The University of Texas at Austin

Dean, College of Liberal Arts

The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) seeks applications and nominations for Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (COLA). By virtue of its public mission, culture of innovation, location, size, and rich history, UT Austin is one of the highest-impact universities in the world. As the top public university in Texas and the flagship of The University of Texas System, UT Austin is an influential catalyst for scientific, economic, and societal progress.

A member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) and one of the nation’s premier centers for academic excellence, UT Austin is enormously proud that more than 40 of the University’s programs are ranked among the top 10 in the country. The Dean of the College of Liberal Arts plays a key leadership role in advancing the mission, operations, and service of the largest college at the University, with more than 12,000 undergraduate students, 1,100 graduate students, and 800 faculty members — over 500 of whom are tenured or tenure-track. The College of Liberal Arts integrates 26 independent departments, 22 centers, and two undergraduate honors programs. U.S. News and World Report ranks 14 of the college’s programs among the top 20 in the country.

The College of Liberal Arts, independently and in partnership with the Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavors, has made significant progress in recent years to elevate its already high-profile in research and scholarship. The college also has aggressively invested in efforts to recruit and retain top faculty, modernize and expand space and facilities for research, and increase the visibility and impact of faculty scholarship. This activity has resulted in a seven-year average of $40.7 million in annual sponsored awards in the college (and $285 million total), including a 40% increase in federal social science and behavioral research funding, a 30% increase in active Mellon funding and the largest-ever grants portfolio of the Population Research Center ($139 million).

The college has made significant investments in fundraising, with the mission of supporting groundbreaking research of faculty and students and providing the resources necessary for students to reach their potential. This includes achieving the highest fundraising years in COLA history, raising $70.4 million in 2022-2023 and $53 million in 2023-2024. COLA has exceeded its campaign goal of $300 million with two years remaining in the campaign, leading the college to increase its goal to $350 million, of which $340 million has already been raised.

Reporting to the Executive Vice President and Provost, the Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the college and serves as a member of University leadership. The Dean will set the vision and implement the strategic direction and goals for the college. The next Dean will be responsible for advancing its mission and operations through thoughtful personnel and management decisions, retention and enhancement of faculty talent, aligning budget decisions with strategy, academic program oversight, and fundraising and donor development. The Dean will make thoughtful decisions and be adaptable to change to capitalize on existing opportunities and create new ones. The Dean will guide a robust scholarship and research agenda, seek to expand sponsored research and promote excellence in undergraduate and graduate education, including the development of collaborative and innovative academic programs designed to meet existing and emerging student needs and demands.

The next Dean will foster collaborative (internal and external) relationships that heighten the impact and extend the reach of the college. The successful candidate must be committed to recruiting and developing highly talented faculty and students and have experience in academic administration. The Dean will possess demonstrated scholarly excellence in a field represented in one of the college’s 26 departments.

The University of Texas at Austin invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Dean, College of Liberal Arts. Interested candidates should confidentially submit a curriculum vitae and letter of interest (Adobe PDF files preferred) to

Joi Hayes-Scott and Jett Pihakis

Russell Reynolds Associates

UT.COLA@russellreynolds.com

For full consideration, materials should be received as soon as possible and preferably by February 24.

Please see the full Position description here.

Materials will be reviewed immediately and will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled.

The University of Texas at Austin is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and is committed to building a diverse faculty and staff. The University is committed to excellence in diversity and the creation of an inclusive learning and working environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other protected classes under federal or state laws.