"Dean of the Audain Faculty of Art"

About the Role

The Dean of the Audain Faculty of Art provides strategic direction and leadership for a faculty that encompasses over 800 students, faculty, staff, and extensive curricular and technical resources. With a focus on practice-based pedagogy, critical inquiry and material engagement, the Audain Faculty of Art supports a wide range of studio-based and interdisciplinary practices (Ceramics, Drawing, Illustration, New Media, Painting, Performance, Photography, Praxis, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Sound Arts). The Dean is responsible for ensuring academic integrity, quality assurance, fiscal accountability, governance, and administrative direction, while cultivating a culture of collegiality and transformation.

Reporting to the Vice-President, Academic + Provost, this role is critical to advancing ECU’s Strategic Plan, upholding academic and creative excellence, and aligning the Faculty with institutional priorities. As a member of the Academic Leadership Team, the Dean works collaboratively across with all Faculties and research/operational areas, contributing to university-wide projects and initiatives. Externally, the Dean serves as an ambassador for ECU in academic, professional, creative and cultural networks.

The Dean of the Audain Faculty of Art will be a dynamic and imaginative academic leader with experience building strong teams, advancing research and practice, supporting curricular growth, and leading change in ways that are responsive, innovative, and inclusive.

Typical Responsibilities Include

• As a member of the Academic Leadership Team, contributing leadership to overall University vision and strategic priorities.
• Translating strategic vision into an operational reality that is responsive to empirical data and the University’s Strategic Plan.
• Fostering a positive spirit of collaboration through effective governance, planning, chairing and participation in internal meetings and committees.
• Developing a positive and respectful culture that respects the diversity of our community, and embraces, encourages, and supports the contributions from Indigenous, international, multilingual, and cross-cultural students, faculty, and staff.
• Representing Emily Carr on external committees and establishing external relationships with institutional community partners.
• Building strong relationships and healthy dialogues with students and staff across the University.
• Developing and maintaining open, collaborative communication between and within faculties; removing barriers to and facilitating interdisciplinary and collaborative initiatives.
• In collaboration with the Vice-President, Academic + Provost providing advocacy and leadership for curricular reform, pedagogical reform, quality assurance, program review, degree audits, and academic assessment.
• Developing, supervising, and ensuring the development of policies and procedures relating to academic affairs, instruction, and delivery of curriculum, faculty roles, and student experience.
• Overseeing and maintaining the University’s high academic standards, ensuring excellence in teaching, and student focused activities.
• Working collaboratively with other Deans and senior level administrators to enhance the alignment of graduate and undergraduate programs, and the alignment of credit and non-credit programs.
• Promoting and ensuring strong attraction, retention, development, support, and recognition of faculty members.
• Empowering and mentoring faculty to realize their potential as educators, practitioners, and researchers.
• Establishing and maintaining a positive labor relations environment by working effectively with faculty members, staff, labour groups and Human Resources.
• Ensuring accountability to Collective Agreement provisions and management objectives with respect to faculty appointments, probation, developmental reviews, tenure and promotion and other employment terms and conditions.
• Supervising staff and ensuring accountability to Collective Agreement provisions in hiring, supervision, and evaluation procedures.
• Assisting with preparing and monitoring the operational budgets for the University in consultation with the Vice-President, Academic + Provost, Vice-President, Finance + Administration, Executive Committee, and other departments and areas. Oversees budget for faculty.
• In collaboration with the Dean’s Table, participating in strategic planning for capital and equipment requests, curricular space and resource allocations, as well as academic scheduling.
• Working closely with Student Services to ensure coordination on admissions, registration, transfer credit, course waivers, directed studies, and cooperative learning opportunities and other student-related activities.
• Ensuring alignment with strategic enrolment goals and its associated budgetary impacts and accountabilities.
• Working closely with other University departments to ensure effective support and cooperation between the academic, administrative, and curriculum support areas.
• Fostering a culture of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) by remaining current in JEDI trends that impact their field of work and making recommendations to the VP, Academic + Provost, for improvements in support of the ECU community, and the strategic goals of the University.
• Prioritizing student involvement and feedback through ongoing consultation and collaboration with ECSU and the broader student body.
• Addressing and resolving complex student issues, including student grade appeals.
• Performing other work related to the pursuit of academic excellence at Emily Carr.

Education + Experience

• MFA or terminal degree in a relevant academic discipline with a background as a practicing artist or scholar.
• A distinguished record of publication, exhibition, or other achievements, as commensurate with a faculty appointment with tenure.
• 7 to 10 years’ related experience with a minimum of 5 years progressive management experience within a post-secondary environment. Minimum 5 years of successful teaching experience in a post-secondary environment.
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Evidence of successful post-secondary teaching and administrative experience.
• Evidence of experience in an interdisciplinary model of art, design, and media pedagogy and instruction.
• Evidence in working effectively with student and curriculum support professionals.
• Distinguished leadership record in academic administration; including demonstration of management, leadership and decision-making experience, as well as active community involvement.
• An understanding of the importance of regulatory bodies who provide accreditation standards for professional programs.

Skills + Competencies

• A deep understanding of critical thinking, writing, and practice-based pedagogy.
• A capacity for managing budgets and enrolment targets.
• A commitment to open communication and the ability to facilitate communication and collaboration among a diverse University community of artists, designers, media practitioners, and academics including students, faculty and staff.
• Excellent interpersonal, conflict resolution, team building, and communication skills built on a commitment to fostering collegiality, consensus, and commitment to a common vision.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation.
• Effective and sound decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Strong and energetic organizational skills and administrative skills.
• Proven effectiveness in change leadership and people leadership.
• Capacity to promote excellence in all areas of art and design education in line with the strategic direction, mission and vision of the University.

Term

The term of a Dean appointment is three to five years, subject to satisfactory performance, and is renewable upon conclusion of the term.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a letter of application, including a statement of interest and qualifications, a curriculum vitae, and any supporting materials at https://ecuad.peopleadmin.ca. Competition closes on October 31, 2025.