The University of Calgary (UCalgary), located in the heart of Southern Alberta, both acknowledges and pays tribute to the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations) as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations). The university recognizes that the City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 & 6). By virtue of the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877, the University recognizes that we are all treaty people. The City of Calgary is home to a culturally diverse community. Together, we share this land, strive to live together, learn together, walk together, and grow together in a good way.
The Faculty of Nursing at UCalgary has established itself as a leader in nursing education, dedicated to producing highly skilled graduates who excel in person-centred, relational care. With a focus on innovative, evidence-based practices, our graduates are well-prepared to meet the challenges of the healthcare landscape.
Reporting to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic), the Dean of Nursing will provide visionary leadership, academic direction, and comprehensive administrative oversight for the Faculty of Nursing. This pivotal role will promote a collaborative culture, advocate for inclusive excellence in nursing education, and amplify the power of research and innovation to address health, wellness, and societal challenges, ensuring that the faculty’s initiatives are aligned with community needs and priorities. The Dean will be instrumental in advancing the strategic commitments outlined in the 2024-2030 Faculty of Nursing strategic plan "Toward Tomorrow", with a focus on increasing access to future-focused healthcare education. This includes spearheading the development and implementation of academic programs that respond to the dynamic and evolving needs of the nursing profession, and implement the Four Elements Indigenous Framework, integrating Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, connecting, and being into the curriculum and faculty development. Furthermore, the Dean will champion equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility within the faculty, ensuring a fair, supportive and enriching environment for all students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty members, reinforcing the faculty’s role as an inclusive leader in nursing education.
The Dean will inspire and engage faculty, students, postdocs, and staff, enhance internal and external engagement, and promote the faculty’s mission on both national and international stages. By leveraging strong interpersonal skills, the Dean will cultivate relationships across diverse communities, fostering an inclusive approach that reflects the faculty’s commitment to person-centred and relational care, ultimately positioning the Faculty of Nursing as a leader in shaping the future of nursing. The Dean will enhance interdisciplinary collaboration and strategic partnerships with healthcare organizations and other educational institutions, strengthening connections that facilitate community outreach and experiences for students in research, scholarship and practice.
The ideal candidate will possess a doctoral degree in nursing or a closely related field, with credentials that qualify them for a tenured appointment at the rank of full Professor, coupled with experience in administration and fund development. They will have a substantial record of scholarship and professional accomplishments that showcase their leadership in nursing education and practice. They will bring significant experience in an academic leadership role—such as Dean, Associate Dean, or equivalent—demonstrating a proven ability to build relationships and foster a collaborative culture. Strong interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and an inclusive leadership approach to problem-solving will be essential. Additionally, a commitment to advancing the future of nursing through entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial initiatives will be a hallmark of their leadership style, reflecting an understanding of how post-secondary institutions can engage in innovative activities that enhance educational outcomes. The incumbent should be eligible for licensure as a registered nurse, registered psychiatric nurse, or nurse practitioner in Alberta.
The successful candidate will provide leadership in creating space for diverse perspectives, a commitment to freedom of expression, and will actively lead the local implementation of university strategies including Indigenous (ii' taa’poh'to'p), Sustainability, Global Engagement, Mental Health, as well as an emerging EDIA strategy.
The appointment as Dean, Faculty of Nursing is for a five-year period with the possibility of renewal. The successful candidate will be offered an academic position “With Tenure” at the rank of Professor.
To explore this opportunity further, please send your CV and Letter of Interest in confidence, with the subject line “Dean of Nursing” to:apply@jssearch.ca
About The University of Calgary
UCalgary is a global intellectual hub located in Canada’s most enterprising city. UCalgary is a bold and spirited institution, recognized as one of Canada’s top research universities, grounded in innovative teaching and learning, and fully engaged with the community it serves and leads.
