Department Chairperson/School Director – School of Art

38983BR

School of Art

Position Description
The School of Art in the College of J.T. and Margaret Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts at Texas Tech University invites applications for a full-time, 12-month (9-month academic year appointment with additional summer appointment), tenured Professor to begin July 1, 2025.

The successful candidate will be an visionary, dynamic, and collaborative Department Chairperson/Director of the School of Art, providing intellectual and strategic leadership for teaching, research, service, and outreach and engagement endeavors in the School.

The ideal candidate will be conversant in, and able to navigate, all disciplines represented in the School of Art while leading a thriving program that exemplifies the highest standards of a creative, multi-faceted, and scholarly community. By integrating innovation and cutting-edge technology, the next Department Chairperson/Director of the School of Art will work collaboratively to advance and shape School of Art programming.

The Department Chairperson/School Director will have the ability to work effectively with individuals and groups in a wide variety of contexts while fostering transdisciplinary collaboration and interdisciplinary study within and among other colleges at TTU, as well as other universities and partners, nationally and internationally.

The new Department Chairperson/School Director will work to improve enrollment and retention levels, providing new ideas and approaches towards growing and managing a balance in student enrollment of majors, minors, and non-majors. The Department Chairperson/School Director will lead the development of strategic recruitment and will work with faculty and staff to attract students for all areas.

Art areas are being transformed by advances in technology and new techniques and students are increasingly attracted to these new applications. The Department Chairperson/School Director will stay abreast of new opportunities and challenges, including but not limited to, advances in environmental humanities; art and social practice; Native and Indigenous studies; technological changes including Artificial intelligence (AI) software applications, and by enhancing the curriculum with global and multicultural understandings and new ways of thinking. Working in a collaborative way with the faculty to develop the direction of emerging opportunities, the Department Chairperson/School Director will bring an entrepreneurial and growth mindset to the School, seeking ways to serve growing areas of interest for students.

Will implement professional development programs that assist staff and all faculty members, specifically cultivating opportunities for faculty development, tenure and promotion processes, and faculty and staff recruitment and retention. Advances in supporting and retaining staff are underway, and the director will play a pivotal role in solidifying those efforts. The Department Chairperson/School Director will be a unifying voice who appreciates and nurtures all of the Schools disciplines and traditions, from art history to art education to studio art, from prioritizing traditional art media to the incorporation of new computer technologies and high-tech labs, from general education to teacher preparation, from supportive and collaborative communities to artists who create with individual vision.

Drawing on the considerable knowledge and talent of the faculty and staff, will lead with openness, willingness to learn, transparency and integrity. Will begin planning and budgeting with feedback from the faculty, staff, and students to shape decisions through a visible commitment to shared governance. With a deep respect for high-quality academic programs and effective teaching and learning, the Schools next Department Chairperson/School Director will encourage, support, and enhance the trust and confidence of a campus community focused on meeting the needs of students. The next leader will recognize, value, and engage every employee in realizing the daily fulfillment of the Schools mission. The next Department Chairperson/School Director will be a superior communicator who builds bridges with all constituent groups through unquestioned integrity and respect for others.

The School of Arts scope, operations, and complexity require a leader to handle a position of great responsibility and impact, while internal and external constituents expect direct access to the Department Chairperson/School Director. Will be a strong advocate for the unit and build trust across the school and community with accessibility and clear, consistent, and frequent communications for multiple audiences and situations with individuals and groups in person, virtually, and through written and spoken channels.

Faculty and students in the School of Art are highly engaged researchers, artists, creators, educators, and scholars. The new Department Chairperson/School Director will support an environment of innovation and collaboration both within the arts and across disciplines. In addition, scholarship, outreach, and research, integrated with community development and the environment, have tremendous potential for continued growth in the School of Art through multiple community partnerships. The Department Chairperson/School Director will expand engagement with outside institutions and constituencies to include alumni, donors, visitors, museums, galleries, foundations, and others.

Among other duties, will manage departmental personnel; administer the academic programs; develop and sustain connections with related professional and industry entities to promote teaching, research, development, and outreach; effectively represent the department to internal and external entities; effectively manage the units budget to sustain a culture of fiscal responsibility and health; and promote the success of the faculty, staff, and students in the department.

The Department Chairperson/School Director of the School of Art will also serve as a departmental faculty member with expectations related to teaching and research according to university policies.

About the University
Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.
About Lubbock:Referred to as the Hub City because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked