Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of
the School of the Arts (VCUarts), who will also serve as Special Assistant to the Provost for VCUarts Qatar.

VCUarts offers an unparalleled value proposition: elite creative education paired with the broad research
capacity and affordability of an R1 public university. To advance toward this ambition, the next Dean will
lead the implementation of a bold strategic agenda focused on elevating national reputation, faculty
sustainability, graduate selectivity, and global brand integration. The next Dean’s agenda will need to be
forward-thinking and purposeful for VCUarts to advance its national position in an evolving and
increasingly competitive landscape for arts education.

The Dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer of VCUarts. Reporting to the Executive
Vice President and Provost, the Dean oversees academic planning, strategic budgeting, faculty
development, student success, and global operations. The Dean will manage a total education and general
budget of $69.3M with $39.4 allocated for direct expenses. The Dean manages a team of 14 direct reports,
including leadership of VCUarts Qatar, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and academic, administrative,
and operational leadership for the school.
Key duties include:

• Executive & Strategic Leadership: Articulate a compelling, forward-looking vision for VCUarts that
  inspires faculty, staff, students, alumni, and external partners.
• Resource Generation & Advancement: Partner closely with VCU Development and Alumni
  Relations (DAR) to drive an ambitious philanthropic strategy and secure major and principal-level
  gifts to support student scholarships/assistance, faculty endowments, programmatic initiatives,
  and capital needs.
• Faculty & Staff Development: Recruit, retain, and mentor a high-performing faculty and staff,
  fostering a collaborative climate that supports scholarly and creative endeavors.
• Fiscal & Operational Management: Ensure fiscal health and effective resource stewardship within
  the School of the Arts, while working with VCUarts Qatar leadership to support institutional
  planning and coordination within the university's established financial and administrative
  arrangements.
• External & Industry Partnerships: Expand strategic relationships with regional, national, and
  international cultural institutions, industry partners, and peer universities.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEAN
To engender success across all domains, the Dean must work collaboratively with staff and faculty to
address the following key opportunities and challenges in support of the VCUarts mission:

Define the “21st-Century Art School”

• Comprehensive Interdisciplinarity: Capitalize on U.S. News’ shift away from evaluating isolated
  sub-disciplines by positioning VCUarts as the benchmark for cross-disciplinary education and
  research—seamlessly bridging fine arts, design, performance, and emerging technologies.
• Cross-University R1 Synergy: Expand interdisciplinary research partnerships across VCU’s
  academic enterprise, including the schools/colleges and other university-level offices.

Transform Graduation Education and Funding

• Universal Graduate Support: Emulate top-tier graduate models by building toward guaranteed
  full-tuition remission, competitive stipends, and enhancing individual studio spaces for all MFA
  cohorts through targeted philanthropy, differential tuition reallocation, and assistantships.
• Targeted Selectivity & Cohort Sizing: Intentionally calibrate graduate cohort sizes to lower
  student-to-faculty ratios, deepen individualized mentorship, and heighten institutional
  selectivity—ensuring universal financial support is structurally sustainable.

Strengthen Global Engagement (VCUarts Qatar)

• Highlight VCUarts Qatar: Build on the contributions of VCUarts Qatar as a distinctive point of
  differentiation among U.S. art schools, drawing on the strengths and opportunities of both
  campuses.
• Expanded Curricular Partnerships: Strengthen collaboration between Richmond and Doha
  through shared academic programming, faculty and student exchanges, and joint participation in
  international creative and scholarly initiatives.

Elevate National Profile of Faculty Research

• Amplify National Visibility: Actively promote faculty and alumni accomplishments in major
  cultural centers (e.g., New York, Los Angeles) to strengthen peer-assessment metrics.

• Expand Endowed Professorships & Research Infrastructure: Secure funding for endowed chairs
  and professorships and provide university-supported studio and research spaces to recruit and
  retain world-class faculty talent.

• Optimize Faculty Instructional Loads: Refine workloads for tenured and tenure-track faculty
  across departments to optimize effort for high-impact research, global exhibitions, high-profile
  performances, peer-reviewed publications, and national conference leadership.

• Ensure Instructional Continuity: Recognizing the value of adjunct talent, strategically ensure instructional continuity by reducing reliance on part-time teaching by moving towards stable non- tenure-track positions and new tenure-track lines, thereby fostering long-term curricular continuity and faculty well-being.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
The successful candidate will be a dynamic, empathetic, and visionary leader with a proven record of
administrative excellence and artistic or scholarly distinction.

Required Qualifications

• Administrative Leadership: Significant administrative experience in a complex higher education
  or creative environment as a dean or school director (or equivalent) with direct experience
  managing budgets, personnel, and strategic initiatives. Success building and sustaining a
  collaborative leadership culture that equally values contributions from faculty, staff, and students.
• Commitment to Research & Creative Activity: A track record of supporting various artistic and
  scholarly paradigms across fine arts, design, performing arts, and new media.

Preferred Attributes & Leadership Qualities

• Strategic Vision: Demonstrated ability to articulate and execute a bold strategy that elevates
  institutional stature, ranking, and global visibility.
• Fundraising Acumen: Experience or clear aptitude for individual fundraising, donor stewardship,
  corporate sponsorships, constituent engagement, and grant acquisition.
• Global Perspective: Appreciation for international artistic paradigms and cultural competence to
  provide institutional leadership in support of VCUarts Qatar, in collaboration with its campus
  leadership.
• Student-Centered Orientation: Deep commitment to undergraduate and graduate student
  success, well-being, career readiness, and equitable funding. Understand changing student
  expectations and the need to respond with innovative programming.
• Collaborative & Transparent Style: An authentic, inclusive communicator who builds trust across
  faculty governance, staff units, external constituencies, and student bodies.
• Academic Credentials: Terminal degree (MFA, PhD, or equivalent) in a discipline represented
  within the School of the Arts, with credentials warranting appointment as a full professor with
  tenure.

COMPENSATION AND LOCATION

This is a permanent, full-time position located in Richmond, Virginia, with institutional responsibilities
related to VCUarts Qatar in Doha. The anticipated salary range is $250,000 - $375,000, and will be
commensurate with experience.

APPLICATIONS, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS
Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search
process. Applications (including CV and cover letter), inquiries, and nominations should be submitted in
confidence to Ben Tobin, Keith Mason, Arianna Williams, and Alaine Small via the Isaacson, Miller website.