Dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts

Tufts University | Dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts

Boston, Massachusetts

Tufts University is seeking a dynamic and experienced administrator with an established record of inclusive, effective, and collaborative leadership and a demonstrated commitment to the arts who recognizes the arts as a global community.

The Dean of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts will provide leadership and oversight of faculty, staff, curricula, research, and teaching at SMFA. The SMFA Dean will report to the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and will lead the continued growth of SMFA at Tufts as a top-tier arts institution. The Dean will recruit and develop faculty while providing leadership and insight on undergraduate and graduate strategy and programming. The Dean must work adeptly with senior administrative leadership at SMFA, as well as with other deans and leaders across the School and Arts and Sciences and throughout the University. In this highly collaborative role, the Dean must possess strong communication and relationship-building skills to share the mission of SMFA and strengthen the sense of community on-and off-campus.

The SMFA Dean will work closely with the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, the SMFA Dean of Faculty, and the SMFA faculty to move the SMFA into its next phase of growth. They will provide leadership and oversight of faculty, curricula, and teaching in a dynamic, diverse, and developing environment. The SMFA Dean will serve as leader to the faculty and staff and work with them as they shape their curriculum and the departmental programs and offerings. The Dean will also hold a critical role in recruiting, mentoring, and retaining a diverse group of excellent faculty members who are committed and engaged teachers and artists who work very closely with their undergraduate and graduate students.

Candidate Profile

The Dean of SMFA at Tufts will be a creative, collaborative, and engaged leader who thrives working within an environment of passionate community members. They must be committed to working with a diverse community and will be expected to lead the school’s strategic efforts in line with the mission and values of contemporary arts education. They will possess excellent organizational and strong interpersonal skills, as well as demonstrate a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Dean must be insightful, compelling, and articulate, and must be receptive to new ideas and proactive about exploring and implementing them.

SMFA at Tufts is committed to building a culturally diverse and equitable educational environment. There is a special interest in candidates who can enhance social justice within the academic community through their research, teaching, and/or service. Applications are strongly encouraged from candidates belonging to groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and lesbian/gay/bisexual/gender-nonconforming people; and from those who produce artwork, curriculum, and research that engages marginalized groups. To learn more, please visit https://smfa.tufts.edu/student-experience/deij.

In addition, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following qualifications, capabilities, and experiences:

• A terminal or equivalent degree is required (MFA or PhD), with a record of scholarship or artistic practice.
• Proven record of relevant administrative experience in a complex and dynamic environment.
• A deep personal and professional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in daily practice.
• Demonstration of strategic thinking about recruitment and retention of students.
• A commitment to and appreciation for the arts and arts education, through personal practice or in an administrative or academic capacity.
• A record of cultivating a collaborative intellectual community.
• Ability to support and advance an environment in which complex configurations of faculty and staff can thrive through meaningful discourse and support for creative/artistic work, research, scholarship, and teaching.

To view the full position description please visit this website.

Contact

Amy Sugin and Holly Bogo of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express your interest in this role please submit your materials here. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

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Tufts University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We are committed to increasing the diversity of our faculty and staff and fostering their success when hired. Members of underrepresented groups are welcome and strongly encouraged to apply. See the University’s Non-Discrimination statement and policy here https://oeo.tufts.edu/policies-procedures/non-discrimination. If you are an applicant with a disability who is unable to use our online tools to search and apply for jobs, please contact us by calling Johny Laine in the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at 617-627-3298 or at johny.laine@tufts.edu. Applicants can learn more about requesting reasonable accommodations at http://oeo.tufts.edu.