NCSU Study Demonstrates Value of State Parks

North Carolina State ParksFor the third straight year attendance at North Carolina state parks and state recreation areas hovered at a record level with 14.2 million visits. Travelers spent an average of $23.56 per day to enjoy the parks. And the total economic impact of the state parks system is more than $400 million.

How do we know? Because a team of professors, grad students and undergrads in NC State’s Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management have been conducting surveys across the state and analyzing the collected data since last Spring.  The study was funded by the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources through the Recreation Resources Service.

The big take away for NC’s citizens and leaders?
Our state parks make a strong contribution to North Carolina’s tourism economy, as well as the economies of the local communities in which they’re located!

Learn More>>>

Department Head Search – Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management

North Carolina State University – Raleigh, North Carolina

College of Natural Resources – Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management   

Department Head (Position #00000683)

Applications are invited for the position of Professor and Head of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University.

The successful applicant must demonstrate outstanding leadership and interpersonal skills, and have a distinguished record in research, education and outreach. We seek an individual that can:

1. Clearly articulate a vision for the department that is aligned with the strategic plan of the college and collaborate broadly across the college and university to achieve it.
2. Create an environment of integrity and support that stimulates faculty, staff, and students to work at their highest performance levels.
3. Promote the department regionally, nationally, and internationally.
4. Identify and implement mechanisms for attracting, rewarding, and retaining under-represented faculty, staff, and students.

Application Deadline:
Application review will begin January 31, 2014 and will continue until a suitable candidate is hired.

Responsibilities:
The Head serves as chief administrative officer of the Department, and as an advocate for the Department and the scientific fields related to park management, recreation, sport management, and sustainable tourism.

The position provides leadership, assistance, and support for carrying out initiatives identified by the faculty. These include increasing contributions to knowledge and science that is innovative and integrative, enhancing and expanding graduate and undergraduate education, conducting extension and outreach programs, fostering collegiality among faculty, strengthening relationships with internal and external clientele, and promoting communication and the transfer of science‐based findings to public policy makers and private decision makers.

The Department Head also: plays a key role in the recruitment and development of faculty, staff, and students; oversees planning and evaluation of the Department’s academic, research, and extension programs; and is responsible for managing the Department’s budgets.

The Head will work closely with government and international agencies, foundations and industry, as well as being actively involved in fundraising to support the Department’s research, teaching, and extension activities. He/she will represent the Department and promote collaborations and partnerships at NC State University and other institutions.

Qualifications:

  • Candidates for the Department Head position must have an earned doctorate in recreation, park and tourism management, sport management, natural resources, or a related field.
  • Qualifications commensurate with appointment to the rank of professor.
  • Ability to work with faculty and external stakeholders from a wide variety of backgrounds in the broad field of park and natural resource management, recreation, sport management, and sustainable tourism, and in multidisciplinary contexts.
  • Ability and evidence of energetic leadership, innovative thinking, and external fund raising.
  • Strong organizational, leadership, team‐building interpersonal, and communication skills.
  • Evidence of commitment to excellence in research, teaching, extension, and service.
  • Familiarity with and commitment to the Land Grant institutional mission. • An understanding and appreciation of the diverse disciplines within the College of Natural Resources.
  • A record of obtaining funding: e.g., grants, contracts, and/or gifts.
  • Experience managing budgets with diverse sources of revenue.
  • Commitment to fostering diversity and a global perspective within the department.
  • Active involvement in national professional organizations.

About the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management

A national and international leader, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management is one of three departments in the College of Natural Resources.

The Department is a multidisciplinary department that addresses critical research questions related to human dimensions of natural and built environments, community health and well-being, youth development and physical activity, and equitable and sustainable rural tourism development. Its 27 full-time faculty, 6 administrative staff, and 6 professional staff serve approximately 720 undergraduate students, 220 graduate students, and an extensive number of agency and user groups.

In addition to an outstanding Tourism Extension Program, the Department host the Recreation Resources Service, which provides technical assistance and training programs to recreation providers across North Carolina.

The Department’s various Oglebay Management Schools have delivered continuing education programs to recreation and park professionals since 1975. The recently opened Digital Imagery Visualization Lab provides faculty and students with the unique capacity to conduct research utilizing digital imagery and immersive virtual environmental technologies.

The Department offers a B.S. degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management with areas of emphasis in: park and natural resource management, recreation program management, and tourism and commercial recreation management. It also offers B.S. degrees in Sport Management and Professional Golf Management.

