Dean of College of Liberal Arts

Dean of College of Liberal Arts

The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) invites applications, expressions of interest, and nominations of candidates in its search for its next Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (COLA). The new dean has the opportunity to develop and articulate a strategic vision for COLA, one of UTA’s largest and most dynamic colleges which spans diverse disciplines and programs in three main areas – Fine and Performing Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. A Carnegie Doctoral University-Very High Research (R1), Texas Tier I, Hispanic-Serving (HSI) and Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Institution (AANAPISI), UTA was first in Texas and tied for third among national universities for its undergraduate ethnic diversity index and is a top veteran-friendly institution. Located in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex, UTA is a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution which fosters a strong interdisciplinary focus across the university. Reporting to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the dean serves as the chief academic officer for COLA and is responsible for strategic, programmatic, and financial operations.

As UTA’s new senior leadership team leads the institution into its exciting future, the dean shall lead COLA in support of UTA’s central mission to promote and achieve academic excellence to help realize UTA’s collective vision of becoming one of the nation’s most inclusive and impactful research universities. The dean will support and sustain a highly effective work environment and a culture of inclusion and collaboration within COLA and with UTA’s other schools and colleges while championing the value of a liberal arts education.

COLA currently enrolls over 4,000 students across a complex and eclectic group of academic departments: Art and Art History; Communication; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Disability Studies; English; History; Linguistics and TESOL; Military Science; Modern Languages; Music; Philosophy and Humanities; Political Science; Prelaw; Sociology and Anthropology; Theatre Arts and Dance; and Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies. With a significant commitment to enhance excellence, expand education access and student success, deepen community engagement, and significantly expand grant-seeking activity and its research footprint, the dean will be a key player in COLA’s transformation and place in the future of higher education.

The dean is the chief academic and administrative leader for the college and serves as an essential member of the university’s leadership team. The successful candidate will be able to effectively communicate the importance of liberal arts as it relates to the future of the university and be committed to developing the excellence of the college’s faculty, as well as recruiting and supporting promising students. The dean will set the strategic direction for COLA, with the responsibility for advancing the mission and operations through thoughtful personnel decisions, general administration and management, creative budgeting and resource management, academic program support, and fundraising.

The dean will have considerable administrative experience in a highly complex research institution, a collaborative and visionary leadership style, the highest standards of personal ethics and integrity, a strong record of research and scholarly accomplishment, and an understanding of a variety of creative endeavors and research initiatives that span academic disciplines in a comprehensive university. The dean should possess a strong working knowledge of the academic enterprises within higher education and have a deep appreciation for how research intersects with the educational mission of a university that serves a diverse, large, urban population. The successful candidate will be a relationship-builder who can promote interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthen COLA’s contribution to UTA and the outlying metroplex.

The ideal candidate will possess a terminal degree in a discipline relevant to COLA’s portfolio and meet UTA’s standards for appointment at full professor rank. The successful candidate will also possess experience in academic administration and have demonstrated scholarly excellence in a relevant field.

For best consideration, please send all nominations, inquiries, and applications to UTADeanCOLA@StorbeckSearch.com. Application materials will include a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, and a list of five professional references. References will not be contacted without the explicit permission of the candidate. Please send all materials electronically to:

R. Thomas Fitch, Managing Director

Carol Fairborn, Associate

Storbeck Search

UTADeanCOLA@storbecksearch.com

For more information, please visit UTA’s home page at www.uta.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is committed to providing equal employment and educational opportunities for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, disabilities, pregnancy, genetic information, and/or veteran status. Retaliation against persons who oppose a discriminatory practice, file a charge of discrimination, or testify for, assist in, or participate in an investigative proceeding relating to discrimination is prohibited. See the University of Texas at Arlington’s Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.