Dean, College of Liberal & Fine Arts

 University of Texas at San Antonio 

Dean, College of Liberal & Fine Arts

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) invites nominations, expressions of interest, and applications for the position of Dean, College of Liberal & Fine Arts.

Under the leadership of President Dr. Taylor Eighmy and Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy, the campus has developed a bold and ambitious vision for UTSA’s future and its pursuit of excellence as an urban-serving, Hispanic-thriving discovery enterprise (https://www.utsa.edu/strategicplan/). The University seeks a dynamic and entrepreneurial leader and scholar who will build upon the existing strengths of the faculty and the untapped potential of the college to further advance the University’s progress toward these goals.

UTSA College of Liberal & Fine Arts (COLFA)

COLFA is UTSA’s first academic college and is home to more than 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students, supported by 130 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 147 non-tenure track faculty, and a dedicated cadre of staff. In its exciting new structure centered on humanity – past, present and future - represented in arts, letters, culture and society, each of the COLFA’s nine departments brings unique value for advancing its mission—these include the Departments of: Anthropology, Art & Art History, Communication, English, History, Modern Languages & Literatures, Music, Philosophy & Classics, and Political Science & Geography. With this honed focus and presence on the Main and Downtown campuses, COLFA is well-positioned to further enhance the impact of its programs, research/scholarship/creative activity, and faculty in improving the lives and social mobility of those they serve in the region. COLFA faculty are passionately committed to the College’s community focus and exemplifying the University’s dedication to the San Antonio and South Texas communities by leveraging UTSA’s role as an urban-serving research university and Carnegie classification as a Community Engaged University. For more information about COLFA, please visit http://colfa.utsa.edu/colfa/.

The University of Texas at San Antonio

As the third largest of nine academic universities and six health institutions within The University of Texas System, UTSA is a leading public Hispanic Serving Institution, Research University specializing in health, cybersecurity, fundamental futures, and human-social development, reflected in its urban-serving mission. With over 34,000 students supported by more than 1,400 faculty and 5,600 staff and student employees, both benefits- and non-benefits eligible, it is the largest university in the San Antonio metropolitan region. As one of the first universities designated as Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and committed to learning and discovery, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and is highly focused on student success and meeting the educational needs of many first-generation, persons of color, transfer, DACA, Veteran, and international students. UTSA prides itself on its diverse student population and 63% of its students come from San Antonio and South Texas. Nearly half (45%) of UTSA undergraduates will be the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, transfer students comprise about 40% of UTSA’s total undergraduate population. Further enhancing an already diverse student population is UTSA’s military community, which makes up approximately 13% of total students. This includes active duty military members, veterans, reserves/guard, and their spouses and dependents. For more information about UTSA, please visit http://www.utsa.edu/.

Position Summary

The Dean will serve as the chief academic officer for the College of Liberal & Fine Arts with responsibility for developing a comprehensive, ambitious, and dynamic vision for the College’s future. UTSA is on an upward trajectory in pursuit of academic excellence, student success, research growth, creativity and community service and the Dean must serve as a passionate advocate for these ideals—working in collaboration with College stakeholders to create a refined vision for the College’s future. In so doing, the Dean will have the unique opportunity to showcase the COLFA as a contributor to UTSA’s Westside Community Partnerships Initiative focused on helping to shape educational, social, economic, and cultural programs and services in alignment with the University’s community outreach mission. Other institutional priorities for COLFA include taking on a central role in the ITC initiative to infuse efforts of our faculty and students in championing the diverse cultural heritage of our communities and the impacts on our futures. 

In leading the College during this important period of institutional growth and transition, the new Dean will play a critical role in effectively aligning the departments that now comprise COLFA, articulating and implementing a strategic plan, and guiding the College through the process of creating a refined identity, increasing its academic culture of excellence, and strengthening external partnerships to advance research/scholarship/creative activity and community impact. The Dean will be responsible for the academic, research, creative and outreach leadership of the College, as well as the management of its human and financial resources. The Dean has responsibility for leading the faculty and staff to work cohesively to advance the College as a whole and represents the College on campus and to the outside world, including alumni, donors, and other external stakeholders. The Dean takes the lead in strategic planning and in solidifying and implementing the vision, mission, and goals for the College.

