Rice University
Dean, School of Arts and Humanities
The School of Humanities and Arts at Rice University invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean. The School holds a distinctive place at Rice as a school with a genuinely global expertise, an innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum, and rich resources that support research, creative expression and immersive experiential learning opportunities. The Dean will provide visionary leadership to propel the School forward and to continue elevating its already impressive reputation.
In recent years, the School has created a more fully integrated and connective humanities through creative and interdisciplinary work. This connective ambition includes:
- Meaningful engagement of the humanities and arts with the sciences, through programs in Medical Humanities, Environmental Studies, Science and Technology Studies, and Technology and Responsibility, as well as areas of study including English and Creative Writing and Media Studies.
- Connecting the local to the global through the study of world histories, cultures and languages in the departments of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and Transnational Asian Studies, as well as in the centers for African and African American Studies, Latin American and Latinx Studies, and Languages and Intercultural Communication.
- Significant new investments in the visual arts and creative writing, embodied in Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall, the stunning new home for student arts; the recruitment and retention of faculty artists and writers; and the launch of the Creative Writing MFA, which instantly became Rice’s most competitive graduate program with an acceptance rate of 2.8%.
- Connecting Rice Humanities and Arts classrooms with the city of Houston and the Gulf Coast, with opportunities for experiential learning in the world’s largest medical center, in Houston’s museums and performing arts institutions, in legal and judicial internships, with NGOs and industry experts in climate vulnerability and sustainable futures, and in a global city recognized for its diversity and cultural vibrance.
Last year, the School of Humanities changed its name to the School of Humanities and Arts to recognize Rice’s growing investment in the visual arts and creative writing. The change came shortly after the opening of the aforementioned Sarofim Hall, a 94,000-square-foot home for the Department of Art, consolidating visual arts programs long scattered across campus. Particularly noteworthy is that the School has continued hiring despite the national contraction in humanities enrollments, reflective of its push to become more interdisciplinary; in fact, the size of the faculty has grown by 10% over the last few years. Currently, the School is home to 191 faculty (129 tenure-track and 62 non-tenure-track), 482 undergraduate majors, 5 master’s students and 135 doctoral students. In fall 2026, the School reports approximately 4,100 undergraduate enrollments. Importantly, 26% of Rice students enrolled in minors are in Humanities and Arts minors; there have been approximately 500 Humanities and Arts minors for the last several semesters, and the minor in Medical Humanities is consistently ranked as the third largest across the entire university.
The School of Humanities and Arts is unusually well resourced. The School currently supports 61 endowed chairs, representing one of the University’s largest concentrations of endowed professorships, a major attractor for senior faculty recruitment and retention. The School’s overall budget is approximately $49 million. In addition, the School enjoys the support of a strong advisory board with approximately 20 members.
The Dean will provide bold vision and leadership to build humanities and arts in new directions, with a focus on growing enrollments. Other key priorities include shaping the GenEd rollout in Humanities, addressing AI and the changing educational environment, and promoting a culture of transparency in which stakeholders have an opportunity to provide input into decision-making processes. In addition, the next Dean will ensure a sustainable financial future for the School, advocate for the Humanities and Arts across Rice, and collaborate closely with other Rice schools, relevant administrative leaders, and external organizations.
Dean candidates should have impressive academic credentials, including a strong record of success in research, a passion for academic and artistic excellence, and scholarly accomplishments in one of the disciplines represented in the School. Credentials for appointment at Full Professor level, including a Ph.D. in a Humanities discipline or related interdisciplinary field, are required.
A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, Rice University is a private, tier-one research university dedicated to rigorous undergraduate and graduate education, research, and professional training. Rice ranked 16th in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report annual survey of almost 400 national universities, marking yet another year in which Rice has rated in the top 20 since first appearing on the list in 1988.
The full Position Profile can be found at https://bit.ly/4jACERb.
Inquiries, nominations and applications are invited. Interested candidates should submit confidentially, in electronic form (Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF files preferred) a curriculum vitae and letter of interest to:
Jett Pihakis
[contact details available in the full listing]
[contact details available in the full listing]
For fullest consideration, materials should be received as soon as possible and preferably by November 30.
Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that celebrates diversity at all levels. It considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.
