage in the contemporary needs of the University’s research communities; and advance inclusive excellence integrally in these areas of the Libraries’ work. Research & Learning includes the Information Services & Learning Spaces, Research Partnerships, and Teaching Partnerships units, and it has a broad mandate to coordinate related activities across the organization. Each department has specialization and focus, and together they take an integrative and collaborative approach to co-creating solutions to information problems.
Information Services & Learning Spaces is responsible for delivering the Libraries’ core information and space-based services, advancing the usability and accessibility of these services, and collaborating with library, campus, and community partners to host programming and events that emphasize student belonging, success, and well-being. The department’s expertise spans areas such as customer service, user-centered design, graphic design, accessibility standards, service delivery innovation, and community engagement strategies.
Research Partnerships designs and delivers advanced information and data services, collaborates on campus-wide research initiatives, and provides expert support in areas such as evidence synthesis, research data management, and geospatial analysis. Expertise within this department includes data management and curation, open scholarship, geographic information systems and geospatial data, and advanced reviews, alongside expertise across disciplines.
Teaching Partnerships leads curriculum strategy and development, ensuring that the Libraries’ teaching initiatives meaningfully connect with campus curricula and bring strength across disciplines. Team members contribute expertise in information literacy, informed learning, instructional design, critical pedagogy, and active learning methodologies.
We seek a leader who brings strategic insight and collaborative spirit to bear on the evolving challenges and opportunities in research and learning. The Associate Dean will work closely with the Dean and senior leadership team, as well as with their unit heads, to shape and implement library-wide initiatives that advance teaching, learning, research, and outreach, with a deep commitment to access, opportunity, and belonging.
This is a leadership role for someone who sees presence and listening as essential components of strategy. Success in this role will require visible, outward engagement across campus and in the broader community—building trust, cultivating relationships, and showing up where leadership is needed most.
Primary Responsibilities
- Lead the Libraries’ research and learning portfolio, including strategic direction for teaching and learning services, research support, academic partnerships, and undergraduate engagement.
- Advance division-wide efforts in assessment and evaluation, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and user needs.
- Supervise and mentor unit heads and other faculty/staff, fostering a culture of trust, professional growth, and shared leadership.
- Collaborate within the Libraries and with campus partners on strategic planning, resource allocation, and program development.
- Represent the Libraries across campus and in state, regional, and national settings.
- Contribute to cultivating an inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment for all library users and personnel.
Minimum base salary starts at $77,000 based on rank and years of service. Compensation will also include an administrative stipend up to $30,000. |
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Position: |
Associate Dean for Research & Learning |
| Organization: |
University of Nebraska Lincoln |
| Location: |
Lincoln, NE
United States
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| Salary: |
Minimum base salary starts at $77,000 based on rank and years of service. Compensation will also include an administrative stipend up to $30,000. |
| Posting Start Date: |
6/18/2025 |
| Date Posted: |
6/19/2025 |
| Requirements |
Required:
- Master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA-accredited program (or international equivalent), or a terminal degree in a discipline relevant to the position’s scope.
- Record of achievement in academic or research librarianship and scholarship (or equivalent professional activity) commensurate with appointment at the rank of associate professor or professor.
- Evidence of strategic thinking and future-oriented leadership, particularly in the context of research and learning programs in academic/research libraries.
- Successful experience supervising professional staff or faculty, including supporting professional growth and development.
- Demonstrated success building trust and leading collaborative initiatives involving diverse stakeholders.
- Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence, including efforts to advance access, opportunity, and belonging in research, teaching, or service contexts.
- Strong record of effective communication and organizational coordination across academic units, disciplines, or institutional levels.
- Record of engagement with national or international initiatives related to academic libraries, public higher education, or scholarly infrastructure.
Preferred:
- At least five years of experience in a public-facing teaching and learning, research support, student success, and/or learning spaces department in an academic library setting.
- Experience building and sustaining campus partnerships and collaborating with faculty and researchers to integrate library services and resources in evolving research and scholarship practices.
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| Status: |
This listing expires on: 8/18/2025 |
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