Associate Dean of Graduate Studies

About SAIC

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

About the Department

The Graduate Division at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) encompasses the institution's graduate degree programs, serving more than 500 students across master's degrees in studio art, architecture, design, art history, arts administration, art education, historic preservation, writing, and related fields. The Graduate Division provides strategic leadership for graduate academic programs, enrollment, student success, curriculum development, assessment, faculty support, and interdisciplinary initiatives, working collaboratively with academic departments and institutional partners to advance excellence in graduate education.

Position Summary

The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies provides academic and administrative leadership for the School's graduate programs, supporting curriculum development, assessment, enrollment planning, and student success initiatives. Reporting to the Dean of Graduate Studies, this position collaborates with faculty, department leaders, and administrative offices to implement academic policies, advance institutional priorities, and ensure the effective delivery of graduate education. The Associate Dean represents the Graduate Division internally and externally while promoting academic excellence, operational effectiveness, and positive post-graduate outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership for graduate curriculum development, implementation, revision, and approval processes in collaboration with faculty, department leadership, and institutional partners.


• Oversees graduate academic policies, degree requirements, curricular documentation, and academic communications, including maintenance of the academic bulletin and syllabus guidelines.


• Leads enrollment planning and course analysis to support scheduling, resource allocation, student progression, and degree completion.


• Uses institutional data and assessment results to evaluate graduate programs, improve student learning outcomes, and inform strategic planning.


• Collaborates with Graduate Admissions, Student Affairs, the Registrar, International Affairs, Academic Program Review and Assessment, and other offices to support graduate initiatives and student success.


• Provides academic oversight for graduate student progression, advising policies, academic appeals, exhibition eligibility, awards, and other student success initiatives.


• Develops and supports professional development, career readiness, and external partnership opportunities that enhance graduate education.


• Chairs or serves on institutional committees and represents the Graduate Division in campus planning, governance, recruitment, orientation, commencement, and other institutional activities.


• Supervises assigned professional staff and provides leadership, mentoring, and performance management.


• Develops reports, presentations, and communications for internal and external stakeholders.


• Represents the Graduate Division with donors, visiting scholars, professional organizations, and institutional partners as appropriate.


• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Master's degree (MFA, MA, or equivalent); terminal degree preferred.


• Minimum five years of progressively responsible academic administration experience in higher education.


• Teaching experience at the graduate or undergraduate level.


• Experience with curriculum development, assessment, enrollment planning, and academic policy administration.


• Knowledge of higher education administration, curriculum management, accreditation, and student learning assessment.


• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.


• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.


• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across academic and administrative units.


• Experience using learning management systems, student information systems, assessment platforms, and data management tools.


• Ability to interpret institutional data to support planning and decision-making.


• Effective supervisory, leadership, and problem-solving skills.


• Commitment to supporting students from diverse educational, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Compensation & Benefits

Please click on the links below to view our competitive, comprehensive benefits package:  

• Hiring Range: $100,000 - $122,600 annually. 

The expected hiring range is an estimated amount for positions based on the grade. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, qualifications and other job-related reasons. 

• Benefits        


• PTO Overview


• Job Classification: Non-exempt


• Employment Category: Full-time staff


• Grade Level: 10

If you are accessing this listing from a third party, not all links to salary and benefits information may work. Please visit our career page at saic/artic.edu/employment for complete information

Application Instructions

Please submit your resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.

Accessibility

If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following page:

Accessibility Accommodation for Applicants

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at  [email protected].