Dean, College of Liberal Arts

University of Massachusetts Boston

Dean, College of Liberal Arts

The University of Massachusetts Boston invites applications for the position of Dean, College of Liberal Arts (CLA).

The University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) is a recognized model of excellence for urban public research universities. One of the five campuses of the UMass system, UMass Boston is a research university with a teaching soul. It combines the rigorous focus on generation of knowledge that characterizes a major research university with a dedication to teaching that places its top scholars in undergraduate and graduate classrooms where a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio fosters easy student-faculty interaction. Eighty-seven percent of full-time faculty hold the highest degree in their fields.

UMass Boston has a growing reputation for innovation and a particular focus on research addressing complex urban issues. At UMass Boston—metropolitan Boston’s only public research university—fifty-nine percent of undergraduates identify as first-generation students. A multitude of cultures from around the world are represented in CLA classes each day of the year. The College of Liberal Arts has attracted faculty and staff who are passionate about serving traditionally underserved communities and leveraging the robust diversity in each course section for greater student learning and mutual benefit. The University maintains a strong commitment to all aspects of diversity and inclusion, including anti-racist and health promoting initiatives.

The College of Liberal Arts offers nearly 5,000 students, close to 50% of UMass Boston’s undergraduates, the opportunity to study a variety of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts. The College offers undergraduate degrees in 27 majors in 19 departments. At the graduate level, the College of Liberal Arts currently offers masters programs (in English, American Studies, Applied Economics, Applied Linguistics, Critical Ethnic and Community Studies, Historical Archaeology, History, Latin and Classical Humanities, and Applied Sociology),  PhD programs in in Clinical Psychology, Sociology and Developmental and Brain Sciences, and an MFA in Creative Writing.

Reporting to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Dean will be responsible for the strategic, programmatic, and financial operations of the College. In collaboration with CLA leadership and faculty, the Dean will shape the College’s future and articulate a compelling vision for the liberal arts that will inspire engagement and financial support from external audiences. Internally, the Dean will encourage collaboration and continuous improvement, with a focus on undergraduate and graduate student success and support of faculty in research, scholarship, and creative activity. Additionally, the Dean will encourage and support a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. The Dean will be visible and accessible to all faculty, staff, and students in the College of Liberal Arts.

The review of credentials will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Candidates should complete the basic personal and demographic application and upload a curriculum vita and letter of application through the UMass Boston job site at: https://employmentopportunities.umb.edu/boston/en-us/job/507671/dean-college-of-liberal-arts. Requests for information and nominations should be directed to:

Jim Sirianni, Partner

Beth McCarthy, Senior Associate

Storbeck Search

UMassBostonCLADean@StorbeckSearch.com 

The University of Massachusetts Boston is an equal opportunity employer and, in compliance with federal and state laws and university policy, is committed to providing equal educational and employment opportunities for all persons without regard to age, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, ​gender identity ​or other protected class status. Individuals from traditionally underrepresented populations are encouraged to apply.