Lake Superior State University :: Human Resources :: Associate Dean/ College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (

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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:	2008-07-01	Department:	Vice President of Academic Affairs
Title: Associate Dean/ College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (

Function and Responsibility
Under general supervision of and directly accountable to the Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, responsible for leadership, management and administration of the Department of Engineering and Technology in consultation with the Dean of the STEM College.

Duties and Responsibilities
Institutional: Serve on Deans Council and other committees as appointed; participate in the development of academic and university policies. Curriculum and instruction: Provide leadership in planning and coordinating academic programs which include 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; schedule and assign teaching and other school responsibilities to 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: Assist the Dean to prepare, recommend and administer the College budget and payroll. Teaching: Teach course offerings as time and efficiency of operation permit. Planning: Provide leadership in the development and implementation of strategic planning for the STEM College. Each college will be led be a Dean whose responsibilities will include facilitating a new vision and strategic direction while leading the college in a unified plan of action. As a leader of the faculty, the Dean supports, encourages, and promotes excellence in teaching, research, scholarship and service. The Dean is responsible for program development (graduate and undergraduate), faculty recruitment and retention, budget development and management, and for facilitating student success. She or he is accountable for the sound fiscal management of the college and of all units within it. The Dean also provides leadership for fund-raising and development efforts in that academic area and maintains extensive contacts with alumni, regional business and industries, and the community at large. Refer also to the duties and responsibilities for Department Head. 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.