"Director, School of Art"

Position Highlights

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.

Duties & Responsibilities

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.

Minimum Qualifications

• 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• 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.

Application Details

FLSA: Exempt

Full Time/Part Time: Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week: 40

Job FTE: 1.0

Work Calendar: Fiscal

Job Category: Academic Administration

Benefits Eligible: Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay: DOE

Compensation Type: salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Type of criminal background check required: Fingerprint criminal background check (security sensitive due to title or department)

Number of Vacancies: 1

Contact Information for Candidates: Austin Donaldson austindonaldson@arizona.edu

Open Until Filled: Yes

Documents Needed to Apply: Curriculum Vitae (CV) and Cover Letter

Special Instructions to Applicant: Please include your CV and cover letter. Names and contact information for references will be asked of semifinalists. Review of applications will begin December 10, 2025