Dean, Faculty of Arts

Reporting to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic), the Dean is a senior member of the University’s academic leadership team and is responsible for the overall academic, administrative, financial, and strategic leadership of the Faculty of Arts.

The Faculty of Arts is the University’s largest academic Faculty, serving approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students across multiple departments and a range of interdisciplinary programs. Its academic complement includes more than 80 tenured and tenure-track faculty members, alongside term and sessional faculty and professional staff. Encompassing a broad range of disciplines, scholarly perspectives, and educational pathways, the Faculty makes important contributions to the intellectual and cultural life of the University and the wider community.

The Dean is currently supported by three Associate Deans with responsibility for Undergraduate Programs, Research and Graduate Studies, and Academic Integrity and Equity, and works closely with Department Heads, administrative leaders, and the Federated Colleges.

The Dean provides leadership in advancing the Faculty’s vision and priorities through collaborative and transparent governance processes. Working closely with Department Heads, faculty members, staff, students, and community partners, the Dean fosters a strong academic culture that supports excellence in teaching, research, scholarly and creative activity, student success, and community engagement.

As an advocate for the Faculty, the Dean represents its priorities in institutional planning and decision-making and articulates the value and relevance of Arts education and scholarship in addressing contemporary societal challenges. The Dean also supports and champions research and creative activity across the humanities and social sciences, encourages interdisciplinary approaches, and strengthens relationships with Indigenous communities, governments, cultural organizations, community agencies, research partners, alumni, and donors. In all these activities, the Dean protects the academic freedom of their members and champions institutional autonomy.

The Dean plays a key role in advancing institutional priorities related to student access and success, experiential learning, research growth, Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, internationalization, and community-engaged scholarship. They ensure responsible stewardship of the Faculty’s resources while identifying opportunities for innovation, partnership, enrolment growth, and external support.

Key Responsibilities

The Dean will:

1. Strategic and Academic Leadership: Develop and implement strategic and academic plans aligned with university priorities, providing leadership in planning, priority-setting, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional governance to advance the faculty’s academic mission and long-term success.
2. Academic Programs, Curriculum, and Quality Assurance: Oversee the quality, relevance, integrity, and sustainability of undergraduate and graduate programs through curriculum renewal, program development, review and assessment of learning, and innovation in teaching and learning, ensuring programs respond to disciplinary developments, student needs, and institutional priorities.
3. Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity: Foster research excellence and creative activity across the faculty by supporting interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge mobilization, graduate research, grant development, and external partnerships, while advocating for resources and infrastructure necessary to sustain a vibrant research environment.
4. Faculty and Staff Leadership: Lead the recruitment, retention, development, and performance of academic and administrative personnel, supporting departmental leadership in their responsibilities while upholding collective agreements, and fostering a collegial, equitable, inclusive, and respectful workplace that fosters academic and professional excellence.
5. Financial Stewardship and Resource Allocation: Develop and manage faculty budgets, strategically allocate financial and human resources, and oversee planning to ensure financial stewardship and long-term sustainability, advancing academic priorities and responding to institutional needs.
6. Student Success and Enrolment: Support student recruitment, retention, progression, and completion by aligning enrolment planning with academic programming, course availability, and advising, cultivating a quality student experience across undergraduate and graduate education.
7. Governance, Equity, and Institutional Accountability: Uphold academic freedom, fostering an environment that promotes diverse perspectives, protects academic expression, and promotes fairness, integrity, and institutional trust. Ensure compliance with university policies to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and decolonization (EDIAD) through transparent, inclusive, and accountable practices.
8. External Relations, Advancement, and Commitment to Community: Build and sustain relationships with alumni, donors, Indigenous communities, government, employers, cultural organizations, and community partners to further fundraising, partnerships, and public engagement, strengthening recognition of the faculty’s contributions to scholarship, culture, society, and public good.

The Individual

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative, intellectually curious, and values-driven academic leader who appreciates the transformative role of the humanities and social sciences in advancing knowledge, strengthening communities, and preparing students for an increasingly complex world.

They will bring a demonstrated commitment to academic excellence, student success, Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, together with the ability to build trust and inspire a shared sense of purpose across diverse constituencies.

The successful candidate will combine intellectual and academic credibility with sound judgment, administrative effectiveness, and the ability to advocate persuasively for the Faculty. They will be comfortable navigating complexity and change, balancing immediate operational demands with longer-term priorities, while making fair, informed, and timely decisions.

Qualifications and Experience

The Search Committee recognizes that no one candidate is likely to meet all of the following qualifications in equal measure. As such the criteria outlined below are desirable and will be used in assessing candidates for the position:

1. Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in a discipline relevant to the Faculty of Arts.
2. Record of distinguished scholarly accomplishment and a strong commitment to teaching, research, scholarship and service, commensurate with the rank of Full Professor.
3. Significant academic leadership and administrative experience within complex higher education environments.
4. Demonstrated competence in leading multi-disciplinary and departmentalized Faculties.
5. Ability to balance immediate operational priorities with long-term strategic planning in a complex and evolving academic environment.
6. Experience developing and implementing strategic priorities and advancing organizational goals.
7. Record of supporting and promoting interdisciplinary, collaborative, and community-engaged scholarship, while fostering environments that uphold academic freedom, advance research excellence and scholarly and creative activity, support mentorship, and enable success in securing external funding.
8. Demonstrated commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and experience advancing meaningful Indigenous engagement and Indigenization initiatives.
9. Strong record of advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, accessibility, and belonging through leadership and action.
10. Experience recruiting, mentoring, developing, and retaining talented faculty and staff, as well as supporting fair and effective processes related to performance review, tenure, promotion, and career development.
11. Experience providing fair, thoughtful, and accountable leadership within a collegial and unionized environment, together with an understanding of collective agreements, academic policies, and faculty relations.
12. Financial and operational management experience, including budget development, oversight, consultation, strategic resource prioritization, and responsible stewardship.
13. Experience building productive partnerships with Indigenous communities, governments, community organizations, cultural institutions, research partners, alumni, donors, and other external stakeholders.
14. Demonstrated commitment to student success and an understanding of evolving student needs and expectations.
15. Outstanding communication, relationship-building, and interpersonal skills.

For further information and to apply, please submit a CV and cover letter, detailing how you fulfill the role description and personal specification to Perrett Laver’s Vacancies page quoting reference 8008. The deadline for applications is November 29th, 2026 at 12:00 pm CST.

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