As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Research University of learning and discovery, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and is highly focused on student success and meeting the educational needs of many first-generation, students of color, transfer, DACA, Veteran, and international students. UTSA prides itself on its diverse student population, with approximately two-thirds are from backgrounds historically under-represented in higher education (with more than half of the student body identifying as Hispanic). Nearly half (45%) of UTSA undergraduates will be the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, transfer students comprise about 40% of UTSA’s total undergraduate population. Further enhancing an already diverse student population is UTSA’s military community, which makes up approximately 13% of total students. This includes active duty military members, veterans, reserves/guard, and their spouses and dependents.  With its focus on arts, letters, culture and society, COLFA has the opportunity to lead the university in advancing academic excellence through diversity and inclusion, and the Dean is expected to embrace and seize this unparalleled opportunity.  The new Dean has a unique opportunity to position the college to lead the charge in digital fluency as UTSA embraces its new designation as an ADOBE® Creative Campus.  The Dean must have a deep understanding of the creative community of thinkers that exist within the culture of COLFA departments and how to connect these strengths across disciplines and departments. 

Qualifications

UTSA’s next Dean will play an important role in the future growth of the COLFA as well as ensuring the College’s support of UTSA’s goal of attaining R1 university status and its dedication to the advancement of knowledge through research, scholarship and creative activity, teaching and learning, community engagement, and public service. The successful candidate will possess a distinguished record of academic accomplishment and service, superior interpersonal and management skills, and in addition will possess:

  • A demonstrated commitment to the broad conceptualization and interrelation of the disciplines that comprise COLFA and how, when coupled with an equal commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion, can positively impact communities;
  • An earned doctorate/terminal degree in a discipline represented in COLFA from an accredited university and administrative and/or leadership experience in a research university;
  • An outstanding record of scholarly achievement and international reputation commensurate with appointment as full professor in one of the departments in the College;
  • Experience as an innovative, decisive leader and diplomat with strong organizational and consensus-building skills, integrity, and the ability to inspire and lead faculty with diverse interests and scholarly approaches;
  • A record of success and ability in recruiting and retaining talented and diverse faculty, a history of inspiring faculty to excel in teaching, research/scholarship/creative activities and rewarding excellence in these areas;
  • A history of providing students with a high-quality educational experience and aggressively addressing issues related to student success;
  • Demonstrated experience in advancing research/scholarship/creative activity, growing its impact and increasing external sponsorship (including foundations and donors), and building creative interdisciplinary teams that advance cutting edge academic innovation;
  • Experience in building multidisciplinary programs and foster external partnerships to create an outwardly looking educational environment for faculty and students;
  • Enthusiasm for “building”; for developing and advancing a strategic plan to further the College and University’s national competitiveness;
  • Proven people skills and the ability to serve as a highly effective listener and communicator with both academic and non-academic audiences, with bold enthusiasm to address challenges.

For a complete position profile, please visit: https://provost.utsa.edu/searches/colfa-dean/

San Antonio, TX

San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the United States with a thriving economy based on Bioscience/Healthcare, Aerospace/Aviation, Financial Services, Information Technology and Cyber, and Energy. It is recognized worldwide as the home of The Alamo, the Riverwalk, and Fiesta and draws tourists from all over the world. The city is known for its growth and a rich, forward looking culture, and is a place of inclusiveness. In 2018, San Antonio celebrated the 300th anniversary of its founding by Spanish missionaries, and is known as “Military City” for its military installations and governmental facilities including Joint Base San Antonio, Randolph Air Force Base, Lackland Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston, Camp Bullis, and NSA Texas. San Antonio provides an environment where professional satisfaction and career achievement are paired with optimal quality of life. It is a city that celebrates its rich cultural heritage and history yet is progressive in embracing the future. As home to the UT Health San Antonio, Southwest Research Institute and the Texas Biomedical Research, all internationally renowned organizations with which UTSA has created many collaborations and partnerships, this is a city that fosters entrepreneurial growth, co-working spaces, and accelerators/incubators – environments that encourage building foundations for business, and a business-friendly economy. With areas such as the beautiful Pearl, Southtown, and thriving Arts scene, revitalized and redesigned for urban living and communal gathering, as well as celebrated historical spaces—San Antonio exemplifies the future for vibrant, urban locales. San Antonio residents benefit from access to scenic greenways across the city to museums and art galleries, history, culture, performing arts, theme parks, family fun, dining and nightlife, festivals and events, shopping, sports, and year-round outdoor lifestyle. 

Application and Nomination Process

The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and continue to accept applications and nominations until the position is filled. Applicants must submit: a current resume or curriculum vitae and a cover letter describing relevant experience and interest in the position. Nomination letters should include the name, position, address and telephone number of the nominee. All applications and nominations will be handled in confidence. 

Applications and letters of nomination should be submitted by email to:

Alberto Pimentel, Managing Partner

Robin Reyes, Senior Associate

Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates

6512 Painter Avenue

Whittier, CA 90601

Email: apsearch@storbeckpimentel.com

Refer to code “UTSA-COLFA” in subject line

As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, it is the policy of The University of Texas at San Antonio to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.