Job Description

Associate or Full Professor & Department Head - Art

Agency

East Texas A&M University

Department

Dean - CHSSA

Commensurate

Commerce, Texas

Faculty

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 opportunities through grants and donor cultivation.

Financial & Operational Management

• Manage department budget strategically, allocating resources to align with department priorities.
• Make data-informed decisions about resource allocation, scholarship strategy, graduate assistant funding, and program development.
• Implement transparent budget processes that help faculty understand resource allocation and growth opportunities.
• Oversee facilities and specialized equipment across multiple studios and labs (ceramics, sculpture/foundry, photography, painting/drawing, Dallas design labs and letterpress).
• Maintain and enhance the department's physical infrastructure in coordination with university facilities.
• Ensure compliance with university policies and any applicable accreditation requirements.
• Coordinate curriculum and scheduling across campus and Dallas locations.

Student Success & Enrollment Management

• Develop and implement strategies that support enrollment stability, student retention, degree completion, and long-term program health across all departmental areas, including graduate program viability.
• Provide vision for student experience integrating curricular and co-curricular opportunities.
• Support student professional development through exhibitions, competitions, portfolios, internships, and industry connections.
• Oversee academic advising processes and ensure students receive appropriate guidance.
• Foster a supportive and engaging learning environment that promotes student success.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Terminal degree (MFA, PhD) in studio art, design, art education, or closely related field.
• Minimum two years of progressively responsible administrative experience as department head, program director, associate/assistant dean, or equivalent in higher education art programs.
• Demonstrated commitment to art teacher preparation as central component of comprehensive art program mission (not peripheral or optional).
• Proven student-focus initiatives with increased enrollment, retention and graduation
• Understanding of both professional design practice and studio arts traditions; ability to value and integrate multiple approaches to art-making and creative careers rather than privileging one over others.
• Demonstrated experience using evidence-informed decision making to support program improvement, strategic planning, and resource stewardship.
• Record of building productive partnerships with academic units, K-12 institutions, or community organizations.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills combined with demonstrated ability to make unpopular decisions when necessary for program health.
• Commitment to shared governance, faculty development, and student success.
• Eligibility for appointment at rank of Associate Professor or Professor with tenure.

PREFERRED EDUCATION / SKILLS/ EXPERIENCE:

• Prior experience rebuilding, reimagining, or significantly restructuring graduate programs at regional comprehensive universities.
• Deep understanding of regional graduate education markets and competition; demonstrated success in positioning programs distinctively.
• Experience with innovative graduate program models (low-residency, cohort-based, community-engaged, interdisciplinary) beyond traditional residential MFA.
• Track record of addressing structural enrollment challenges through programmatic change.
• Professional connections in design/advertising industry (DFW region preferred) OR significant exhibition record and professional recognition in studio arts.
• Experience developing interdisciplinary programs or certificates involving multiple colleges/departments.
• Experience managing geographically distributed or multi-site programs or demonstrated ability to lead across locations and integrate separated units.
• Grant writing experience and successful external funding acquisition for program development or facilities enhancement.
• Understanding of creative technologies and their strategic integration with traditional studio practice.
• Fundraising and donor relations experience.
• Experience at regional comprehensive universities balancing access, excellence, teacher preparation, and professional/creative practice missions.
• Knowledge of Texas teacher certification requirements and K-12 art education landscape.
• Experience managing complex budgets and making strategic resource allocation decisions.

SUPERVISION OF OTHERS:

Full-time and part-time faculty and staff

NOMINATION/APPLICATION PROCESS:

The Search Committee Head will begin its review of applications on August 31, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. For priority consideration, all materials must be received by August 28, 2026. Zoom interviews are scheduled for September, with finalist campus visits planned for October 2026. Candidates for the position are asked to make themselves available for interviews during these times.

Application materials should include: (1) a letter of interest that addresses how the candidate’s experience and qualifications intersect with the priorities and desired leadership characteristics outlined in this profile; (2) a curriculum vitae; and (3) the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three references for future contact, including the professional relationship of each reference.

Applications must be submitted electronically through ETAMU

The starting date for the position is negotiable, but January 1, 2027 is not unwelcome.

The search committee will be chaired by Dr. Debbie Lelekis, Associate Dean of the College of Humanities, Social Sciences & Arts and Professor of English. Nominations should be provided to Dr. Lelekis by e-mail at Debbie.Lelekis@etamu.edu and arrangements for a conversation about the opportunity may be made.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.