Dean, Honors College Leadership Profile

Statement from the Office of the Provost

• About the Provost

  Dr. Pranesh B. Aswath joined Texas State University as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost on February 1st of 2024. He is a Fellow of National Academy of Inventors, American Society of Materials and Society of Tribology and Lubrication Engineers. He is an accomplished scholar with over 150 journal publications and has graduated over 20 Ph.D. and 40 MS-Thesis students.  

  At Texas State University, in addition to direct oversight of the Division of Academic Affairs, Dr. Aswath’s sphere of influence includes the Office of Research, TXST-Round Rock, Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, Student Success and Global Engagement. He works closely with President Kelly Damphousse and Executive Vice President for Operations and CFO Eric Algoe in executing the mission of the university.

  Texas State University has over 44,000 students with 800 tenure-track faculty members, 550 full-time non-tenure line faculty members and 600 adjunct faculty members. It is one of the largest universities in Texas and welcomed more than 9,300 freshman students in Fall 2025. Texas State is on track to attain Carnegie R1 status by 2027 and continues to grow research expenditures with more than $180 million in 2024. It is an exciting time to join this growing academic enterprise.

  Visit Texas State University’s Provost’s webpage: https://www.provost.txst.edu/

• Position Summary

  • Description of the Role

    The Dean will provide strategic leadership to an innovative Honors College and the university-wide IDEA Center supporting undergraduate research. This role presents a unique opportunity to reimagine honors education in ways that fosters experiential learning and community engagement, broadens access and enables student success, and aligns with emerging national trends and Texas State’s R1 aspirations. 

  • Key Responsibilities

    • Provide academic, strategic, and administrative leadership to advance the mission of the Honors College and IDEA Center.
    • Promote experiential, project-based, and community-engaged learning opportunities aligned with institutional student success goals for retention, graduation, and post-graduation success.
    • Foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to honors curriculum and undergraduate research, consistent with national best practices. 
    • Develop pathways and practices for all students to expand honors participation by working closely with academic departments and colleges.
    • Support recruitment activities in collaboration with University Admissions.
    • Support faculty in developing innovative, collaborative honors courses and research experiences.
    • Manage program budgets, staff, and facilities, including spaces in Lampasas Hall (Honors College) and the Alkek Library (IDEA Center).
    • Collaborate with academic departments and colleges and the Offices of Academic Innovation, Student Success, Education Abroad, EXC2EL, and Academic Success, to implement high-impact student success initiatives. 
    • Represent the Honors College in strategic university planning, development, and external partnerships.
    • Communicate the vision of Honors College effectively to internal and external stakeholders and engage with University Advancement in fundraising activities. 

  • Qualifications

    The successful candidate should have the following qualifications:

    Required Qualifications:

    • Earned doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited institution.
    • Academic credentials and scholarly achievements consistent with a tenured faculty appointment at the rank of professor in the academic unit.
    • Demonstrated leadership experience in higher education, with a record of innovation in honors education and undergraduate research, or academic student success initiatives. 
    • Successful experience managing and mentoring staff and faculty members.

    Preferred Qualifications:

    • Experience managing externally funded programs or centers.
    • Experience implementing and operationalizing change that impacts a range of stakeholders. 
    • Proven success attracting competitive funding from foundations, agencies, and donors.
    • Evidence of successful faculty mentorship and student engagement in high-impact practices.
    • Strong knowledge of national honors education trends, experiential learning models, and strategies to broaden student access and participation.

  • Application Process

    Review of applications will begin November 30, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and contact information for at least three professional references.

    Apply Now!

• About Texas State University

  • Hopes and Aspirations High

    TXST's Strategic Vision
    
    In 2023 we launched Hopes & Aspirations High, an ambitious vision with five bold strategic imperatives — elevate student success, Run to R1, increase enrollment, grow the Round Rock Campus, and become an employer of choice. And, we have made tremendous progress in positioning ourselves to achieve this vision in a very short time.

    
    Elevate Student Success
    
    Student success remains at the heart of everything we do at Texas State University. Improving student success metrics is a top pillar of the Hopes & Aspirations High vision for TXST’s future.

    
    Run to R1
    
    Texas State University is a national research university on the path to achieve the R1 Carnegie classification. The process will include earning access to the state’s National Research University Fund.

    
    Increase Recruitment and Enrollment
    
    President Damphousse created the Division of TXST Global to implement strategies to increase enrollment among international, transfer, master’s and online students.

    
    Becoming an Employer of Choice
    
    A critical goal of Hopes & Aspirations High is to become an employer of preference for faculty and staff.

     

    Learn more about the Hopes and Aspirations High here!

  • Texas State University 125

    THE LEGACY OF TOMORROW
    
    Offering 99 bachelor’s, 91 master’s and specialists, and 16 doctoral degree programs through the following colleges: Applied Arts, McCoy College of Business, Education, Fine Arts and Communication, Health Professions, Liberal Arts, Science and Engineering, University College, The Graduate College and Honors College. 
    
    The university’s students are diverse, closely reflecting the demographics of the State of Texas. TXST was designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in 2011, earned the Seal of Excelencia in 2022, and has the 14th largest Hispanic enrollment among public universities in the U.S. TXST has long served a significant number of first-generation and Pell-eligible students.
    
    WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED
    
    At our university, we recognize that faculty and staff serve as the building blocks to the foundation of our work with students. Texas State is proud of our competitive benefits from health plans, wellness leave, life insurance and retirement programs provided to keep our Bobcats healthy and happy. 
    
    By joining Texas State University, employees gain access to work in one of the best public universities in the country and the opportunity to live in one of America’s most beautiful towns. All employees have access to our competitive benefits package on day one of their employment at Texas State.
    
    FEATURED BENEFITS