Dean Search

Job Description

The Boston University School of Theology seeks a visionary leader who will help the school to build upon its strengths and move into the future with confidence. The new dean will assume office in the summer of 2008. Review of applications will begin immediately.

The School

As a divinity school within a cosmopolitan research university, the Boston University School of Theology (STH) is responsible for providing academic excellence in the study of religion, the training of ministerial leaders, and the preparation of a professoriate for the training of religious leaders. It is the founding school (1869) of Boston University and the oldest United Methodist seminary in North America. Based on the intellectual and moral vision of its founders, both STH and Boston University have a historic commitment to “learning, virtue, and piety.” Boston University is one of the primary institutions providing teachers for theological seminaries and Christian colleges, both in the United States and abroad. The priority for STH as a graduate professional school is preparing people for Christian ministries, both ordained and lay, through its masters and doctoral programs.

The School of Theology’s faculty, a core group of approximately thirty members, serves an overall student body of approximately 310 students. Current faculty members and students range in their theological orientation from evangelical to liberal, across a wide range of denominations. Grounded in the traditional seminary disciplines of biblical studies and the history of Christianity, the “personalist” and “liberal” traditions are also part of the school’s legacy. These traditions provide an important foundation for a Boston University School of Theology education. The School of Theology also has a long tradition of addressing social issues, from the Christian social ethics as defined by former Dean Walter Muelder to the philosophical values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the fields of pastoral psychology and the psychology of religion developed by Professor Paul Johnson.

The Program

The Boston University School of Theology offers the Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Sacred Music (MSM), Master of Theological Studies (MTS), Master of Sacred Theology (MST), Doctor of Ministry (DMin) and Doctor of Theology (ThD) degrees. In addition, dual degrees include the MDiv/MSM and two degrees with the Master of Social Work (MSW), the MDiv/MSW and DMin/MSW. The latter combined degrees reflect the historic relevance of sociology, which has been a required component of the seminary curriculum since the early years of its former center-city location.

Students are encouraged to pursue an interdisciplinary education at Boston University. In addition to the degrees offered in conjunction with the School of Social Work and other schools and colleges, the College of Fine Arts collaborates in the Master of Sacred Music program. Individual faculty members, cultivating relationships across departmental lines, join in team teaching and participate in research centers and research projects. Benefits of these collaborations include the rich tradition of The Seminary Singers and the distinction of housing the headquarters of the Hymn Society of the United States and Canada.

The School of Theology has had a global orientation since its founding president, William F. Warren, brought the German university model to Boston from his post as a German missionary. This model introduced a union of the liberal arts and professional schools, along with President Warren’s interest in the study of Christianity as a cross-cultural, global movement. Today, STH is unique among theological seminaries in emphasizing comparative theology, world Christianity and missions, and evangelism. In addition, international students make up nearly one third of the student body and intercultural relationships are emphasized in community life. Graduates continue the long tradition of serving in ministries and seminaries around the world.

A number of centers and special programs are active at STH, as well. These include The Anna Howard Shaw Center, which promotes structures and practices to empower women and honor diversity; the Center for Practical Theology, which conducts research and provides education and networking for congregational inception and renewal; and the Center for Global Christianity and Mission, which explores the most important developments in Christianity during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The Lilly Endowment currently funds a program in Church and Theology in the Contemporary World which integrates practical theological research with creative approaches to theological education.

An active program in professional education guides students in supervised ministry, including a process of spiritual formation alongside ministry internships. In addition, students benefit from the resources, faculty and library facilities through the Boston Theological Institute, a nine-member seminary consortium in the greater Boston area. Students frequently cross-register at STH from other member institutions, and STH students cross register at Holy Cross, Harvard Divinity School, Gordon-Conwell, Boston College and other schools in the consortium. Joint certificate programs and an annual ecumenical travel seminar are among the additional benefits provided through the Boston Theological Institute.

Other areas that have emerged as priorities in recent years at STH include:

Practical Theology – The doctoral program has received assistance from the Lilly Endowment and is in the process of changing to the PhD from its current designation as ThD; and the Center for Practical Theology sponsors research in congregational development and post-secondary training of pastoral leaders.

Science and Religion – Embracing issues such as bioethics, technology, and ecology the STH faculty play a pivotal role in the Science and Religion emphasis within the BTI consortium.

Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation – A recently developed masters’ program in conflict resolution, with emphasis on reconciliation and peace-building, attracts pastors who are involved in ministries of reconciliation and is a program very consistent with the STH mission.

