Dean of Extended Studies

Dean of Extended Studies
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California

The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) seeks a visionary and collaborative leader for the position of Dean of Extended Studies. Building on the impactful work of the unit, this person will provide an overarching vision and strategy for Extended Studies, expanding its reach and ensuring the success of its programming. The Dean will serve as a thought partner for campus leadership in growing Extended Studies, with an eye toward equity and accessibility.

CalArts is renowned internationally in the education of professional artists. An all-inclusive community for a diversity of authentic voices, CalArts today offers more than 70 comprehensive degree programs in the visual, performing, media, and literary arts. Established in 1961 by Walt and Roy Disney, CalArts emerged with a bold new paradigm for arts education, the kind not seen since the Black Mountain College experiment of the 1930s that promised freedom to create with boundless imagination, unfettered by conventional expectations. Offering a curriculum that is at once imaginative and rigorous, CalArts continues to distinguish itself as a leader in arts education, nurturing and respecting students as artists, offering remarkable interchange with faculty across disciplines, and encouraging students to cross-pollinate and inspire each other.

CalArts Extended Studies is the continuing education unit at California Institute of the Arts. Informally launched in 2011 by staff working on special projects for the offices of the President and Provost, CalArts Extended Studies has grown organically, piloting new offerings based on opportunity and leadership interest. CalArts Extended Studies officially began in 2012, previously the Office of Global Initiatives, with an idea to offer programming for non-matriculated students during times in the calendar when the campus was underutilized. As of 2019, Extended Studies offers credit and non-credit bearing options for creative exploration in the arts, on-campus and online, to adult and pre-college learners. Extended Studies offerings are developed with the same creative spirit and integrity of the curricular courses at CalArts.

Over the last several years, Extended Studies has increased its reach and impact online through its partnership with platforms Coursera and Kadenze, pivoting during the pandemic to assist the Institute as needed. The incoming Dean will capitalize on this success, while also setting the vision for a sustainable future, expanding both diverse online and on-site programming that appropriately responds to market and student demand. This person must be a creative and entrepreneurial leader, capable of balancing the need for revenue generation with the overarching goal of integrating Extended Studies into the fabric of the institution.

To be successful, the new Dean will address the following opportunities and challenges:

  • Develop and execute on a forward-looking vision for Extended Studies;
  • Drive the creation and expansion of programs that grow enrollment and ensure the success of a highly diverse student body;
  • Effectively manage and cultivate resources to support and advance Extended Studies' ambitious goals;
  • Invest in a culture that amplifies and uplifts inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access;
  • Lead the recruitment and development of exceptional faculty and staff; and
  • Forge collaborations throughout CalArts and beyond.

    CalArts has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: https://www.imsearch.com/search-detail/8831 . Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

    Courtney Wilk-Mandel, Katheryne Martinez, and Cara Meyers
    Isaacson, Miller
    1925 Century Park East
    Suite 1700
    Los Angeles, CA 90067
    Phone: 310-405-0048

    California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) seeks to employ faculty and staff who can engage our diverse communities of learners at the highest levels of artistic endeavor and critical thinking. Across the range of practitioners from artists to scholars and librarians, we welcome candidates who possess a demonstrated worldview and cultural competency to support teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students of varied backgrounds, capabilities, perspectives, social identities, and gender expressions. CalArts is an equal opportunity employer.

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