Dean, School of Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies

To Apply

Emerson College has retained Opus Partners to support this recruitment. Craig Smith Senior Partner and Abigail Maynard Managing Associate are leading the search. Inquiries applications and nominations should be sent to . The search process will unfold with the greatest possible attention to candidate confidentiality. Required application materials include a CV and letter of interest. The letter should reflect how a candidates qualifications and experience match those described in this leadership profile. Application review will begin on January 15 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

Applications submitted through Emersons career site will not be considered.

About

Emerson College invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the School of Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies. Reporting to Emersons Provost Dr. Alexandra Socarides and working closely with its President Dr. Jay Bernhardt the Dean will be responsible for providing vision leadership and operational oversight of this important unit within Emersons unique academic enterprise. Building on a heritage of innovation and an established reputation for excellence and creativity the Dean will create and implement a plan to advance the Schools impact and stature in the context of the Colleges strategic plan Extraordinary Emerson 2030.

School of Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies

The School of Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies is the largest of Emersons three academic divisions. Formed through a summer 2025 reorganization of several academic units the School now comprises three academic departments: Writing Literature & Publishing; Performing Arts; and the Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies. It is also the home of the Comedic Arts program the Media Arts Gallery and the Huret & Spector Gallery and the journal Ploughshares. For the Fall 2025 semester the School has over 1000 undergraduate students and approximately 350 graduate students. The launch and growth of online programs led by Writing & Publishing Popular Fiction and Writing for Film & Television has driven a significant increase in graduate enrollments over the last five Fall 2025 the School has over 100 full-time and 200 part-time faculty.

Emerson College

As its mission statement establishes Emerson Colleges mission is to educate and elevate extraordinary artists communicators scholars and professionals for the betterment of society. We pursue this mission through world-class teaching practice performance and discovery that are experiential innovative and inclusive. This mission guides and shapes all Emerson programs whether for undergraduate or graduate students.

Founded in 1880 and spanning three distinct global campuses Emerson College serves over 3500 undergraduate and 1500 graduate students from more than 70 countries and all 50 states. Its main campus is located in the heart of Bostons Theatre District and offers the entire Emerson community experiences that are sewn into the very fabric of Boston. Emersons Los Angeles campus provides a West Coast experience for up to 215 Emerson junior and senior students pursuing semester-long internships related to their field of study in iconic Hollywood. The Kasteel Well campus in the Netherlands has been a hub for international scholarship and research for nearly 40 years and serves as a living-learning community for up to 90 Emerson students each semester. Emerson enjoys strong partnerships with institutions across the world including the Paris College of Art which adds to the richness of the Emerson experience. Emerson also has its Emerson Prison Initiative (EPI) which works to democratize access to college education.

Emerson educates future leaders in the arts communication and media; inspires generations of students to think boldly and creatively; and ensures that all students faculty staff and alumni contribute powerfully to the cultural social political and civic landscape. Deliberately committed to a grounding in the liberal arts and interdisciplinarity the College-wide curriculum enables students to pursue academic majors and programs such as Media Arts Production Journalism Creative Writing Marketing Communication Publishing Theatre Political Communication Communication Science and Disorders Comedic Arts and many more across the institution. Emersons community is passionate and creative; its students are critical storytellers at a critical time.

Emerson has developed a collaborative shared-governance addition faculty and many administrative staff are unionized: Emersons full-time faculty teach perform research advise and serve under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement; affiliated (less than full-time) faculty work under the terms of a different collective bargaining agreement; and administrative staff in many functional areas and position classifications are also unionized.

The Position

Serving on the Provosts leadership team the Dean is the academic leader of the School of Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies with primary responsibility for:

• Developing and bringing to life a vision and strategic goals for the School aligned with Extraordinary Emerson 2030

• Ensuring pervasive and authentic implementation of Emersons mission vision and values

• Leading the intellectual vitality and creative growth of programs in expanded modalities (in person and online) at Emersons campuses and globally

• Overseeing faculty recruitment hiring development tenure and promotion and well-being

• Sustaining and strengthening the Schools and the Colleges shared governance values and practices

• Identifying prioritizing and articulating the Schools interests and needs to internal and external audiences

• Establishing sustaining and refreshing intellectual coherence and academic cooperation across departments and schools

• Managing personnel budget planning and administrative processes

• Providing departments with guidance on creating positioning reimagining and/or launching academic programs and expanding the enrollment pipeline

• Fostering successful development and continuity of academic department leadership

Opportunities:

• Cultivate a cohesive and distinctive identity for the School realizing its full potential both independently and through interdisciplinary engagement and collaboration across the College

• Assist in and lead fundraising and development initiatives in coordination with the Provost and President

• Encourage the development of interdisciplinarity and innovation as a guiding value in new program development

• Foster the development of a vibrant and inclusive culture for the new School characterized by collegiality innovation and engagement among faculty staff and students

• Advance the Schools presence at Emersons Los Angeles and Netherlands campuses and identify compelling new domestic and international partnerships that can broaden the Colleges reach

• Collaborate with the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Associate Vice President for Executive Education to strengthen and expand graduate and non-degree and professional development programs that are anchored in the School

Qualifications

• Capacity to develop and articulate a vision for arts education creative activity and liberal arts that draws on innovates and differentiates the School and the College

• Demonstrated academic leadership and administrative experience

• Academic credentials teaching experience and research and/or creative record commensurate with appointment as a tenured full professor in one of the Schools departments

• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive and academic excellence and shared governance

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and grow programs in strategic data-driven and innovative directions

• The ability to develop and implement a vision for the excellence of the School that is both distinctive to the School and integrated within Emersons strengths trajectory and strategic plan

• Experience working effectively with faculty students staff administrators and alumni from a variety of backgrounds beliefs and perspectives

• Experience with institutional advancement and alumni relations

Equity and inclusion are core values at Emerson College along with creativity innovation curiosity expression and collaboration. The successful candidate must demonstrate a commitment to Emersons core values.

Emerson College seeks individuals who bring innovation creativity and impact to its campuses to increase its depth breadth and diversity in our educational offerings. Emersons commitment to inclusive excellence is supported by a range of resources.

To Apply

Emerson College has retained Opus Partners to support this recruitment. Craig Smith Senior Partner and Abigail Maynard Managing Associate are leading the search. Inquiries applications and nominations should be sent to . The search process will unfold with the greatest possible attention to candidate confidentiality. Required application materials include a CV and letter of interest. The letter should reflect how a candidates qualifications and experience match those described in this leadership profile. Application review will begin on January 15 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

Applications submitted through Emersons career site will not be considered.

In addition to a competitive salary Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members. We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20 hours per week.

Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses dental plans generous time-off programs and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible. Additional benefits such as life and disability coverage as well as commuter offerings are available.

Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.