Dean of Arts and Humanities

Position Title Arts & Humanities - Dean of Arts and Humanities

Classification Title A dministrative Full Time (.75-1.0 FTE)

Benefits Eligibility

Benefits Eligibility

Department Dean of Arts & HumanitiesJob Description

Hope College

Hope College is a four-year liberal arts college where academic excellence and vibrant Christian faith join together in a supportive and welcoming community. With over 3,200 students, Hope is listed in the first tier among the best liberal arts colleges in the nation and ranks #22 and #49 for Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects and Best Undergraduate Teaching, respectively (U.S. News & World Report, 2023). Niche ranks Hope #20 among Best Christian Colleges in America and #62 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America. Hope is dedicated to providing a rich liberal arts curriculum and experience to all students, including those in our professional programs. Hope is a 2022 recipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine and has been nationally recognized by the Council on Undergraduate Research (2017 AURA Recipient). Hope, about 30 miles from Grand Rapids, MI and just minutes away from Lake Michigan beaches, is recognized as one of 45 colleges that develop a lifelong love of learning—praised as raising “higher education’s moral and intellectual level” (Colleges that Change Lives).

 

Hope College has four academic divisions: 1) Arts, 2) Humanities, 3) Social Sciences, and 4) Natural & Applied Sciences. Divisions contain multiple academic departments. Additionally, we have a number of interdisciplinary academic programs, living-learning communities, academic outreach programs, and a leadership structure for the General Education program. The administrators, staff, and faculty in these divisions collaborate to provide an excellent, ecumenical Christian liberal arts education.

 

Dean of Arts & Humanities

Hope is seeking an inspiring, creative, and collaborative leader to oversee two of its four academic divisions. Exceptional candidates will build upon strengths of the divisions such as teaching excellence, internationally- and nationally-renowned scholarship, and demonstrations of superb creative works. The divisions work to strengthen cultural and intellectual diversity of the faculty, and advance Hope’s mission alongside the Hope Forward program.

 

Job Description

The Dean of Arts and Humanities is responsible for overseeing the programs and activities of nine academic departments including: Religion, English, Philosophy, Art & Art History, Dance, Music, History, World & Classical Languages, and Theatre (including the Hope Repertory Theatre). In addition, the dean oversees four programmatic areas: The Van Raalte Institute, the Center for Ministry Studies, the Kruizenga Art Museum, and Women’s and Gender Studies.

Major responsibilities include:

• Championing the college’s Christian liberal arts mission in all areas of supervisory responsibility.
• Advocating for the roles of arts, humanities, and interdisciplinary programs that prepare intellectually agile students.
• Providing leadership in curriculum development, review of curricula, and evaluation of proposed curricular changes.
• Reviewing and approving departmental budgets.
• Overseeing faculty recruitment for approved positions.
• Collaborating with stakeholders to review and edit structures and policies to enhance the recruitment and retention of a diverse set of faculty and staff.
• Monitoring and approving teaching assignments.
• Participating in the development & evaluation of faculty and making recommendations for salary increases, promotion, tenure, leaves of absence, and grants.
• Working with admissions and other curricular and co-curricular departments to recruit and retain a diverse group of gifted students.
• Providing leadership for fundraising, especially by seeking grants and preparing proposals for programmatic funding for the arts and humanities.

Application Instructions

Candidates are asked to submit electronically: (1) a cover letter detailing a) their understanding of and commitment to the Christian faith, b) plan to engage the full mission of Hope College, c) a description of how they will strive to uphold the Deans’ Council Guiding Commitments, and d) their demonstrated experience performing major functions of the Dean of Arts and Humanities; (2) a curriculum vitae; and (3) the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of five references, as well as a brief description of the professional relationship they have with each reference listed. References will not be contacted without prior permission of the candidate.

 

Successful applicants will demonstrate a commitment to all aspects of Hope’s mission as a liberal arts college and our Christian Aspirations. We daily strive for inclusive excellence. As part of the application, we ask all candidates to describe how they will engage and support the holistic mission of the College, particularly how their mature understanding of and commitment to the Christian faith, the liberal arts, and inclusive excellence shapes their approaches and identities as teachers, scholars, and leaders.

 

The application can be found at hope.edu/jobs. Review of applications will commence on October 16, 2023.

Qualifications

Qualifications

Education and Professional Experience

• Terminal degree in a discipline within or related to those found in the Arts and Humanities (see Job Description for relevant educational expertise).
• Teaching and scholarship commensurate with appointment at the rank of professor in one of the Arts or Humanities departments.
• Mature understanding of and personal commitment to the Christian faith as expressed in the ecumenical creeds of the ancient church, especially the Nicene and Apostles’ creeds.
• Commitment to the mission and vision of the college and an ability to articulate how the Fine and Performing Arts and Humanities disciplines fit into them.

Desired personal characteristics and experiences

• A collaborative leadership style.
• Ability and willingness to articulate the value of a liberal arts education.
• Ability to represent and advocate both internally and externally for the wide range of programs represented in the Fine and Performing Arts and Humanities divisions, including a willingness to articulate the importance of the Arts and Humanities in Hope’s General Education program.
• Demonstrated experience in advancing programs that foster appreciation of cultural diversity and development of cultural expertise.
• Commitment to hiring personnel who, through personal belief and lived practice, exemplify the college’s Christian liberal arts mission.
• Demonstrated support for and understanding of the value of student collaborative research, experiential learning, internships, and service learning.
• Ability and willingness to design mentoring and sponsoring processes to promote continuous faculty development opportunities.
• Ability to work in a team environment with integrity and civility.
• Experience with managing budgets and the ability to be creative in resource allocation.

Physical Demands

This position requires remaining in a sitting or standing position for frequent periods of time; uses office machinery such as a computers, printers, copy machines; Occasionally involves moving items over 10 pounds; frequently will move between different offices/workspaces/buildings; and requires effective communication abilities. In the case of temporary or permanent condition(s) that require(s) accommodation(s), reasonable accommodation(s) may be requested.

Pre-employment Screenings

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check. Some positions may have position specific requirements, such as education/licensure/certification verification, a physical, drug screening, credit checks and/or transportation record review.dd