DEAN

College of Arts and Humanities

California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) invites inquiries, nominations, and applications from inspiring, collaborative, and inclusive leaders to serve as the University’s next Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities.

The University

Founded in 1965 with classes officially starting in 1970, CSUB is a continuously growing comprehensive regional university located on a 375-acre site in the southern San Joaquin Valley, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Committed to transforming the lives of its students and community through established excellence in academia, diversity, service and community engagement, the University offers 45 undergraduate degree programs, 21 master’s degree programs and a doctoral program in educational leadership. A member of the 23-campus California State University system, CSUB has been consistently recognized nationally as providing great affordability and “bang for its buck” to its students and has been ranked near the top of all U.S. universities in terms of “added value” and upward mobility.

CSUB supports ongoing social, cultural, and economic development in the region and is nationally recognized for inclusivity and social mobility. Deeply committed to diversity, inclusivity, and equity, the University aims to uplift, validate, and support students of all backgrounds. CSUB has received federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and proudly embraces a student body in which nearly 80% come from diverse backgrounds including: 63% Hispanic or Latinx, 7% Asian, 6% Black or African American, and 18% White or Caucasian.

Serving more than 10,000 students, CSUB strives to be a model for supporting and educating students to become knowledgeable, engaged, innovative, and ethical leaders in the regional and global community. CSUB confers 2,000 degrees annually and is home to over 1,400 faculty and staff located across two campuses and within its four colleges: Arts and Humanities; Business and Public Administration; Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering; and Social Sciences and Education. In addition to its main campus, CSUB’s Antelope Valley campus, approximately 90 miles south, offers critical higher education opportunities in the region, allowing students to pursue bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees or teaching credentials where they live and work. The University also offers Extended Education to members of the community and offers courses for personal and professional development, as well as degree and credential programs designed with busy professionals in mind.

CSUB collaborates with partners throughout Bakersfield and Kern County to increase the region’s overall educational attainment, enhance residents’ quality of life, and support economic development. With more than 60% of CSUB’s 53,000+ alumni remaining in the region to work in and contribute to the community, graduates have made an indelible impact through their success in every sector — from education to healthcare to agriculture — fueling Kern County’s regional economy and supporting the local community.

CSUB has successfully completed its current University Strategic Plan, which placed student success and academic excellence at the center of its mission. Key goals included: strengthening and inspiring student success and lifelong learning, advancing faculty and staff success, and addressing regional needs in collaboration with our community. The university will be planning and implementing a new strategic plan beginning in 2025.

College of Arts and Humanities

The College of Arts and Humanities (A&H) is a vibrant academic division that offers a wide range of programs, degrees, and opportunities for students pursuing their interest in the arts and humanities. Nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and cultural understanding, the College is committed to cultivating future generations of actors, artists, musicians, writers, thinkers, and media professionals. The College provides thriving academic degree programs that includes Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art & Art History, Communications, English, History, Modern Languages & Literatures, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Theatre; Master of Arts (MA) in English, History, and Modern Languages & Literatures. The BA in Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). These programs serve approximately 1,000 students as well as core areas of General Education for the approximately 10,000 students at the university. Students have a variety of opportunities for involvement through internships, faculty led study abroad, clubs and organizations, performances and exhibitions, public lectures, research opportunities, and learning beyond the classroom.

The College of Arts and Humanities is deeply committed to community engagement and collaborates with local organizations, schools, and other groups through advisory committees comprised of local community members. The faculty within A&H are active scholars, engaging in research, creative projects, performances, and collaborations that enhance the academic environment. The College has 200 instructional faculty (including full-time and part-time), 20 support staff members, and various student assistants.

Position Summary

The College of Arts and Humanities Dean is responsible for providing leadership to the departments and programs by carrying out the College’s mission and goals in alignment with CSUB’s strategic plan. The Dean works with department chairs and faculty, staff, and other university administrators to achieve common goals and outcomes and to meet the needs of faculty, staff, students, community, and region.

The Dean ensures that the College delivers high quality education and fosters an environment of intellectual growth, creativity, and community engagement. Key responsibilities include academic leadership, faculty and staff management, budget and resource management, student success, community engagement, strategic planning, external relations, and accreditation and compliance.

Key Opportunities and Challenges

CSUB seeks an innovative, collaborative, and transparent leader to guide the College of Arts and Humanities to the next level of academic excellence and community engagement. The ideal candidate will have an extraordinary work ethic and a passion for addressing the following opportunities and challenges:

Setting a New Vision for Arts & Humanities – The Dean will play a central role in working with all stakeholders to develop a collective vision for the future that will embrace interdisciplinary collaboration, student success, and a commitment to academic excellence and growth. The Dean must also play a lead role in securing the financial resources necessary to support the College in achieving its full potential.

Fostering Student Success - The Dean will continue the College’s collaborative efforts to ensure graduation and retention rate initiatives are on target. The Dean will play a key role in collaborating with campus divisions on outreach activities and student retention initiatives to increase the enrollment of A&H programs. As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), CSUB embraces multicultural traditions and is highly focused on student success and meeting the needs of our many first-generation, students of color, transfer, DACA, veteran, and international students. The Dean will have the opportunity to lead the College in advancing academic excellence through diversity and inclusion.

