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Type of Position:

Faculty - Tenure/Tenure TrackNo

Job Type:

RegularDay Shift (United States of America)Yes

Institution Name:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance Arkansas and build a better world through education, research and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, promoting an inclusive and diverse culture and climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation’s strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

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For general application assistance or if you have questions about a job posting, please contact Human Resources at 479.575.5351.

Department:

Fulbright College Dean's Officehttps://fulbright.uark.edu/departments/art/

Summary of Job Duties:

The School of Art in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas invites applications for the Director of the School of Art to start in July 2024. Reporting to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and working with faculty, staff, and students, the Director will be responsible for setting the vision and aligning with college and university goals. As the lead administrator for the School, the Director is responsible for budget management, fundraising and development, faculty recruitment, mentoring, promotion, tenure, curriculum development, enrollment and retention initiatives, building strong relationships with community partners and arts leaders, and managing personnel and operational functions. The Director will engage in student-focused initiatives and ensure continued emphasis on both undergraduate and graduate populations. The Director is assisted in these efforts by an administrative team that includes an Assistant Director, Director of Administration and Communications, Curator and Director of Exhibitions, Program Director of Art History, Program Director of Art Education, Program Director of Graphic Design, Program Director of Studio Art, and Program Director of Foundations. The School of Art has a budget of approximately $15 million.

The Director of the School of Art will arrive at an important moment requiring a leader with strong administrative skills who can build upon the School’s rich history while supporting its growth. The incumbent will lead strategic planning efforts to create a unifying vision and direction for the School. The Director will be a transparent and collegial communicator, interacting openly and genuinely with multiple constituencies and attending carefully to the School’s sense of community. Collaboration and partnership are critical to success. The Director will work closely with the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to help achieve the goals of the endowment gift as well as expanding the School’s philanthropic base.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
The next Director of the School of Art will be energized and inspired by the following opportunities and challenges:

- Collaborate with the School of Art community on envisioning a strategic direction for long-term success
As the School of Art transitions to its next leader, the Director will create a forward-looking vision focused on both growth and sustainability. The new Director will bring faculty, staff, and students together to form a strategic plan for the School with a creative lens as well as efficient and clear goals. The Director will help shape, advance, and define the School’s standards of excellence. They will look at the School holistically and see the value of all disciplines. The new Director will be empowered to build upon the strengths of the School in order to impact students, and have influence across campus, the community, and beyond.

- Ensure the School of Art’s curriculum and programmatic offerings are of the highest quality, as well as advancing collaboration across campus
The School of Art successfully launched the Master of Arts in Art Education and Master of Design in Graphic Design in 2022 and the Master of Arts in Art History in 2023. The next Director will build off this progress and assess the possibility of additional programs and collaborations. The Director must ensure that School of Art programs prepare students to be creative thinkers and leaders in their fields. The Director will lean into partnerships that support students of all disciplines as they engage opportunities during their academic careers and post-graduation.

The University and the College deeply value interdisciplinary learning and collaboration. In conjunction with the faculty, the Director will identify, improve, and promote methods of collaboration, particularly in creating curricular and programmatic connections with other schools and colleges as there is tremendous opportunity for the School to contribute to and benefit from collaborations across campus.

- Strategically recruit and retain faculty; support faculty research and creative practice
The Director will be expected to support the recruitment and retention of faculty. The endowment gift has supported the hiring of faculty with 20 faculty hires taking place since 2018 and the Director will have the opportunity to support the recruitment of a number of additional tenure-track faculty over the next few years.

The Director will work with faculty to support and promote outstanding research and high standards of scholarly and artistic excellence. They will champion faculty in seeking internal and external funding to support both disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and teaching. The Director will ensure that resources are maximized to enable faculty to achieve their goals and professional development. The Director will be expected to ensure efficient and effective day-to-day operations of the School while recognizing the specific needs of each discipline and equipping them for success. The Director must also have experience evaluating tenure and promotion dossiers, supervising faculty and staff, and overseeing performance reviews. Leadership calls for a transparent and skilled communicator who can create a culture of collaboration, cohesion, and fairness that nurtures and supports this dynamic community.

