Dean of the College of Arts and Media
Sam Houston State University invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Arts and Media. The university seeks an innovative and future-oriented academic leader who will advance the mission and values of the college. SHSU is a Hispanic-Serving Institution providing excellence through education, scholarship, and service to a highly diverse student body. SHSU’s motto, “The measure of a Life is its Service,” resonates among the university’s over 21,000 students, eight colleges, and well beyond its historical roots through research, creative endeavors, service learning, volunteering, and more. The new dean is expected to assume office in Summer 2025.
Founded in 1879, Sam Houston State University is one of seven institutions in the Texas State University System and the third oldest university in Texas. Located on a 316-acre main campus in Huntsville, Texas, with nearby campuses in The Woodlands and Conroe that offer baccalaureate and graduate degrees, SHSU serves a diverse student body of over 21,000 through traditional face-to-face and online courses. SHSU is 70 miles north of downtown Houston and 170 miles south of Dallas, ideally situated between the 4th and 9th largest cities in the country and two of the 10 fastest-growing cities in the U.S. SHSU also strives to meet the needs of contemporary students, both traditionally and online. SHSU offers 95 bachelor’s degree programs, more than 60 master’s degree programs, nine doctoral programs, one professional doctorate (DO), and over 50 fully online degrees. SHSU is classified as a Carnegie doctoral university with high research activity (R2). It is also a Community Engaged University and a proud AASCU institution, demonstrating a commitment to education for the public good. In the summer of 2022, the university officially became designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution.
Housed in the award-winning James & Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, the College of the Arts and Media (CAM) offers 13 undergraduate degrees through the departments of Art, Dance, Mass Communication, and Theatre and Musical Theatre, as well as the School of Music. CAM also offers master’s degrees in Arts and Social Practice, Band Studies, Dance, Digital Media Production, Emerging and Social Media, and Music. The college’s diverse programs combines theory and practice to provide a stable foundation on which students build toward their futures. The college offers courses that cater to a broad spectrum of interests, celebrating the roots of the fine and performing arts while embracing the constantly changing landscape of technology and new media. The college’s goal is to provide programs that nurture imagination, expand knowledge, and advance the talents that shape contemporary culture and media landscape while exemplifying the college’s vision — Creative, Active, Meaningful.
The dean of the college provides expertise and leadership in the development and operations of the College of Arts and Media and in support of the university’s overall mission. The dean reports to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and oversees the chairs, faculty, and staff of the College of Arts and Media. The dean is responsible for participating in and implementing strategic planning, coordinating, directing, and ensuring good outcomes of the college’s academic programs, including promoting student success best practices. The dean will manage the college budget, oversee facilities and resources, and select the department chairs as necessary.
The successful candidate must possess a terminal degree in one of the disciplines represented in the college; teaching and scholarly endeavors appropriate to the rank of full professor and tenure in one of the academic units: Art, Dance, Mass Communication, Music, and Theatre and Musical Theatre; and a record of substantive, sustained, and progressive administrative experience at the department chair level or equivalent. The dean must demonstrate a record of effective communication, participation in shared faculty governance, and collaborative work with internal and external counterparts. The ideal candidate will also possess demonstrated professional activity and accomplishments that reflect a commitment to being a visionary, an empathetic advocate, a trailblazer, and a scholar-educator.
More information about Sam Houston State University and the dean search, including full responsibilities and qualifications, is available at: https://www.academicsearch.org/open-searches-public/entry/19847/?search=19847.
How to Apply
The position is open until filled, but applications received by Wednesday, November 6, will be given full consideration. Applications should include: 1) a detailed letter of interest; 2) a current curriculum vitae (CV); and 3) a list of five professional references with contact information. References will not be contacted without explicit permission from the candidate. Inquiries, nominations, and applications may be sent in confidence to: SHSUDeanCAM@academicsearch.org
Sam Houston State University is being assisted by Academic Search. Confidential discussions may be arranged by contacting Ann Hasselmo (ann.hasselmo@academicsearch.org) or Chris Butler (chris.butler@academicsearch.org).
Sam Houston State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Plan Employer and Smoke/Drug-Free Workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, ancestry, marital status, citizenship, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
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