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Application instructions:

A complete application consists of:

• A letter of application that includes a detailed explanation of your leadership vision and how you meet the qualifications for this position.
• Current curriculum vitae.
• A diversity statement that articulates your demonstrated commitment and leadership in contribution to diversity, equity, and inclusion through research, teaching, mentoring, and/or outreach and engagement.
• Four work samples of research. (links to creative work, publications, etc.)
• List of five professional references with contact information.

Review of applications will begin by November 1, 2024

Please upload your complete application via Interfolio at: https://apply.interfolio.com/148027

Applications will only be accepted via Interfolio.

If you have any questions about the position, please email Associate Professor Ann Sofie Clemmensen at asclem@umbc.edu.

Department of Dance

The Department of Dance resides in UMBC’s new Performing Arts and Humanities Building, which features large, fully equipped studios and state-of-the-art performing spaces. The department values innovation and is particularly interested in a leader who is thinking about the changing world of dance and what it means to be a dancer or dance artist today and into the future. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, UMBC offers B.A. in Dance and a Dance Minor. Department enrollment includes approximately 45 dance majors and 10 dance minors. The story and the history of UMBC as a dynamic public research university is that of a community that, through the commitment and hard work of faculty, staff, and students, has dedicated itself to creating a new model of the public research university based upon the principle of inclusive excellence. UMBC rightly has established a national reputation for the diversity of its student body and commitment to educating and supporting students from all backgrounds. The vibrancy of the intellectual and social life of the UMBC community is enriched when minds from diverse backgrounds live, learn, create, and engage one another in respectful and insightful ways. The Department of Dance continues to deepen and expand its efforts to recruit and retain a diverse and inclusively excellent faculty. 

For more information visit: dance.umbc.edu

August 23, 2025

Position Description 

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) seeks a Department Chair who will provide innovative, socially engaged, and collaborative leadership for its Department of Dance. The anticipated start date is August 23, 2025. The chair will serve as the department’s administrative head, overseeing faculty, staff, curriculum, budget, and strategic direction. The new chair will be responsible for crafting and implementing an innovative vision that enhances the department's reputation and fosters an environment that supports the creative and scholarly work that both faculty and students find meaningful and important to their overall success. The ideal candidate will be a visionary and inspiring leader committed to work that is collaborative and fearless in its approach/mission to the department’s inclusive and interdisciplinary future. This tenured, associate professor appointment requires a leader skilled in directing change with a varied group of people representing diverse areas of study and who is perceptive in developing the academic and creative potential of faculty, staff, and students. 

The successful candidate will have a terminal degree in dance and be a dedicated educator with a strong studio practice background, a significant national or international reputation in the arts, and a distinguished record of professional accomplishment. The successful candidate will be deeply invested in practices and scholarship, with expertise in one or more of the department’s areas of teaching, scholarship, and practice. She/he/they will be expected to establish and strengthen relationships both within and beyond the university. UMBC’s Dance Department is committed to enhancing the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility of its curriculum, pedagogy, faculty, and student outreach. The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

Responsibilities: 

• Serve as the department’s administrative head, overseeing faculty, staff, curriculum, schedule, budget, and strategic direction. 
• Manage all aspects of the department’s educational mission (instruction, research, service, planning, scheduling, department assessment, accreditation, and program review).
• Teach and mentor undergraduates.
• Foster an environment supporting the creative and scholarly work that faculty and students find meaningful and important to their overall success.
• Identify goals and strategies for targeted growth in the department’s programs.
• Work with faculty to develop plans for curricular development and program design.
• Support the department faculty in their pursuit of excellence in teaching.
• Monitor and manage student enrollment in departmental programs and student-related issues (recruitment, retention, student organizations, learning outcomes).

Qualifications:

• MFA and/or PhD in Dance, Dance studies, or allied fields
• National/international record of scholarly or artistic achievement commensurate with the rank of a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, including a distinguished record of creative and/or scholarly achievement, teaching excellence at the post-secondary level, and professional service; and evidence of continued excellence in creative and/or scholarly achievement. 
• Teaching expertise in technique practice and one or more of the department's teaching areas with demonstrated evidence of teaching effectiveness.  
• Evidence of a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with demonstrated ability to lead effective change with a diverse body of students and colleagues.
• Experience with academic program review processes.
• Possessing an innovative vision for the future of the department and its various disciplines and the ability to lead a department with multiple areas of strength.
• Experience with successful collaborations and recruitment initiatives, for example, those with other academic units in and outside of the university, community partners, and professional arts organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in leadership and administrative management, including being operationally and fiscally astute. 

UMBC, an honors university serving more than 14,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students, is one of two public universities in Maryland to achieve the “doctoral/research university-extensive” Carnegie classification. Located just outside Baltimore and 45 minutes from Washington, DC, the campus is growing rapidly under dynamic leadership.  The campus is situated on the edge of Patapsco State Park, and nearby Catonsville, with its farmers markets and arts district is ranked one of the best places to live in Maryland.  Historical Old Ellicott City, with its eclectic community full of artists, shop keepers, and restaurateurs, is only a 10-minute drive from campus.

Our UMBC community redefines excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement. We will advance knowledge, economic prosperity, and social justice by welcoming and inspiring inquisitive minds from all backgrounds. The successful candidate will join a department with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence, and will be expected to contribute actively to these efforts (https://diversity.umbc.edu/).