Position Overview
The University of Utah College of Fine Arts is a dynamic community of artists, scholars, educators, and creative professionals dedicated to the study, creation, and advancement of the arts through education, research, creative practice, and public engagement. The College serves more than 2,000 students and includes approximately 300 faculty and staff across five academic units: the Department of Art & Art History, School of Dance, Department of Film & Media Arts, School of Music, and Department of Theatre. Students pursue undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees across a broad range of artistic and scholarly disciplines, and alumni job satisfaction rates are high. The College of Fine Arts is also the proud home to the Arts & Health Innovation Lab and the Utah Center for Vocology.
As part of a Research 1 university, the College brings together rigorous academic study with prolific creative and scholarly research, professional training, performance, production, and interdisciplinary collaboration. With more than a dozen venues for exhibiting, performing, and screening work and more than 300 arts experiences offered on campus each year, the College is a major and cherished contributor to the cultural life of the University and the surrounding region.
Nestled at the base of the Wasatch Mountains with unparalleled access to varied natural landscapes, Salt Lake City is a rich and vibrant cultural jewel of the Intermountain West where opportunity for inspiration, collaboration, professional connections, and enrichment abound both on and off campus.
Role of the Dean of the College of Fine Arts
The Position
Reporting to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and serving on the Council of Academic Deans, the Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the College of Fine Arts. The Dean provides strategic leadership across the College’s academic programs, research and creative activities, performance and exhibition spaces, and community of faculty, staff, and students.
The Dean will articulate a compelling and sustainable vision for the College; support excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity; oversee financial, human, and physical resources; recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff; and serve as the College’s chief advocate and fundraiser.
The next Dean will join the College at a time of opportunity and challenge. Key priorities include addressing aging and capacity-constrained facilities; strengthening support for faculty research and creative activity; expanding philanthropic support; and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, including emerging opportunities at the intersection of arts and health.
The Dean will be a visible advocate for the arts within the University and throughout Salt Lake City and Utah, strengthening the College’s relationships, reputation, reach, and impact.
Responsibilities
- Develop and advance a compelling vision and long-term priorities aligned with the University’s strategic direction and the distinctive mission of the arts.
- Foster a collaborative and transparent culture that respects the identities and needs of the College’s disciplines while encouraging collaboration.
- Champion excellence and innovation in teaching, research, scholarship, performance, and creative activity.
- Effectively manage and advocate for the financial, human, physical, and technological resources needed to advance the College, including its specialized facilities and space needs.
- Recruit, develop, and retain outstanding faculty, staff, and academic leaders.
- Promote student creativity, applied learning, professional preparation, and success.
- Build interdisciplinary partnerships across the University and strengthen relationships with Utah’s arts and cultural community and other external partners.
- Lead fundraising and development efforts and cultivate strong relationships with donors, alumni, and supporters.
- Serve as a visible and engaged advocate for the College within the University and broader community and advance its national and international reputation.
- Use data and other appropriate measures to inform decision-making and assess programs and initiatives.
Professional Qualifications and Personal Qualities
The successful candidate will possess:
- A terminal degree or equivalent professional accomplishment in an arts-related discipline, with a record appropriate for appointment as a tenured professor in the College.
- Significant academic leadership and administrative experience, including strategic planning, budget and resource management, personnel management, and organizational change.
- A strong understanding of the distinctive academic, creative, research, performance, production, and facilities needs of arts disciplines.
- A demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, and creative activity.
- A record of effectively engaging faculty, staff, students, academic leaders, donors, community partners, and other stakeholders.
- A record of fostering a welcoming educational and professional environment for students, faculty, and staff from a range of backgrounds and experiences.
The successful candidate will also demonstrate many of the following:
- A compelling vision for arts education, research, and creative practice within a public research university.
- A collaborative, transparent leadership style and ability to build trust and shared priorities.
- Exceptional communication, interpersonal, listening, and problem-solving skills.
- Success advocating for resources and addressing complex facilities and space needs.
- Experience advancing research, scholarship, and creative activity.
- Success in fundraising, development, community engagement, and external relations.
- An ability to articulate the value of the arts to diverse audiences.
- An interest in interdisciplinary collaboration and new opportunities for the arts.
- An engaged leadership presence and enthusiasm for participating in the artistic and creative life of the College.
Procedure for Candidacy
The responsibilities, qualifications, and preferences listed in this posting are intended to give applicants an understanding of the role we are seeking to fill and the types of skills, experience, and education that may have prepared someone to be effective in this role. Please submit application materials that demonstrate how your experience, leadership record, and professional accomplishments align with the qualifications and priorities of the position and describe your interest in serving as Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah.
Confidential review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled; individuals who apply by November 6, 2026, will be given first consideration. Upon application, please submit a PDF version of your CV/resume and a cover letter. All applications and nominations will be held in confidence.
To apply online: https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=su528
For more information or to offer recommendations or nominations:
Arasi Adkins
Senior Consultant
Summit Search Solutions, Inc.
Direct: 336-693-7612
[email protected]
Beth Baldino
Senior Consultant
Summit Search Solutions, Inc.
Direct: 828-216-6606
[email protected]
The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students from diverse backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education for historically underrepresented students. Individuals from historically underrepresented groups, such as minorities, women, qualified persons with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with university policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The university does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
The university is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.
About the University of Utah
The University of Utah is the state’s flagship institution of higher education, with 17 schools and colleges, more than 100 undergraduate majors, more than 200 graduate programs, and an enrollment of more than 38,500 students. The U is a member of the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of leading research institutions in North America marked by excellence in academic expertise and research impact, student success, and securing resources in support of core missions. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Utah as an R1 institution, meaning it is among the universities with the “highest research activity” in the nation. A member of the University Innovation Alliance, the U was also awarded the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.
The University of Utah’s success in achieving excellence in research and teaching reflects the values of Utah: an unparalleled work ethic and a spirit of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and community service. Through pursuit of its Impact 2030 strategic goals, the University of Utah drives unsurpassed societal impact by preparing students from diverse backgrounds to be leaders and global citizens who strengthen our society and democracy; generating and sharing new knowledge, discoveries and innovations that supercharge our economy and improve lives locally, nationally and globally; and engaging local, national and global communities to promote education, health and quality of life. The U aspires to be a top 10 university with unsurpassed societal impact, driving positive, measurable change—both immediate and generational—in the quality of life of individuals across our state resulting from our teaching, research, service, and health care efforts.
The University of Utah’s reputation for excellence draws top-tier faculty and attracts motivated students from across the country and internationally. These students bring with them diverse experiences and outlooks, representing traditional and nontraditional students alike, thereby enhancing the exceptional educational experience the U offers.
Search Committee
