Associate Dean of Graduate Studies

About SAIC

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in art and design education since 1866. Located in downtown Chicago, SAIC offers a wide range of graduate programs and collaborates with the renowned Art Institute of Chicago Museum.

About The Department

The Graduate Division at SAIC oversees its graduate degree programs, which include master's degrees in studio art, architecture, design, art history, arts administration, art education, historic preservation, writing, and more. The division works collaboratively with academic departments and institutional partners to advance excellence in graduate education.

Position Summary

The Associate Dean of Graduate Studies leads curriculum development, academic policies, and student success initiatives for SAIC's graduate programs. Reporting to the Dean of Graduate Studies, this role collaborates with faculty, department leaders, and administrative offices to implement academic policies, advance institutional priorities, and ensure the effective delivery of graduate education.

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.
• Led 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.
• 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

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.

Click here to view our competitive, comprehensive benefits package.

Application Instructions

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

Accessibility

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.

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 apply_help@artic.edu.