Dean, Faculty of Arts

Wilfrid Laurier University is seeking a collegial, collaborative and innovative leader as its Dean, Faculty of Arts.

Wilfrid Laurier University and its campuses are located on the Haldimand tract, traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources and not to engage in conflict.

It’s a great time to join the Laurier team. The university’s new 2019-2024 Strategy, Today. Tomorrow. Together. focuses on two distinct themes – thriving community and future-readiness – and positions Laurier to address societal and sector challenges and harness opportunities by leveraging foundational strengths in academic excellence, research, partnerships and community.

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading Canadian university. Its holistic approach to learning integrates innovative programming with hands-on experience outside the classroom. Through its community of researchers, leaders and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its academic excellence and global impact. In acknowledgement of its exemplary workplace policies and programs, and its commitment to sustainability and lifelong learning, Laurier was named one of the Waterloo Area’s Top Employers in 2019 and 2020. Laurier specializes in the humanities and social sciences, business and economics, music, science, social work, education and theology.

The Faculty of Arts is one of Laurier’s largest and most diverse faculty with more than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Guided by the Faculty of Arts Strategic Plan (2020-2025), faculty and staff, from all disciplines and within an interdisciplinary context, challenge students to combine critical thinking with a commitment to global understanding. Across the Faculty and the university, through their involvement in several research centres, clusters and institutes, researchers tackle local and global challenges. 

The Dean provides strategic direction, academic planning leadership, and administrative oversight to the Faculty of Arts and is a vocal and visible champion of the Faculty’s and Laurier’s student-centred academic mandate. Reporting to the Provost and Vice-President: Academic, and a member of Laurier’s senior administration, the Dean promotes highly innovative approaches to curriculum development and delivery and leads efforts that enable the Faculty and University to achieve the highest standards in education and research. Committed to decolonization and Indigenization, equity, diversity, and inclusion, the Dean ensures sustainable growth and competitiveness, develops cross-disciplinary and cross-Faculty programs, and enhances the external stature of the Faculty.

As the ideal candidate, you are student-focused, forward thinking and a highly successful scholar in the Arts with extensive or emerging experience as an academic administrator. You are a respected colleague and a compelling and enthusiastic advocate for the important role that the Arts disciplines play on campus and in society. Empowering, supportive and authentic, you are a leader of great character, courage and diplomacy. You display empathy, action, active listening, confidence, decisiveness, and sound judgement in leading within complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Your experience in strategic planning, budgeting and finance, resource allocation, internationalization, alumni and donor relations, and change management will serve the Faculty well, as will your record in promoting research expansion, strategic enrolment planning, fundraising, scholarly excellence, and new technologies and innovative programming across disciplines and faculties.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors (https://wlu.ca/about/working-at-laurier/employer-philosophy.html).

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity seeking groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-Apply-/

Consideration of candidates, by the search committee, will begin in December 2020. For further information and the full executive briefing document, please contact Jessa Chupik and Michael Naufal at jchupik@boyden.com.