Dean of the College of Music and Dramatic Arts

DEAN, COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMATIC ARTS

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Baton Rouge, LA

Louisiana State University (LSU) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Music and Dramatic Arts (CMDA). As a leading college of music and dramatic arts situated on the flagship campus of a significant land-, sea-, and space-grant, Carnegie R1 research university, CMDA seeks a visionary leader with significant artistic and academic strengths, the ability to advocate on behalf of the College both within the university and beyond, demonstrated fiscal and operational leadership of a complex unit, and deep commitments to the performing arts and to public higher education.

CMDA plays an important role on LSU’s campus and in the broader Baton Rouge community, fostering an arts education ecosystem that benefits faculty, staff, students, and community members. The School of Music is home to over 400 music majors, including 90 graduate teaching assistants, and 70 faculty and professional staff; it also houses the historic Turner-Fischer Center for Opera, one of the oldest collegiate programs of its kind in the United States, and the Golden Band from Tigerland, among other renowned programs and endeavors. In the past 5 years, the School of Music has hosted the conference of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (2017), been featured at the conference of College Band Directors National Association (Wind Ensemble, 2019), hosted the Stravinsky in America Symposium (2022), hosted the Collaborative Piano Summer Institute (2020, 2021, 2022), and won the National Opera Association scenes competition all 5 years. The School of Theatre boasts a faculty and professional staff of 26, with approximately 130 majors and 35 graduate students; the campus community benefits from a close partnership with Swine Palace, a professional Equity theatre that operates year-round and offers substantial opportunities to work with national and international artists.

The Dean will join CMDA at a moment when the College seeks strategic leadership on how to further grow and strengthen its programs. The Dean will have the opportunity to lead the CMDA community in a strategic planning and visioning exercise to chart the College’s path forward. As the senior-most leader in CMDA, the Dean will guide all artistic, academic, and operational activities at the College, including overseeing curriculum and programs, faculty and staff hiring and development, and fiscal management. Student-centered by nature, the Dean will assess the student experience and lead the College in strengthening the programs that prepare students for their lives and careers. As the face and voice of the College, the Dean will represent CMDA externally, both as an advocate across the university, and as the chief fundraiser and partnership-builder for the College more broadly. In all this work, the Dean will be an advocate for the values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and access.

The successful candidate will have strong artistic and academic credentials; a collaborative and transparent leadership style that invites participation from broad constituencies; experience with the fiscal and operational leadership of a complex unit; an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit; an understanding of the ways in which the performing arts landscape is shifting, particularly with regards to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; enthusiasm for institutional development and fundraising; a deep commitment to the mission of public higher education; and appropriate credentials for appointment at the rank of full professor with tenure.

LSU has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in the recruitment of the next Dean of CMDA. All applications, nominations, and inquiries should be submitted in confidence through the Isaacson, Miller website: http://www.imsearch.com/8715.

The search advisory committee will begin reviewing applications immediately and continue to accept applications and nominations until the position is filled. However, in order to ensure the fullest consideration, candidates are encouraged to submit complete applications by January 20, 2023. Applicants must include a CV and letter of interest. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications. An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check.