Associate or Full Professor & Department Head - Art

About this role

Job Title Associate or Full Professor & Department Head - Art

Agency East Texas A&M University

Department Dean - CHSSA

Proposed Minimum Salary Commensurate

Job Location Commerce, Texas

Job Type Faculty

Job Description SUMMARY: East Texas A&M University invites nominations and applications for the position of Head of the Department of Art. This is a senior leadership role with a nine-month faculty appointment that carries tenure; the head also fulfills year-round administrative responsibilities. The successful candidate will lead a comprehensive and dynamic department through its next strategic phase by assessing program strengths and opportunities, establishing clear priorities, strengthening alignment across the Commerce and Dallas locations, supporting faculty and student success, and building key regional partnerships. The Head will guide the department in identifying opportunities for sustainable growth and innovation while ensuring decisions are grounded in evidence, institutional priorities, and long-term viability.

East Texas A&M University seeks a strategic and experienced leader to head the Department of Art, which encompasses Visual Communication (Dallas-based), Studio Art (Commerce-based), and Art Education. The department has strong foundations—including a nationally competitive professional design program, excellent facilities, dedicated faculty, and accomplished alumni—and is positioned for a leader who can unify programs across locations, assess future opportunities, and develop a shared vision for the department’s continued success.

The department is ready to welcome a forward-thinking leader who will build on these strengths and it offers rich opportunities for collaboration and creative achievement. Supported by the institution’s commitment to the arts, the next department head will shape a unifying vision that strengthens academic programs, fosters meaningful connections across campuses, and enhances the department’s impact throughout the region and beyond.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: The Head will lead the Department of Art with strategic, operational, and academic oversight, fostering alignment across programs and campuses while promoting faculty and student success. This dual-focused role combines inward facing roles—strengthening programs and faculty initiatives—with outward facing roles, including partnerships, regional presence, and opportunities for advancement. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Strategic Leadership & Program Development • Conduct a comprehensive assessment of departmental programs during the initial years of leadership, with particular attention to enrollment trends, student outcomes, regional demand, resource utilization, and long-term sustainability. • Develop and execute a strategic plan that strengthens the department’s distinctive regional role by emphasizing community partnerships, clear academic pathways, and effective leadership. • Aligns departmental strengths with institutional mission and market opportunities. • Make evidence-informed recommendations regarding program enhancement, restructuring, consolidation, or other actions necessary to support long-term success. • Identify opportunities for program innovation and strategic growth based on assessment findings, faculty expertise, student needs, and institutional priorities. • Position art teacher preparation as valued pathway alongside professional design and studio practice, with strategic recruitment and curriculum enhancement to serve regional workforce needs. • Lead the department across its two active sites — the Commerce campus and the Dallas location — exercising full executive responsibility for faculty, curriculum, and operations in person at both. • Lead curriculum development and program assessment in alignment with university standards and professional expectations.

Program Integration & Faculty Leadership • Ensure program continuity by developing strong leadership capacity within the department and cultivate a strong, collaborative departmental community across both sites (Commerce and Dallas) by fostering a culture of shared responsibility, transparency, and continuous improvement. • Support faculty productivity, professional development, and scholarly/creative activity across all program areas (exhibitions, publications, professional practice). • Manage faculty across disciplines (design professionals, studio artists, art educators) with respect for the unique expectations and benchmarks associated with each field. • Lead faculty through necessary programmatic changes with transparency. • Build consensus around strategic priorities while providing clear, timely decisions. • Ensure academic quality and program innovation at both undergraduate and graduate levels. • Oversee faculty hiring, evaluation, promotion, and tenure processes in alignment with university policies.

Partnership & External Relations • Develop and strengthen strategic partnerships with regional educational, cultural, industry, and community organizations that advance student opportunities, departmental visibility, and institutional priorities. • Build and maintain relationships with public and private K-12 school districts across East Texas for teacher preparation, professional development partnerships, and community engagement. • Cultivate relationships with DFW arts organizations, design firms, galleries, and cultural institutions to enhance student opportunities and program visibility. • Position department as regional cultural leader through exhibitions, community projects, public art, and partnerships that serve East Texas communities. • Activate and expand alumni network across all program areas (VisCom, Studio, Education) for mentorship, career connections, and advancement support. • Enhance department visibility and reputation through strategic communications, exhibitions, awards, and media engagement. • Pursue external funding opportuniti

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