Dean of Critical Studies California Institute of the Arts | Valencia, California As of April 2024, this search has reached an advanced stage. Until this search is formally closed, we will continue to review applications and keep materials on file.The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) seeks a dynamic and forward-thinking pedagogical leader to serve as the next Dean of the School of Critical Studies. The School of Critical Studies is not only responsible for the foundational education of all BFA students, but it also houses two interdisciplinary graduate programs in creative writing and aesthetic and political theory. As the Institute’s impressive reputation continues to expand, the incoming Dean of Critical Studies will play a vital role in further developing the unique identity of CalArts, rooted in critical and creative inquiry. Critical Studies is where all CalArts students come together, and the Dean of Critical Studies will collaboratively develop and execute the vision for the School and ensure it is in alignment with the institute's strategic framework and academic strategic action plan by providing an inclusive and transformative experience for students to become critical artists and scholars.CalArts is renowned internationally in the education of professional and experimental artists. An all-inclusive community for a diversity of authentic voices, CalArts today offers more than 58 comprehensive degree programs in the visual, performing, media, and literary arts. Established in 1961 by Walt and Roy Disney, CalArts emerged with a bold new paradigm for arts education, the kind not seen since the Black Mountain College experiment of the 1930s that promised freedom to create with boundless imagination and unfettered by conventional expectations. Offering a curriculum that is both imaginative and rigorous, the Institute continues to distinguish itself as a leader in arts education, nurturing and respecting students as artists, offering remarkable interchange with faculty across disciplines, and encouraging students to cross-pollinate and inspire each other.The School of Critical Studies brings together internationally recognized writers, poets, scholars, and thinkers working in both new and traditional forms across a wide variety of disciplines, extending from narrative fiction, performance, and multimedia to cultural criticism and political theory, and the Dean will have the opportunity to work alongside these revered faculty and contribute to world-class programming. The School of Critical Studies plays a key role in the overall undergraduate education of students at CalArts. The goal is to provide students with a course of study that advances both the practice of the arts and a broad program of liberal arts education that is designed to enable students to consider aesthetic questions within larger socio-cultural, ethical, and political contexts. The School of Critical Studies emphasizes the close relationships between the liberal arts and artistic practices, as well as CalArts’ visionary commitment to study between and across the disciplines.To be successful in this role, the Dean will address the following opportunities and challenges: Collaboratively develop and execute a strategic vision for the School of Critical Studies.Build and expand programs at all levels, specifically strengthening the BFA curriculum, which serves as the foundational aspect of the degree.Develop, recruit, and retain excellent and diverse faculty and staff with a continued commitment to a culture of trust and transparency.Embrace and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion as a central part of the School and Institute’s identity.Raise funds and expand resources to ensure the School is able to reach its full potential.Serve as a visible and collaborative advocate for the School of Critical Studies throughout the Institute and beyond. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process/until the position is filled. Electronic submission of materials is required.Courtney Wilk-Mandel is leading this search with Katheryne Martínez. California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) seeks to employ faculty and staff who can engage our diverse communities of learners at the highest levels of artistic endeavor and critical thinking. Across the range of practitioners from artists to scholars and librarians, we welcome candidates who possess a demonstrated worldview and cultural competency to support teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students of varied backgrounds, capabilities, perspectives, social identities, and gender expressions. CalArts is an equal opportunity employer. APPLY NOMINATE contact Katheryne Martínez Full Description