Dean, School of Arts and Sciences
University of Pennsylvania

Job Info

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Dean, School of Arts and Sciences

The University of Pennsylvania seeks a collaborative, innovative, and engaged leader to serve as its next Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.

The University of Pennsylvania is a scholarly community that advances discovery and community toward a better future for all. The University embraces excellence, freedom of inquiry and expression, and respect. Penn's culture is inspired by its founder, Benjamin Franklin - open-minded and curious, inventive and practical, exhibiting brilliance across fields, imperfect but self-improving, and relentlessly focused on enhancing social good. These values are enduring and inspire the University to be a positive force for the world, while remaining anchored and committed to its Philadelphia home.

The School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) at the University of Pennsylvania supports the intellectual foundation of Penn and stands at the forefront of research and teaching in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The School's early history is intertwined with that of the first years of the University of Pennsylvania, and today is a community of scholars devoted to the pursuit and transmission of knowledge across a broad array of disciplines. Penn SAS' focus on faculty excellence and diversity, interdisciplinary collaborations, and curricular innovations is a hallmark of its success - and will carry it into its future.

SAS is the academic home to more than half of Penn's undergraduate student body and teaches more than 2,000 courses to students in Penn's four undergraduate schools. One of the University's largest schools, SAS has more than 1,000 full-time faculty and 700 staff who carry out its work in 37 buildings across campus. Each of the School's three educational divisions fulfills a different mission, united by the broad commitment to provide Penn students with an unrivaled education in the liberal arts: the College of Arts and Sciences (the undergraduate division); the Graduate Division (the home of doctoral and master's programs in the arts and sciences); and the College of Liberal and Professional Studies (the home of lifelong learning in Penn Arts and Sciences).

In recent years, SAS launched twenty new innovative academic centers that catalyze interdisciplinary research, reaffirming the School's role at the forefront of the University's priorities. It has completed three major new buildings, including the soon-to-open Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology; strengthened faculty recruitment and mentoring, especially in cross-disciplinary areas; and created the Ivy League's first fully online undergraduate degree program for working adults and nontraditional students.

Following a long-serving Dean who has led the School through a period of notable intellectual and organizational growth, the next Dean will take the reins of a vital and purposeful institution, well-positioned to meet the evolving needs, challenges, and promise of the liberal arts today. The School of Arts and Sciences is at the core of Penn's intellectual universe. The Dean ensures this vibrant, diverse community operates with a sense of common purpose-notably during a period of dynamism not only across academic disciplines but also in society. As such, the next Dean will lean into Penn's enduring commitment to the liberal arts, and imagine new ways of embodying this commitment.

The Dean is responsible to the President and the Provost for the conduct, coordination, and quality of all of the School's academic programs, research activities, and other operations. Importantly, the Dean serves as the chief "culture carrier" for the School-advocating for the continued importance of the liberal arts, celebrating its many successes, and driving a spirit of unity.

Finally, the Dean of SAS is a visible and nodal leader on Penn's campus, extending beyond the liberal arts and sciences. The Dean is a critical voice and perspective in nearly all decisions that are central to Penn's missions, and the next Dean of SAS will serve as a key steward of Penn's values during a critical moment in the University's history.

The next Dean must possess the academic credentials and experience that qualify them for appointment as a full professor with tenure in the School and enable them to be an effective leader of the School's faculty. The next Dean will be a noted scholar with the highest ambition for the liberal arts, with experience in leading a strategic vision in the context of a premier research university and a demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship, as well as a track record of administrative leadership, and experience in engaging stakeholders of all backgrounds. Finally, the next Dean will possess communication and fundraising skills, and the commitment, ability, and desire to broadly and collaboratively engage the University community.

The University of Pennsylvania will be assisted by Jackie Zavitz and Meghan Ashbrock of Heidrick & Struggles, Inc.

Nominations and applications should be directed to: PennSASDean@heidrick.com

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

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