“Great cities are built around great research universities and cities that successfully reinvent themselves do so in partnerships with focused, world-class institutions. The fate of Calgary and UCalgary are inextricably tied. Our community has supported us, and now is the time to show returns on those investments for the benefit of our community. Our ambition is nothing short of UCalgary being a catalyst of economic growth and quality-of-life improvements in this city and beyond.”
- Dr. Ed McCauley, President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary
UCalgary recently unveiled its Ahead of Tomorrow strategic plan, which articulates a 7-year vision out to 2030. It's a bold vision that reflects our ambition to increase access to future-focused education, to maximize the impact of our research and innovation, to put the community at the centre of all that we do, and to make our operational processes clearer, simpler and better than any other university.
Despite its youth, at only 57 years of age, UCalgary is already one of the nation’s leading research universities. It has five campuses in Calgary, one in Qatar, a University Innovation Quarter in Calgary, and five research stations in Alberta, BC, and the Yukon. UCalgary is a global intellectual hub for high-quality research and scholarship, one where students thrive in programs made rich by research, hands-on experiences, and entrepreneurial thinking, grounded in innovative learning and teaching; it is fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. As a Comprehensive Academic and Research University, we aim to produce the next generation of leaders who experience the best possible training in acquiring and creating new knowledge.
These foundational values and commitments enable inclusive excellence, discovery, creativity, and innovation across the research ecosystem. With over 28,000 undergraduate students, 8,000 graduate students, 575 postdoctoral fellows/associates (postdocs), and 1,800+ faculty actively engaged in transdisciplinary discovery, creativity, and innovation across 14 faculties and schools, and supported by 3,200+ staff, we deliver over 250 degree and non-credit programs – undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, postdoctoral training, and continuing and professional education programs. We increasingly attract domestic students from within Alberta and across Canada, and our knowledge and experience are enriched by international students from over 119 countries.
With over $545M in annual research revenue and more than 50 research institutes and centres, UCalgary has become known as a research powerhouse in Canada. The scholarly environment at UCalgary encourages our students, faculty, and staff to take on the tough challenges facing our society and to draw expertise from across all our domains to develop evidence-based solutions. We integrate research into graduate and undergraduate curricula, equipping students with transferable problem-solving skills tested in experiential and work-integrated learning scenarios to increase employability and opportunities for professional advancement.
UCalgary benefits from the ongoing support of our community, which rallies behind the university, recently completing the third-largest fundraising campaign in Canadian history, surpassing $1.4B.
UCalgary is a large and complex institution that drives tremendous value with an annual consolidated budget of more than $1.6B, it is among Calgary’s largest employers, and generates over $16B annually in economic impact to the province. Two-thirds of the university's 220,000 alumni live and work in the Calgary area, effectively building a city of leaders and those dedicated to improving quality of life and prosperity.
UCalgary has been recognized for eight consecutive years as one of Alberta’s Top 75 Employers (2017–2024) and Canada’s best diversity employer (2017–2024).
Recently ranked the most liveable city in North America and 5th in the world (2024) by The Economist Intelligence Unit, and possessing one of the youngest populations of major cities in Canada, Calgary is home to world-class attractions, sporting amenities and public infrastructure that supports a healthy lifestyle, making it a great place to raise a family (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnh-WugziiiHwMT44-sVwrA). Situated where the Canadian plains reach the sunny foothills of Canada’s majestic Rocky Mountains, Calgary is a major urban centre surrounded by an area of profound beauty with an awe-inspiring mountains, lakes, rivers and gorgeous prairie.
Consistently rated by the United Nations as the world’s best country to live in, Canada is the world’s second largest country by total area and is one of the most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations. Canada ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education.
The University of Calgary’s comprehensive benefits and pension program is designed to promote a productive level of health and well-being to staff members. To learn about our comprehensive benefits package for this Calgary-based, English-speaking position, please visit https://www.ucalgary.ca/hr/benefits-pension.
The University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here; in particular, we encourage members of equity-deserving groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding diversity at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodation can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).
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