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POSITION
Academic Dean
REPORTS TO
Thomas Christopher Greene
President
ORGANIZATION
Vermont College of Fine Arts
LOCATION
Montpelier, VT
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), an independent non-profit institution, is a national
center for education in the arts, fostering the excellence of emerging and established
artists and advancing the arts to create a more humane world.
VCFA is the only college of its kind devoted exclusively to fine arts education in a low-
residency model. The College uses a student-centered learning process in which
students, with the guidance and approval of faculty, design their plans of studies within
a framework of learning objectives determined by their program.
The College now offers five low-residency MFA programs. Three of the degree
programs are long-standing and well-established (Writing, Writing for Children and
Young Adults, and Visual Art) while two new degree program (Graphic Design and Music
Composition) are building on the strength and vibrancy of the artistic community. In
addition to the MFA programs, VCFA hosts the annual Postgraduate Writers’ Conference
in the summer and publishes Hunger Mountain, a journal of the arts.
Because of its low-residency nature, the College is able to attract students and faculty
from around the country and overseas. VCFA has a part-time Core Faculty of committed
long-time teachers with qualifications as both artists and teachers. Hiring standards
require them to have a substantial history of publications, performances, and/or
exhibitions along with the appropriate terminal degree; a number of faculty hold
posts at traditional universities and art schools across the country. Writers and artists
connected with VCFA are drawn to the College as a center of their circle of interest, a
place where their concerns are valued and their quest for excellence shared by others.
While VCFA’s historic Montpelier campus has been in continuous use for over 175 years,
and low-residency MFA study has been offered since the 1980’s, Vermont College of
Fine Arts is itself new, having assumed ownership of the campus and existing MFA
programs from Union Institute & University in 2008. VCFA has solidified its institutional
focus on arts excellence, and is committed to growing its programs and artistic
community in size, reputation, and programmatic excellence.
Anchored on its historic campus in Montpelier, VCFA seeks to shape the global future
of the arts with an emphasis on excellence that allows its members to reach for the
highest artistic standards as individuals while recognizing that the arts are one of the
foundations of a healthy and creative society. VCFA is a place where national and
international leaders in the arts gather, teach, and show and perform their work.
The college prides itself on its openness and on creating an environment that is safe,
welcoming, and built on mutual respect.
Vermont College of Fine Arts is accredited by the New England Association of Schools
and Colleges, Inc., through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.
The Academic Dean
The Academic Dean is the Chief Academic Officer of Vermont College of Fine Arts and
reports to the President. The Dean oversees all academic programs and supervises the
Faculty and Program Directors as well as the Registrar and Library Director.
The Dean provides educational leadership in a collaborative student-centered learning
environment while respecting the unique properties inherent in each program. While
all decisions by program leaders are reviewed by the Academic Dean, VCFA places a high
value on leadership by program faculty as embodied in the elected Chair or Co-Chairs
of each program and each program’s Program Director. Program Chairs typically serve
for two to three years and make academic decisions in consultation with their Faculty
Advisory Committees or full faculties, while Program Directors make procedural and
other administrative decisions, are staff positions, and hold their positions on an open-
ended basis.
With the oversight of the Academic Dean, the faculty of each program manage the
annual evaluation and improvement of their curriculum, faculty effectiveness, and
program quality. The Dean ensures academic and programmatic excellence and
ensures, too, that all programs are maintaining collegiate standards and procedures.
As the academic leader of VCFA, the Dean champions academic community and
collaboration, connecting each program as an integral facet of the College as a whole.
The Academic Dean serves as a liaison to the academic committee of the Board of
Trustees, and convenes VCFA’s Academic Council, which comprises representatives
from each program and the Academic Dean. The Council makes recommendations to
the President on the creation, substantial modification, or termination of academic
programs and matters of college-wide academic policy.
Specific duties of the Academic Dean include but are not limited to:
•Assuring the quality and cohesiveness of all academic programs.
•Leading the development of new academic programs.
•Overseeing the appropriate hiring and supervising of faculty and academic staff.
•Assessing and planning improvements in teaching and learning.
•Leading the strategic planning process for the College.
•Convening the faculty Academic Council and reporting its finding as necessary.
•Serving as the liaison to the Board’s academic committee.
•Acting as liaison to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and
taking responsibility for the accreditation processes and documents of the
College.
•Working with the CFO to develop and manage budgets for the academic division
of the College.
•Working with the Executive Director of Marketing to build and maintain an
enrollment of highly qualified students.
•Serving as a member of the President’s Senior Staff Team.
Qualifications
The successful Academic Dean will be an inclusive leader, good listener, thoughtful
communicator, and conscientious relationship-builder. He or she will believe in the
mission and community of Vermont College of Fine Arts, and will be enthusiastic about
collaborating with the administration, faculty, program leaders, and students in growing
the College and fostering programmatic excellence.
The Academic Dean will have an intimate knowledge of artistic practice, a deep
understanding of the humanities, and the ability to appreciate and understand
principles and practices of learning across artistic disciplines. He or she will be able to
understand, inspire, and lead an accomplished faculty working within a progressive and
student-directed low-residency arts program.
Additional qualifications include:
•A terminal degree, preferably in the arts.
• Keen attention to detail and comfort with creating and presenting reports
related to budgets and academic outcomes.
•Experience as a teacher and leader in progressive higher education.
•Exceptional communication skills.
•Familiarity with technology and new media as it relates to artistic creation, art
education, and academic administration.
• The ability to engage enthusiastically in the “big picture” of the College
while offering equal consideration and excellence to the related details of
administration.
Vermont College of Fine Arts is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.
Women and members of minority groups are encouraged to apply.