Lake Superior State University :: Human Resources :: Dean, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences

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Ben Mitchell

Ben Mitchell
Mechanical Engineering '06

Ben Mitchell grew up in a devout household in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan where emphasis was placed on helping others. He traveled with his father to places such as Kenya and Peru on short-term medical missions. When he was in Kenya, a missionary explained that engineers have the greatest potential to influence the largest number of people. During high school, Ben participated in a youth mission trip to Tijuana. A result of the mission trips, his family decided to adopt three Vietnamese children when he was a junior.

All of these experiences had a great influence on Ben’s outlook on life. He decided to major in mechanical engineering and enrolled at Lake Superior State University. Near the end of his senior year, he decided to volunteer for the Peace Corps to help others.

His two-year commitment began in the fall of 2007 and took Ben to Burkina Faso in western Africa. He resides in the village of Tansila, population 3,000, approximately 10 km from the Mali border. His host organization is the local cotton growers union. It works cooperatively with other villages to improve and expand their production techniques. He serves as an agribusiness advisor as a part of the Small Enterprise Development program which helps create market linkages and assists with the advancement of business skills.

		FLSA Designation EXEMPT
Date Issued:	2007-07-01	Department:	Office of the VPPA and Provost
Title: Dean, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences

Function and Responsibility
Under general supervision of, and directly accountable to the Provost, responsible for leadership, management and administration of the academic programs and the office of Associate Provost of the University.

Duties and Responsibilities
Institutional: Serve on none or more of the following: Curriculum Committee, General Education Committee, Sabbatical Leave Committee, Promotions Committee and other committees as appointed; participate inn the development of academic and university policies. Curriculum and instruction: Provided leadership in planning and coordinating academic programs in academic units under his or her jurisdiction, which includes assessment, evaluation, development and revision of courses and curricula. Lead accreditation efforts where and when appropriate. Faculty and staff: Recruit, interview and recommend prospective faculty and staff; approve schedules and assignments of faculty; evaluate faculty performance; make retention, promotion and tenure recommendations; administer the collective bargaining agreements, university procedures and work rules; supervise other college staff; promote professional development; evaluate school chairs. Students: Recruit, advise and counsel students; mediate problems between students and faculty. Liaison: Develop, coordinate and maintain relationships with internal and external constituencies. Budget and Payroll: Prepare, recommend and administer the budgets and payroll within jurisdiction. Planning: Provide leadership in the development and implementation of strategic planning for the College. Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Earned doctorate preferred; five to eight years related professional experience; demonstrated leadership qualities; administrative and teaching experience.

Physical and Mental Demands
Adequate physical fitness to be able to sit and concentrate for long periods of time; use of gross motor skills to perform supervisory and organizational duties; use of fine motor skills to operate computer; problem solving ability; ability to understand and work with numbers; ability to see, hear, and speak with or without the use of aids to perform normal office tasks. Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.