Dean, College of Liberal Arts

The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) seeks applications and nominations for Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (CoLA). A member of the prestigious Association for American Universities (AAU) and one of the nation’s premier centers for academic excellence, UT Austin has more than 40 programs ranked among the top ten in the country. The CoLA Dean will play a key leadership role in advancing the mission, operations and service of the second largest college at the University, with nearly 10,000 undergraduates, over 1,000 graduate students, and more than 500 tenured or tenure-track faculty.

 

CoLA is a national leader in research and education in the humanities, languages, and social sciences. Composed of 25 independent departments, 19 centers and two undergraduate honors programs, the College offers 37 undergraduate and 36 graduate programs. U.S. News and World Report ranks eight of CoLA’s programs among the top 20 in the country. The annual operating budget is $157 million, and external research funding supports over $20 million in annual expenditures. With an endowment of $372 million, CoLA boasts 170 endowed chairs and professorships.

 

Reporting directly to Executive Vice President and Provost Maurie McInnis, the CoLA Dean is the chief academic and administrative leader for the College and serves as an essential member of the University’s leadership team. The Dean will set the strategic direction for the College, will guide a robust scholarship and research agenda, and will promote excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, including the development of collaborative academic programs.

 

The flagship campus of the UT System, UT Austin is internationally recognized as a leader in research and higher education. It is the fifth-largest university in the United States, with approximately 40,000 undergraduate students and more than 11,000 graduate and professional students from across the nation and more than 115 countries. Founded in 1883, and a member of the AAU since 1929, UT Austin offers more than 170 undergraduate fields of study and 237 graduate programs, largely at the doctoral level, which are supported by more than 3,000 faculty and 12,000 staff members.

 

Candidates for the CoLA Deanship should be able to articulate the importance of the liberal arts to the future of a major public university and be committed to developing the excellence of its faculty, recruiting and supporting promising students, and promoting the diversity of the College. They should possess experience in academic administration and have demonstrated scholarly excellence. They must have outstanding skills in raising funds externally, securing internal funding, and interacting with alumni and other supporters of the College.

 

Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited.  Interested candidates should submit confidentially, in electronic form (Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF files preferred) a curriculum vitae and either a letter of interest or a bullet point summary of leadership roles held (including the scope of responsibilities and major accomplishments in each) to:

 

Dr. Jett Pihakis

Russell Reynolds Associates

UTAustin.CLA@russellreynolds.com

(202) 654-7800

 

The University of Texas at Austin is committed to providing an inclusive educational environment in which all students, faculty, and staff can learn, research, create, work and thrive free from all forms of harassment, discrimination, and misconduct. As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, UT Austin complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.