Job Details

Dean, College of Arts & Sciences

Position Number: 6586057
Location: Waco, TX
Position Type: Deans - Liberal Arts

Dean, College of Arts & Sciences

A private Christian university and a nationally ranked Research 1 Institution, Baylor University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students (including nearly 6,000 graduate students) by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship.

Baylor University is on a course toward preeminence as a Christian research university. Baylor transformed into an elite R1 research university ahead of projections,surpassing its $1.1 billion fundraising goal in the Give Light campaign two years ahead of schedule andestablishing 20 new endowed facultychairpositions. Baylor's new strategic plan, Baylor in Deeds, builds on the momentum with key commitments, including equipping students to flourish, broadening interdisciplinary research and impact, building a vibrant, caring, and global community, and demonstrating Christian stewardship.

The College of Arts & Sciences, created in 1919, is Baylor University's largest academic division and home to approximately 45 percent of all undergraduates. The College has475 full-time faculty, 267 full-time staff, and more than 6,600 students. The College is home to 25 academic departments and 9 academic centers and institutes. There are more than 60 majors from which to choose, leading to one of four degree tracks (BA, BS, BFA, BSAS) and more than 5,000 courses, spanning disciplines from the arts and humanities to the social and natural sciences. The College also offers 36 outstanding master's and doctoral programs, many of them nationally ranked.

The College of Arts & Sciences served as the primary driver in the University's realization of a decades-long vision to become a Carnegie R1 Research University. The College continues to invest in research as a part of its strategic plan. The College will expand external funding in the sciences and humanities, in addition to developing interdisciplinary research opportunities that leverage disciplines across the College and University and align with the University's strategic initiatives.

Baylor University seeks an inspirational and visionary academic leader to serve as its next Dean for the College of Arts & Sciences. The Dean will be expected to advance the College's national and international prominence in research, education, and engagement activities. The Dean will be expected to understand, promote, and make a significant contribution to the University's distinctive Christian academic mission.

Reporting directly to Baylor's Provost, <a hre="https://leadership.web.baylor.edu/person/nancy-brickhouse">Nancy Brickhouse, the Dean is responsible for the vision, leadership, and strategic direction of the College of Arts & Sciences and serves as an essential member of the University's leadership team. Working closely with the Provost, the President, department chairs, faculty, staff, and students, the next Dean will guide the 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 Dean will champion and support collaborative opportunities and (internal and external) relationships that elevate the impact of the College.

The Dean will serve as the College's chief executive and academic leader, guiding its vision, generating resources in support of that vision, promoting the visibility of the College externally, and managing operations. The Dean will formulate and articulate a shared vision across disciplines, persuade a wide range of audiences of its value, and engage stakeholders in its implementation.

The full position specification can be found at https://bit.ly/BaylorCAS

Baylor University invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. Interested candidates should confidentially submit a curriculum vitae and letter of interest (Adobe PDF files preferred) to:

Joi Hayes-Scott
Consultant to the Search Committee
Russell Reynolds Associates
Baylor.CAS@russellreynolds.com

For full consideration, materials should be received as soon as possible and preferably by October 27, 2025.

Baylor University is a private not-for-profit university affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, Baylor is committed to compliance with all applicable anti-discrimination laws, including those regarding age, race, color, sex, national origin, marital status, pregnancy status, military service, genetic information, and disability. As a religious educational institution, Baylor is lawfully permitted to consider an applicant's religion as a selection criterion. Baylor encourages women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply.

To apply, visit: https://tinyurl.com/3ma586pa