Dean of Arts and Communication
Position
Bucks County Community College seeks an innovative and entrepreneurial Dean to join our vibrant community of scholars and artists to lead our School of Arts & Communication into a new era. Building on the College’s long history of leadership in the arts and collaborating with an outstanding faculty of professionals, the next dean will cultivate relationships with arts and cultural institutions across the county and beyond, develop joint ventures that are mutually beneficial, increase philanthropy, strengthen enrollment, and foster relationships that simultaneously benefit regional partners and position the School of Arts & Communication as a leader, hub and nexus of the regional arts community. We seek an individual with the ability to envision the School as a unique entity within the regional arts ecosystem, the skills to build relationships and joint ventures with arts organizations that position the School as a leader and partner of choice, the ability to inspire the faculty and work with them to identify new opportunities, develop new programs, and reach new audiences, the ability to partner with the College’s advancement team to increase philanthropy, and the business acumen to manage the enterprise in a fiscally responsible manner.
Qualifications
Successful candidates will be dynamic leaders with advanced credentials in an arts or communication field—such as a master or doctoral degree and leadership experience in academic or independent arts organizations. They will have experience growing enrollments or audiences/patrons, philanthropy, managing budgets, and supervising personnel. They will have experience as an instructor or have had experience with arts education in some form, such as working with arts education programs within arts institutions, artist-in-residence programs, and so forth. And they will find joy in supporting faculty, engaging with students, securing resources, and positioning the School as a leader within the regional arts community. Finally, they will possess the acumen to understand and respect the requirements of collegiate academic programs to adhere to standards for accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the National Association of Schools of Art & Design, and the National Association of Schools of Music.
Salary
Commensurate with background and experience.
Application
Applications must consist of a letter of application addressing this specific position and the candidate’s interest and qualifications for coming to Bucks County Community College, curriculum vitae, and a list of five professional references. References will not be contacted without prior permission. Finalists may be asked to provide additional materials.
Deadline
Consideration of applications will begin on December 1, 2024. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Appointment
July 1, 2025
Benefits
Bucks County Community College offers an exceptional benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, prescription plans, 403B pension plan, life insurance, short & long-term disability, generous paid time off, summer hours, tuition waivers, tuition assistance, wellness center, cafeteria, and free parking on a beautiful Bucks County campus.
We are proud to be an organization that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.
Please Note: At this time, the College does not provide work visa sponsorships. To be considered for employment at Bucks County Community College, applicants must be permitted to legally work in the United States without employer sponsorship. Bucks County Community College participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.
Detailed Position Responsibilities
The next Dean will lead the School of Arts and Communication to strengthen enrollment through increasing the number of new students and improving retention, increase resources and philanthropy, and position the School as a leader within the regional arts ecosystem. They will lead the faculty in sustaining quality, identifying new opportunities for existing and new programs, and securing resources through grants and donations, corporate sponsorships, and partnerships and collaborations with arts organizations. They will build strong relationships within the School and College, with other arts organizations, colleges/universities, and corporations, supervise personnel, hire and evaluate faculty and staff, and manage facilities, equipment, and resources—including the professionally managed Hicks Art Center Gallery. They will report to the Provost and serve on the deans council as a supportive colleague and collaborator who helps advance the entire college enterprise.
School
The School of Arts and Communication is a dynamic community of over 50 artists and scholars on faculty. Accredited by both the National Association of Schools of Art & Design and the National Association of Schools of Music, the School offers Associate of Arts, Associate of Fine Arts, and Associate of Music degrees in 10 disciplines including art, dance, music, multimedia, theater arts, and communication, as well as certificates and community and youth programs.
The School has outstanding facilities, including a variety of venues. The visual arts programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Arts and Design and offers fully equipped studios for 3D, ceramics, cinema/video, digital, drawing, glass, jewelry, multimedia, painting, photography, printmaking, and woodworking.
The Hicks Arts Center Gallery mounts several exhibitions each year that present works by both professional and student artists. Multimedia and Digital Arts majors enjoy a TV studio, Profoto lighting studio, darkroom, Black magic digital film and video cameras, film and digital cameras, large format cameras, advanced editing, and sound equipment.
The School of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and is an All-Steinway School with facilities for private lessons, large and small ensembles, 6 soundproof Wenger practice rooms, a computer lab for music technology courses, individual lockers for student instrument storage, and a suite of percussion instruments, amplifiers, and other necessary music equipment. Many of these facilities are located in the Music & Multimedia Center.
The dance major has access to studio space and dance and theatre students have performance venues that include the intimate Gallagher Room and the 339-seat Zlock Performing Arts Center. Students in cinema video have facilities for podcasting, film and video creation and editing, and students in communication students can participate on an award winning student run newspaper The Centurion, an active drama club with performance opportunities, and a student run streaming radio station.