- Foster relationships with donors, foundations, and the art community to strengthen the School of Art’s fundraising efforts
The new Director will continue to foster partnerships with donors and foundations while working closely to achieve the goals of the School’s grants and endowment gift. Additionally, the Director will continue to seek sources of philanthropic funding and cultivate new relationships with the support of the advancement team. The Director will be a visible leader in the arts community of Northwest Arkansas, as well as foster partnerships across the state and with national art institutions to help the School build its network of national arts and design leaders.

- Advance the mission of access and student success
The Director will work with faculty, staff, and program leadership to support student success and ensure that the programs of the School are accessible and equitable to all students. The Director will champion a learning and working environment where everyone feels welcome and respected, and where the diversity of ideas and perspectives enriches the community.

Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

About the School:
In 2017, the University of Arkansas was awarded a $120 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to establish a School of Art in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The gift created the first and only school of art in the state of Arkansas, and is helping to advance art education, design, art history and studio art in the state while providing unparalleled access and opportunity to students. In addition, in 2017, the School of Art also received a $40 million gift from the Windgate Foundation to develop and build a new Studio Art and Graphic Design facility. Most recently, in 2021, the Windgate Foundation gave a $30 million partial challenge grant to develop and build a facility to house a professional gallery, auditorium, the foundations program, as well as idea fabrication and arts entrepreneurship labs. The mission of the School of Art is to develop one of the highest quality educational, research and service programs in the visual arts available nationally. The School of Art is a fully accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). There are currently 8 degree options: BFA in Art Education, BFA in Graphic Design, BFA in Studio Art, BA in Art History, BA in Studio Art, MA in Art Education, MFA in Studio Art, and MDES in Communication Design. The MA degree in Art History of the Americas launched this Fall 2023.

Duties will include:
• 10% Teaching
• 10% Research
• 80% Administrative

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

With submitted materials, the candidate must demonstrate

• A terminal degree in a related discipline is required with experience that meets the qualifications for tenure within the School of Art

• Demonstrated success advancing opportunities, educational excellence, and universal access

• Demonstrated ability to delegate, prioritize, and make transparent and collaborative decisions to advance strategic goals, support governance, and academic freedom

• Demonstrated success in university administration, including strategic planning, interpersonal management, financial oversight, project management, and performance evaluation

• An ability to appreciate and communicate the value of diverse scholarly productivity found in the arts, creative fields, and at the School of Art

• Eagerness and experience in engaging external stakeholders to create partnership opportunities for students and faculty

• Excellent listening, communication, and interpersonal skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• A distinguished record of scholarship and accomplishment of outstanding achievement and distinction in teaching, research, and service

• Demonstrated experience working with high-level donors, alumni, and various external stakeholders

• At least three years of experience managing budget and personnel

• Experience securing and successfully administering external funding

• Record of research, teaching, and service consistent with the criteria for an appointment of a tenured associate or full professor at the University of Arkansas

• Strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate education

• Experience with national accreditation agencies/organizations

Additional Information:

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, List of three Professional References (name, email, business title)Proof of Veteran StatusLaura Jacobs, search committee chair, laura@uark.edu

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Completed applications received by 12/1/2023, will be assured full consideration. Late applications will be reviewed as necessary to fill the position.

For additional inquiries, please contact the search committee chair, Laura Jacobs, at laura@uark.edu.

Applicants must submit
• A resume/curriculum vitae;
• A cover letter/letter of application;
• A list of three professional references (name, title, email address, and phone number) willing to provide letters of recommendation if requested during the application process. Letters of recommendation will be requested only for candidates selected for interviews.

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds inclusion, opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, marital or parental status, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity). Federal law prohibits the University from discriminating on these bases. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University's Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:

N/A

Frequent Physical Activity:

N/A

Occasional Physical Activity:

N/A

Benefits Eligible:

Yes