Director, Fred Fox School of Music Position Announcement: CFA | Arizona Arts
The University of Arizona
Established in 1885, the University of Arizona – the state’s “super” land-grant University – has over a dozen colleges and two medical schools. It is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, making it one of the leading public and private research universities in the United States. University of Arizona graduates are real-world ready through its Student Engagement initiative, and our faculty members include Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, MacArthur Grant recipients, and more.
UArizona is ranked by the NSF in the top 25 among public universities in research activity, expending more than $606 million in FY15. UArizona is advancing the frontiers of inter- and trans-disciplinary scholarship, entrepreneurship and external partnerships. UArizona delivers an estimated economic impact of $8.3 billion annually to the State of Arizona, serving approximately 43,000 students and employing over 12,000 faculty and staff.
UArizona has experienced extraordinary growth in admissions, research activity, campus life, and reputation. Less measurable, but even more important for the future, is the collective sense of momentum that energizes UArizona’s students, faculty, and administration.
The University of Arizona has been recognized on Forbes 2015 list of America’s Best Employers in the United States and has been awarded the 2015 Work-Life Seal of Distinction by the Alliance for Work-Life Progress!
For more on working at the University of Arizona, visit WhyUA?
The College of Fine Arts | Arizona Arts
The College of Fine Arts encompasses four schools: School of Art, School of Dance, Fred Fox School of Music, and the School of Theatre, Film and Television. Home to 1,600 majors, 160 faculty members, and over twenty degree programs, the college contains a range of top-ranked programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The CFA encompasses a broad range of faculty members, including scholars, artists, performers, and practitioners.
The CFA forms part of Arizona Arts, a new division that provides a unified gateway to arts experiences, assets, and educational opportunities at the UA. Arizona Arts works to integrate the arts into all aspects of the UA by bringing together the highly ranked academic programs of the CFA together with the university’s arts presenting and engagement units, including the Center for Creative Photography, the UA Museum of Art, the Hanson FilmTV Institute, UA Presents, and Arizona Arts in Schools. As described in the UA Strategic Plan, Arizona Arts ensures that all students, regardless of major, have meaningful experiences in the arts, and that the arts play a key role in realizing the UA’s land grant mission.
The University of Arizona is committed to creating a campus where the arts transform the academic and social experience for students, faculty, and the Tucson community. It offers world-class museums, excellent performance venues, and extensive opportunities for community engagement around the arts in collaboration with other campus units. These on-campus resources are matched by a thriving local community in the fine and performing arts.
Fred Fox School of Music

As one of four professional schools in the CFA, the FFSoM is one of the country’s top comprehensive music programs, home to innovative faculty members who are leaders in their fields as educators, scholars, and active performers. The faculty include approximately 60 specialists across performance, music education, jazz studies, composition, conducting, music theory, musicology, and ethnomusicology, who provide rigorous training to 250 undergraduate and 150 masters and doctoral music majors. In 2015, a $20M naming gift to the School created multiple endowed chair-ships and funding in support of academic and outreach programs.
An all-Steinway School, the FFSoM features multiple performance spaces, a recording studio, and music archive. Recent faculty accolades include positions as the Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence at the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, an American Guild of Organists Distinguished Composer, and the John F. Kennedy Fellowship from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Current students and alumni are prepared for work as performers, educators, researchers, and entrepreneurs in the arts, and have won national and international competitions and earned awards for their research. Increasingly, music students and faculty collaborate with those from other arts disciplines, the humanities, and the sciences, integrating their expertise with others working toward solutions to the grand challenges of our time. Applicants whose teaching and research expertise demonstrate a commitment to working with diverse populations and communities are encouraged to apply.
The FFSoM is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). Please visit our website for more information about the School and its programs: music.arizona.edu
Position Summary
The University of Arizona College of Fine Arts and the Fred Fox School of Music seek an innovative and visionary educational leader with an entrepreneurial spirit for the role of Director. The Director is responsible for leading the development of academic programs and partnerships on the local, regional, national and international level that are beneficial to the School, College, and University. Working collaboratively with faculty and staff to champion innovative teaching, scholarly research, and creative activity, the Director cultivates and promotes engagement within the university, the greater Tucson community, and across the professions served by the School. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong fundraising and budgetary acumen in collaboration with senior leadership, faculty, and staff. The CFA and FFSoM are committed to practices of inclusion, equity, diversity, and access in areas including curricular development, student advising, faculty hiring and retention, and the promotion and tenure process. The Director reports to the Dean and Vice President of the CFA and Arizona Arts, and works collaboratively with college leadership to ensure that FFSoM meets college and university strategic goals in support of diversity and inclusion, among other Arizona Board of Regents metrics.
To assist the search committee in its review, applicants are asked to provide a one-page Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Statement that summarizes their past and current contributions in these areas. See full position listing for additional required materials.
The position is anticipated to begin 7/1/20
Duties & Responsibilities
Minimum Qualifications
- A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline with at least 10 years of professional experience
- A record of outstanding University-level teaching and research and/or creative activity
- A proven track record of administrative experience in a large, complex organization
- Communication and interpersonal skills needed to be an effective leader
Preferred Qualifications
- Terminal degree in a relevant discipline
- Demonstrable talent in consensus building, strategic planning, visioning, and innovation
- A proven commitment to valuing equity and promoting diversity as an asset in inclusive practices
- Collaborative experience in community outreach and building relationships with diverse constituencies
- Prior successful experience in fundraising, development and complex budget modeling
Location
Main Campus, Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is home to The University of Arizona. Many are drawn to the area for 350 days of sunshine a year, making it a location that draws outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking and biking.sunny weather and the surrounding beauty of the Arizona Sonoran Desert and multiple mountain ranges. The area is one of the earliest inhabited areas of the country, making it one of the most culturally rich cities of the West with numerous museums and art galleries throughout the city.
Some facts about Tucson:
- Tucson is the 33rd largest city in the United States and the 52nd largest metropolitan area with an estimated population of 530,000.
- Tucson is close proximity to many popular areas to visit including Mexico (1.5 hour drive), Phoenix (2 hour drive), Flagstaff (4 hour drive), The Grand Canyon (5 hour drive), San Diego (6 hour drive), and Las Vegas (6.5 hour drive).
- Tucson is an affordable place to live with the cost of living 9% below the national average.
Accepting a new position is a big life step. We want potential candidates and their families to be able to make informed decisions. Candidates who are considering relocation to the Tucson or Phoenix area, and have been offered an on-site interview, are encouraged to use the free services offered by Above & Beyond Relocation Services (ABRS). Ask your department contact to be introduced to ABRS prior to your visit.
Salary & Benefits
- Salary is DOE
- Outstanding UArizona benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans
- Life insurance and disability programs
- Paid vacation, sick time and holidays
- UArizona/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members
- State and optional retirement plans
- Access to UArizona recreation and cultural activities
Contact
Tracy Wynn
Executive Assistant to the Dean of Fine Arts/Vice President for the Arts
tracywynn@email.arizona.edu
Phone: 520-621-7886