Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) seeks a trailblazing, media-focused dean to lead the Media School into its next ambitious chapter. TheMedia School is well-positioned to continue deepening its successful teaching and research impact in media production, communication research, journalism, advertising, public relations, and cultural studies, while at the same time, nurture continued and new growth that will set the schoolasa widely recognized leader in the higher education media landscape. The ideal candidate will seizethe advantages and talents within the Media School and raise it to national and global prominence.

Formed in 2014, as a school within the College of Arts and Sciences, the Media School is comprised of the prestigious century-old journalism program, the half-century-old telecommunications program, and over fifty years of film and media studies housed in the communication and culture program. The nearly 2,000 Media School students can choose from multiple majors linked to faculty in Cinema and Media Studies, Communication Science, Journalism, and Media Arts and Production. The Media School has an important, long-standing partnership with the separate Radio/TV department, which operates IU’s public radio and television stations.

The dean, in collaboration with the 72-member faculty, will articulate a vision and strategic plan for the Media School that will strengthen interdisciplinary connections among the programs of the Media School with other schools of the university. The dean will foster partnerships between disciplines and institutions and creative industries in the region, and in other locations where IUB is extending its presence nationally and internationally.

The Media School has 114 endowed funds with a total endowed value of over $27 million. Reporting to the provost and in partnership with the executive dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, the Media School dean will provide leadership for the academic and administrative activities of the Media School, further its legacy of contributions and its ongoing impact, and develop new streams of support for the Media Schools’ diversity of scholarship and depth of student excellence. The ideal candidate will have a sophisticated understanding of the scholarly enterprise, demonstrate a record of collaborative leadership, bring vigor and passion for the Media School’s educational and research mission, have significant depth of managerial experience, and be an effective fundraiser.

In this effort, Indiana University Bloomington has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist a university search committee. All applications, inquiries, and nominations, which will remain confidential, should be directed to the search firm.

Rank: Open (Tenure Track or Non-Tenure Track)

The director will serve as the administrative head of the BFA in Cinematic Arts degree at Indiana University’s Media School, with oversight of its curriculum and strategic direction. This new curriculum at Indiana University is focused on industry-preparedness and artistic expression, with courses that are technically oriented but grounded in the concepts and theory of filmmaking. Thus, the candidate should have a significant artistic record in one of the following: Directing, Postproduction, Audio/Sound, or Cinematography; with entertainment industry experience, an MFA or other similar terminal degree from a highly-regarded film school, and five or more years of teaching experience at the university level.

The successful candidate will be bold and transparent and will provide leadership for a diverse academic program currently in its second year. The ideal candidate will be a visionary and inspiring leader who is committed to guiding the existing program through its earliest semesters to top film school status while crafting an inclusive, innovative, and unique vision for the future of the cinematic arts program. We are seeking a candidate who is skilled in directing change with a varied group of people representing diverse areas of study, and who is perceptive in developing the academic and creative potential of faculty, staff, and students.

In addition to the curricular leadership and strategic vision, this person will be the primary faculty contact for alumni, donors, prospective students, and University and non-University entities wishing to coordinate with the Media School’s Cinema Production initiatives. This also includes participating at the school’s alumni events and working with the alumni relations office on scholarships and donations.

The director will also oversee, schedule and facilitate programs for the Media School’s Cinema Academy, the entity which produces the School’s Cinema-related pre-college programs, masterclass speaker series (Expert Workshops), annual student film festival, and advise the Student Cinema Guild.

Additional responsibilities of the BFA Director include:

• Facilitating ongoing communication to solicit faculty input in program decisions.
• Coordinating with school administrators on shared resources for a complementary degree, the BA in Media Concentration: Film, Television, and Digital Production developing, with faculty, program curricula and other educational programs and activities.
• Guiding the program faculty/department to ensure that the highest curriculum-related standards are met; this includes regular competitive analysis with similar programs across the nation.
• Working with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to coordinate faculty members’ teaching responsibilities.
• Working with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to recruit and supervise adjunct faculty.
• Mentoring program-related faculty and supporting their professional development.
• Collaborating with technical staff and program faculty to ensure equipment, technology and facilities remain current and support the academic program.
• Assisting with recruitment of students.
• Collaborating with Media School Academic Advisors in advising students.
• Teaching courses every semester within the program’s curriculum.
• Engaging in original and innovative creative activity and/or research.

Qualifications

• MFA or a similar terminal degree in Cinematic Arts, Filmmaking, or a related field.
• A distinguished national/international record of creative achievement, teaching excellence at the post-secondary level, and professional service; and evidence of continued excellence in creative achievement.
• Demonstrated and effective experience in leadership and administrative experience in academia.
• Evidence of a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and demonstrated ability to work with a diverse body of students and colleagues.
• Possess an innovative vision for the future of a growing program and its various disciplines, and ability to lead a faculty cohort with multiple areas of strength, as well as to work successfully across disciplines within a diverse and complex organization.
• A minimum of five years of college level teaching experience.

To ensure full consideration, applications should be submitted by Friday, October 15, 2021; however, applications will be considered until the position is filled.