Advancing Faculty and Staff Success – Our faculty and staff bring energy, innovation, and positive perspectives to the College and CSUB community. The new Dean will play a lead role in A&H’s recruitment and retention of excellent faculty and staff who are committed to student success and enhancing the student experience. Additionally, the Dean will play a key role in providing guidance and securing resources for the further development of faculty and staff, both individually and as members of the CSUB community.

Strengthening Collaboration & Communication - The Dean must foster an environment that values inclusion and collaboration. The Dean is expected to develop and implement effective strategies for enhancing communication within A&H departments and with the community. The next Dean will have the opportunity to promote a transparent and inclusive environment for our faculty, staff, students, and members of the community.

Fundraising and Relationship Building – As its strongest advocate, the Dean is expected to engage in fundraising and external relations efforts to secure additional resources to support students, faculty, and programs in addition to elevating the visibility of the College as a whole. Given CSUB’s reputation and stature within the southern San Joaquin Valley, the Dean will be able to capitalize on its existing impact within the local community and provide outstanding leadership in this arena by building relationships, partnerships, and collaborations with partners within the region and across the state.

Required Qualifications

• An earned terminal degree in one of the College’s academic disciplines from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Record of teaching, scholarly activity, and service that satisfies eligibility of appointment to the rank of Professor in an academic program in the College.
• Experience and demonstrated effectiveness in leadership positions (for example, associate dean or department chair).
• Experience working effectively with students, stakeholders, community networks, faculty, and staff.
• Demonstrated ability to interact professionally with current and prospective students.
• Experience with budget, human resources, and fiscal management.
• Ability to work collaboratively with university offices.
• Understanding of and experience in college and university governance.
• Demonstrated organizational, management, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Evidence of sensitivity to and understanding of racial, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity of the campus and community.
• Evidence of shared governance in decision making and other related academic activities.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Knowledge of the College's disciplines and undergraduate curriculum at a level sufficient for collaboration with department chairs for course planning and scheduling.

Preferred Qualifications

• A record of effectiveness in developing and implementing strategic plans.
• A demonstrated record of supporting faculty in research/scholarly activity and teaching.
• An ability to work effectively with university executive teams.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and cultivating external relationships with business, government, existing and potential donors, alumni, and other key stakeholders.

Application Process

Qualified applicants should submit:

• A California State University Bakersfield job application form through the CSUB Human Resources website.
• A letter of application addressing how the applicant’s experience, current responsibilities, and other qualifications meet the criteria described above
• A current curriculum vitae.
• A statement of roughly 500 words on how the applicant would promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the College of Arts and Humanities.
• The names, email, mailing addresses, and telephone numbers of three current references.

For priority consideration, application materials must be received by January 31, 2025; however, the position will remain open until filled.

COMPENSATION: This appointment is in the Management Personnel Plan and is a full-time, 12-month position.  The pay basis is monthly.

ANTICIPATED HIRING RANGE: $ 15,500 - $18,000 monthly

• However, offer amount will be commensurate with candidate’s experience, education, skills, and training.

CSU CLASSIFICATION SALARY RANGE: $10,106 - $32,441 monthly

BENEFITS:  CSUB offers a best-in-class benefit package for eligible employees that includes an array of medical plans, choice of dental plans, vision coverage, retirement participation in CalPERS, CSU tuition waiver, up to 24 vacation days per year, sick leave with unlimited accrual, 14 paid holidays per year and more!  See our benefits website for additional information.

SCREENING:  Only those applicants possessing experience most directly related to the immediate needs of the office will be invited to appear before a Qualifications Appraisal Board for the purpose of appraising training, experience, and interest in the position.

BACKGROUND CHECK:  Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment.  CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

SENSITIVE POSITION:  Sensitive positions are designated by the CSU as requiring heightened scrutiny of individuals holding the position, based on potential for harm to children, concerns for the safety and security of the people, animals, or property, or heightened risk of financial loss to the CSU or individuals in the university community.

MANDATED REPORTER: Limited:  The person holding this position is considered a limited mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017.  (All Advisors and MPPS are limited).

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:   A “designated position” in the CSU’s Conflict of Interest Code.  The successful candidate accepting this position is required to file Conflict of Interest forms subject to the regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission.      

GENERAL INFORMATION:  It is the policy of California State University, Bakersfield to hire only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.  All new employees will be required to present documentation verifying their right to accept employment.  You will also be requested to present a social security card at the time of initial appointment in compliance with state payroll regulations.  State regulations require that every state employee sign the Oath of Allegiance prior to commencing the duties of his/her State employment, except legally employed non-citizens.  These individuals are required to sign the Declaration of Permission to Work.

EEO STATEMENT:  California State University, Bakersfield is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity.  Applicants will be considered without regard to gender, race, age, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability or covered veteran status.