Director, School of Art (UPDATED)

NOTE: The “Review of applications” date has been extended. This information can be found in the Special Instructions to Applicant section.

The Opportunity

This is a moment to lead from strength. The School of Art stands on a foundation of excellence, both academically and operationally. We are looking for a director who can celebrate its achievements, deepen its connections, and propel it confidently into the future. If you are ready to bring energy, curiosity, and vision to a thriving community of artists, scholars, and students, we invite you to learn more and apply.

Director, School of Art

If you’re a leader who sees art not just as a discipline but as a way to engage the world, this is your chance to lead one of the nation’s most distinctive and dynamic art schools.

At the University of Arizona, the School of Art is thriving. Our programs rank among the best nationally. Our faculty are acclaimed artists, educators, and scholars shaping the future of creative practice. With renewed facilities, strong finances, and bold, diverse students, we seek a director to champion our excellence, build on our strengths, and lead us forward.

This rare opportunity is for a leader who values creative inquiry, fosters collaboration, and cultivates an environment where faculty, staff, and students thrive.

Why Arizona, Why Now

In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, light, land, and community shape creativity in extraordinary ways. Tucson is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, a crossroads of cultures, and a place that embraces expression, experimentation, and authenticity. It is the ideal setting for artists and thinkers who want to explore how place shapes practice.

The School of Art is part of the College of Fine Arts and Arizona Arts, a nationally recognized model for how a public research university elevates the arts. Together with the Center for Creative Photography, the University of Arizona Museum of Art, and Arizona Arts Live, we have built a collaborative ecosystem linking teaching, research, and community engagement. As the university enters a new era of growth, the next director will help affirm the arts’ central role and define the next era of arts education and research in the Southwest.

What You Will Lead

As Director, you will guide an extraordinary faculty, nurture creative students, and champion work that transforms: research that expands understanding, art that sparks dialogue, and education that shapes future leaders. You will have the support of a financially sound, forward-looking university that values the arts as central to its mission and the partnership of Arizona Arts, where collaboration drives innovation and public impact.

About the School

Founded in 1927, the School of Art offers nationally ranked programs with degrees in Art History, Art and Visual Culture Education, Studio Art, Illustration, Design and Animation, Photography, Video and Imaging, and Design Arts and Practices. Our Photography program is ranked No. 3 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

With renovated facilities, the School provides an inspiring environment for creative work and learning. Visiting artists bring global perspectives, faculty and alumni earn major fellowships, and graduates shape creative industries worldwide. The University of Arizona, a top-tier AAU/R1, land-grant institution with more than $1 billion in research expenditures, is deeply committed to keeping the arts central to the university experience and to the creative life of Tucson.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation,
sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U
of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

Academic Vision and Excellence

• Lead
  faculty in sustaining and evolving a forward-looking curriculum that
  merges artistic rigor, conceptual exploration, and cross-disciplinary
  collaboration.

• Encourage
  innovation in teaching and research while strengthening the School’s deep
  traditions of studio practice and art scholarship.

Faculty, Staff, and Culture

• Cultivate
  a community built on respect, transparency, and shared purpose.
• Champion
  the professional growth of faculty and staff and nurture a culture of
  collaboration and creativity.
  

Student Experience and Success

• Strengthen
  recruitment and retention through programs that connect learning,
  professional practice, and community engagement.
• Champion
  opportunities that prepare students for meaningful, sustainable creative
  careers.

Research and Creative Practice

• Support
  faculty and student research, exhibitions, publications, and practice-led
  inquiry across disciplines.
• Enhance
  the School’s visibility and impact within the University’s AAU/R1 research
  ecosystem.
  

Partnerships and Advancement

• Collaborate
  with College and Arizona Arts development teams to build relationships
  with alumni, donors, and community partners.
• Serve
  as an ambassador for the School locally, nationally, and internationally,
  amplifying its reputation and reach.

Operational Leadership

• Manage
  budgets, personnel, and resources with care and transparency.
• Ensure
  facilities and equipment remain exceptional and responsive to the evolving
  needs of art and design education.

Aptitude

• Demonstrated
  capacity to inspire and unify a dynamic academic community, cultivating
  excellence across a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary landscape.
• Commitment
  to support the professional development of faculty, appointed
  professionals, and staff.
• Interest
  in developing strong ties and connections with external constituencies and
  individuals, amplifying the School’s reach and relevance.
• Commitment
  to engaging in strategies for successful development on behalf of the
  School and the College.

• An
  appropriate terminal degree or equivalent.
• Professional
  activity to warrant tenure at the rank of Professor or Associate
  Professor.
• Demonstrated
  capacity to inspire and unify a dynamic academic community, cultivating
  excellence across a wide-ranging and interdisciplinary landscape.

• Academic administrative experience commensurate with the demands of the position.
• Established record of research and leadership that aligns with the School’s programming and mission.
• Experience working with financial models of large complex universities.
• Experience administering academic and professional programs in the context of a research institution.
• Experience and qualifications sufficient for appointment at the rank of Professor.