DEAN, SCHOOL OF ART

Dean

School of Art

New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University seeks a dynamic, visionary and collaborative leader to serve as the dean of the School of Art. Appointed by the president and reporting directly to the provost, a new dean will have the rare opportunity to lead an already excellent school that is ambitious for its future. The School of Art’s mission is to provide students with intellectually informed, hands-on instruction in the practice of an array of visual arts media within the context of a major research university. Working in an environment of shared governance, the next dean will find eager and committed colleagues, proud of their school’s history, who will readily collaborate with the dean to advance this mission. 

The dean will serve alongside, and partner with, fellow professional school deans, vice presidents, and other academic administrators on campus as part of the University Cabinet. As the chief academic and administrative officer of the school, the dean will be expected to set strategic priorities and promote collaboration both within the school and across the university. As the leader of a school that is vital to the life of the university, the dean will work to foster an environment for its faculty, students, and staff that aligns with the university’s ongoing efforts to achieve high standards of acceptance, inclusion, and belonging. Externally, the dean will enthusiastically tell the story of the school and generate philanthropic support.

The Yale School of Art, ranked #2 nationally by U.S. News and World Report, has a long and distinguished history of training artists of the highest caliber and is renowned for its Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs in graphic design, painting/printmaking, photography, and sculpture. The school opened its doors in 1869 as the first art school connected with an institution of higher learning in the United States and today remains within that larger university context, providing its students with the opportunity to integrate a studio-based education into a broad pedagogical framework. School of Art students study with Yale University’s renowned faculty and benefit from the institution’s unique infrastructure through programs offered at the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art.

The successful candidate will be an artist, designer, or arts professional with a reputation for the highest caliber of excellence in their work. The dean must also be a skilled administrator and communicator with an ability to navigate complex environments and collaborate effectively. They will bring a demonstrated commitment to high ethical and professional standards and be a staunch advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion with a willingness to face the challenges presented by students seeking solutions to the major societal issues of today. The dean will bring enthusiasm and capacity to the task of leading a world-renowned art school. They will listen closely, delegate capably, negotiate appropriately, and communicate decisions clearly and concisely.

Yale University has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. All inquiries, nominations/referrals, and resumes with cover letters should be sent electronically to Sheryl Ash, Ben Tobin, and Micah Pierce at www.imsearch.com/7676

Yale University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and affirmatively seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons of diverse backgrounds. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual's sex, race, color, religion, age, handicap, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.  

University policy is committed to affirmative action under law in employment of women, minority group members, handicapped individuals, special disabled veterans, and veterans of the Vietnam era.