Location

The School of Theology is located on the 75-acre Charles River Campus of Boston University, along the banks of the Charles River and adjacent to the historic Back Bay district of Boston. With more than 30,000 students from 50 states and 135 foreign countries, Boston University is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. Approximately 3,000 faculty offer more than 250 degree programs within the university’s seventeen schools and colleges.

The Future Agenda

While the Boston University School of Theology has many strengths to build upon, the new dean will work with faculty, staff and students to address the following challenges to future development:

Positioning the school. As a school within a university, the dean must be an advocate for the interests and vision of the STH community. Strategic planning for the school must be integrated within overall planning for the future of the university. As the chief academic and financial officer of STH, the dean must provide leadership on all fronts, inspiring and empowering the faculty to achieve excellence in teaching, scholarship, and innovative programming. In addition, the dean is expected to increase the visibility, stature and influence of the school within Boston University, within the Boston area and the consortium, and within the United Methodist Church and the global Methodist community.

Methodist relations. The United Methodist Church provides nearly a million dollars of financial support for STH each year, and is moving toward stronger accreditation evaluations of its theological seminaries. There is a declining number of Methodist faculty members at all Methodist seminaries, and STH is no exception. The dean must provide leadership in identifying and recruiting United Methodist professors, preferably with ordination credentials, to address responsibilities related to the denominations. This includes participation in the Annual Conferences of the UMC, boards and agencies of the denomination (e.g., Board of Higher Education, Board of Global Ministries, the Women’s Division), local churches and ordination committees, alumni, Methodist donors, and those who directly support the Methodist Educational Fund.

Fundraising. Fundraising will be a major priority for the new dean. The School of Theology is blessed with the highest percentage of alumni donors in the University and the annual fund has made great strides in the past few years. At the same time, because STH’s graduates often work in lower paying jobs, the high participation rate does not translate into as large a total in dollars as the School will need to maintain and enhance its programs. The dean must cultivate alumni and non-alumni alike as donors both to the STH annual fund and STH endowment, as well as participating in any capital campaigns for the university.

Diversity. Boston University was the first university to open all degree programs, including doctorates, to all races and genders. The first women and African-Americans trained in theology attended the Boston University School of Theology. However, while African-American students continue to attend STH, the number has declined over the past thirty years, particularly due to financial considerations. In addition, while the student body remains culturally and racially diverse, recruitment of minority faculty has been limited. There are currently two tenured and one untenured minority faculty members and several additional minorities among the teachers and administrators at STH. It is essential for the dean to increase the presence of minorities at STH, in order to provide the important mentoring and multi-cultural perspectives required for an excellent theological education in keeping with the school’s historical tradition.

Student Housing. Lack of affordable housing is the greatest challenge to enrollment of both masters and doctoral students at STH. Seminary students cannot afford to live in the Boston area without incurring serious debt, and international students are particularly vulnerable. The dean must provide leadership, in collaboration with other university administrators, to identify affordable housing options and/or housing subsidies for STH students.

Preferred Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess an earned doctorate, would be eligible for appointment at the rank of full Professor, and will be able to provide leadership in the Methodist, academic and seminary communities. The following includes specific areas of knowledge and experience needed by the Boston University School of Theology at this time. The dean will:

• Possess outstanding academic credentials, including a demonstrated excellence in and appreciation for scholarship and teaching;
• Demonstrate leadership experience in higher education and familiarity with a theological school setting;
• Support creative and broadly inclusive academic and professional programs;
• Inspire faculty to the highest standards regarding research, teaching and community service;
• Advocate effectively on behalf of STH with both internal and external audiences;
• Provide leadership in planning, communicating and engaging others in the work of STH to ensure a dynamic and successful future;
• Bring a demonstrated commitment to racial, ethnic, and gender diversity to ensure a multi-cultural environment and programs for STH;
• Maintain and enhance relations with the United Methodist Church;
• Demonstrate a facility for managing budgets and allocating resources;
• Provide a high level of appreciation and support for student interests and issues;
• Possess personal integrity, political savvy, and a sense of humor.

Application Procedures

Materials should be addressed to the Chair of the STH Dean Search Advisory Committee and sent electronically (MS Word preferred) to BUTheology@academic-search.com Applications will be treated in confidence and should consist of a cover letter and resume or curriculum vitae. Applications received by March 1 will be assured of full consideration.

The Boston University School of Theology is being assisted by Dr. Tobie van der Vorm of Academic Search, Inc. in Washington, DC. Interested candidates or nominators may contact her at (202) 263-7473 or by e-mail at ptv@academic-search.com Please visit the school’s website at www.bu.edu/sth or www.academic-search.com for more information.