The department offers numerous degrees at the graduate level: a Master of Science in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, a Master of Science in Natural Resources Management, a Master of Natural Resources Management (non-thesis), a Master of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management (distance education), Professional Science Master in Geospatial Information Science Technology (distance education), and a Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management.

Additional information about the Department can be found at http://cnr.ncsu.edu/prtm/.

About the University:

North Carolina State University, the Land Grant University of North Carolina, is a Tier 1 research university committed to academic excellence and diversity. With more than 34,000 students and 8,000 faculty, NC State plays a vital role in improving the quality of life for the citizens of North Carolina, the nation and the world. Its strong research, teaching, and extension programs have led it to be consistently ranked among the nation’s top 50 public universities and ranked by Princeton Review as a best value for students. Additional information about NC State University can be found at http://www.ncsu.edu/human_resources/employment/resources/ .

About the Community:

Raleigh, the state’s capital city, is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s best places to live and work. The Research Triangle region surrounds the NC State campus where many of the country’s leading, Fortune 500 technology, research and pharmaceutical companies are located. The Raleigh‐Durham‐Chapel Hill area is home to seven colleges and universities and rich cultural opportunities. Raleigh also boasts more than 4,300 acres of parkland, almost 1,400 acres of water, and a nationally-acclaimed greenway system connecting many of the city’s 150 major parks offering excellent recreational activities year round.

Application and Nomination Process:

To apply, go to https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/32032. You must complete an online EPA profile and attach a resume and contact information for three (3) references.

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Candace Vick, Chair of the Search Committee (email: cvick@nscu.edu; telephone: 919.513.3939).

EOE/AA. NC State welcomes all applicants without regard to sexual orientation.

For ADA accommodations, contact Dr. Candace Vick. Proper documentation of identity and employability in the United States will be required. Initial nominations and inquiries will be kept confidential.

Department Head Search – Forestry and Environmental Resources

NC State University – Raleigh, North Carolina

College of Natural Resources – Forestry and Environmental Resources

Department Head (Position #00000685)

NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina is looking for a Department Head to join the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources in the College of Natural Resources.

NC State University is a Tier 1 research university committed to academic excellence and diversity. With more than 34,000 students and 8,000 faculty, its strong research, teaching, and extension programs have led it to be consistently ranked among the nation’s top 50 public universities and ranked by Princeton Review as a best value for students. Additional information about NC State University can be found at http://www.ncsu.edu/.

The Head of the Department provides vision and direction to the Department, leading faculty across a wide diversity of disciplines to excellent teaching, research, engagement, and scholarship. The Department Head is responsible for faculty and staff development and review, developing and managing academic curricula, fiscal management, fundraising, alumni relations, research administration, and administering extension and outreach.

The Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources has more than 60 tenure and non-tenure track faculty and extension specialists, and more than 35 staff. The Department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through the Ph.D., and currently enrolls 485 undergraduate and 145 graduate students. Active research and extension programs generate more than $6.25 million annually in extramural funds for fundamental and applied research, extension and outreach activities, and three forest industry research cooperatives.

Other Work/Responsibilities

  • Communicate regularly with a wide variety of constituent groups such as alumni, businesses and industry, government agencies, and non-government organizations.
  • Develop partnerships that foster the priorities of the Department, College, and University.
  • Lead fundraising activities that are consistent with the priorities of the College and University.

Minimum Education/Experience

  • Earned Ph.D., or equivalent, in a biological, physical or social science field relevant to the Department programs, with qualifications of achievement meriting appointment as a tenured full professor.
  • Ten years or more of professional natural resources experience in science, education, management, policy, or other relevant area.
  • Demonstrated strength in collaborative leadership, excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills that can be successfully applied to an academic department.
  • Leadership experience in collaborative, multi-disciplinary research, extension and education.
  • Demonstrated understanding of, and experience with, the multiple dimensions of the competitive grant funding environment.
  • Demonstrated commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity in people and programs.

Application Process

Please visit http://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/31701 and apply for Position #00000685 with your resume, cover letter, contact
information for three professional references, and a brief statement of academic leadership.

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Steve Kelley, Chair of the Search Committee (email: sskelley@nscu.edu).

Application review will begin on February 3, 2014 until a suitable candidate has been hired.

NC State University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability. In addition, NC State University welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orientation.  Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process please call (919) 515-5575.

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