Working Title: Academic Unit Head, School of Media Arts and Design

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

College/Division: College of Arts and Letters

Department: 100018 - School of Media Arts

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 11/11/2024

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The School of Media Arts and Design (SMAD) at James Madison University (JMU) invites applicants with demonstrated administrative skills for the position of Academic Unit Head (AUH). The AUH is a 12-month, tenured appointment with a 1-1 teaching load beginning July 1, 2025.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The SMAD AUH will be a strategic, collaborative, and transparent advocate for faculty, staff, and students and a dynamic promoter of the school, college, and university’s missions to foster an equitable, inclusive, and collegial community. The SMAD AUH must be able to demonstrate an interdisciplinary and collaborative leadership style, working with colleagues within and beyond the academic unit; communicate with transparency and clarity; implement an ambitious, future-oriented vision for the school; identify emerging program priorities and engage in strategic planning and implementation; support faculty teaching, research, and creative scholarship in the diverse disciplines represented in the school; manage and foster programmatic growth; strive to create an inclusive culture that attracts and supports diverse faculty and students; raise the visibility of the school through advancement and development endeavors; and advocate for the school in the ever-changing and challenging landscape of higher education.

The SMAD AUH manages the school’s operations by overseeing departmental budgets, conducting annual performance evaluations including tenure and promotion recommendations, implementing university and departmental curriculum and policies, and advocating for student media outlets including The Breeze newspaper, The Breeze TV, the Bluestone Yearbook, and others.

Qualifications:

• Candidates must hold an appropriate terminal degree (MFA or PhD) in a relevant media-related field from an accredited institution of higher education and have attained the rank of Full Professor within a media program or be an Associate Professor with a record that would support promotion to full professor at an R2 University upon appointment.
• A strong record of teaching, scholarship/creative endeavors, and university or professional experience commensurate with an appointment as a tenured Full Professor within CAL.
• Demonstrated experience with budgetary processes and financial statements.
• Evidence of a problem-solving mindset, effective communication and interpersonal skills, ability to manage details and deadlines, and a collaborative and transparent leadership style.
• Experience responding to the needs of students, faculty, administration, the public, and others.
• Demonstration of a strong record of supporting faculty, staff, and students.
Preferred Qualification
• Administrative experience in a media-related program is preferred.

Additional Posting Information:

Candidates must complete the online application and submit the following:
1. Cover Letter that includes the candidate’s motivation for applying, leadership style, relevant administrative experience, areas of research or scholarly interest, and demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence in the workplace.
2. Curriculum Vitae.
3. Evidence of teaching effectiveness with emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches (uploaded as "other document #1").
4. Names and contact information for three professional references that would be contacted later in the selection process for finalists.

Review of completed applications will begin November 11, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. For more information, contact the search committee chairperson, Dr Lori Britt at brittll@jmu.edu.

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.