The CalArts School of Film/Video has been ranked among the top 10 film schools in the world by the Hollywood Reporter in 2011 and 2012. CalArts is seeking a dean that will provide the visionary leadership to build upon the current vigorous state of the school as it enters the next stage in an already distinguished history, combining a keen interest in the legacy of CalArts with an openness to forward-looking technologies and ways of thinking. S/He will lead the faculty in articulating and elaborating the school’s future perspective and will represent the school externally to ensure visibility and support. Strong communication skills are required as the dean has a critical responsibility to engage with a range of audiences, from donors and supporters, to practicing artists, filmmakers and industry leaders, to students and parents. A deep knowledge of cinema in all its forms of expression is essential, as is a commitment to the language of film culture in the context of wide-ranging experimentation, open to all varieties of image making. The dean will be conversant with the concerns and constituencies of experimental and independent cinema, and the evolving film/animation industries, interested in the productive tension between these arenas and able to move between them effectively to ensure that CalArts supports our students in realizing their career goals.
The dean must be someone of distinguished accomplishment as an artist/film-maker, curator, scholar or critic, with a record of outstanding work commensurate with the internationally-recognized standing of the school. Extensive teaching and administrative experience are desirable, as are strong organizational skills and the ability to productively balance consensus-building and decision-making. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated interest in creative production and interdisciplinary, critical thinking, and s/he will have the possibility of teaching, as well as mentoring students and guiding student projects at her/his discretion.
The dean will collaborate with the president and the Office of Advancement and External Affairs to identify sources of funding and to develop grants for technology, project production and completion to ensure that the school remains at a top level in all its programs and production capabilities. The dean will also participate actively in Deans’ Council with the provost and the deans of the other schools, playing a key leadership role in managing human and fiscal resources in support of institutional priorities. The ability to work collaboratively with leaders in all forms of contemporary arts distinguishes the creative ecology of the Institute.
The school consists of five programs, all of which emphasize the individual work of their students through teaching, mentoring and guidance in their professional and artistic growth. The programs include Character Animation, Experimental Animation, the Program in Film and Video, the Film Directing Program and a joint interdisciplinary program (spanning all of the schools of the Institute involving innovative uses of digital technology), with over 385 students enrolled at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The dean supervises a full and part-time faculty that currently includes 89 distinguished artists and scholars whose expertise spans the full range of combined disciplines, as well as a diverse and skilled administrative support staff. The dean works proactively with the faculty and staff on matters of budget, space and technology, supporting school programs to assure their integrity, balance and evolution.
For the full position specification and instructions on how to apply for this position,
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Interviews will begin in early spring 2013, with an anticipated appointment date of July 1, 2013.
CalArts is proud of its diverse student body and deeply committed to supporting the cultural and artistic aspirations of all its students. A commitment to increasing opportunities for low-income students and currently disenfranchised groups is necessary, as is the desire to work to support institutional goals of equity and diversity in an ongoing way. CalArts is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).
