Dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business
Employment Type – Faculty
Internal Job Category – Tenure Track (Faculty), Full-Time
Department – College Entertain & Music Bus
Belmont University—a private, Christ-centered higher-education institution in Nashville, Tennessee—seeks a proven leader to serve as Dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business.
Reporting directly to the Provost/EVP of Academic Excellence, the Dean of the College of Entertainment & Music Business will serve as the leader of the largest college of the university with responsibilities for all of the college’s academic programs and student enrichment initiatives. This entrepreneurial and visionary administrator leads the faculty, staff and students in enhancing the vitality of its current academic degrees and areas of study as well as in developing new and innovative programs to serve other facets of the entertainment industry.
The Dean shall be responsible to communicate Belmont’s mission to external stakeholders; maintain and coordinate college-based solicitations and various appeals to increase overall giving; and cultivate and nurture positive, philanthropic support of relationships with alums, parents, and donors. This effort will require an exceptional ability to lead within a complex organization, a broad intellectual orientation and appreciation for future trends in the entertainment industry and higher education, a passion for the mission of higher education, a Christ-centered focus, and a collaborative and relational leadership style.
The Dean will oversee the College’s academic degrees which consist of
- Music Business
- Creative & Entertainment Industries
- Songwriting
- Audio Engineering Technology
- Emerging Media
- Journalism
- Motion Pictures
- Publishing
- Film & TV Writing
- Media Production
- Graduate Program: Master of Science in Audio Engineering
The Dean provides academic leadership and guidance for the college while also seeking industry collaboration and campus partnership opportunities with the goal of creating an integrated and collaborative student experience.
The Dean must be an effective and collaborative executive, gifted in relationship-building and possessing the capacity to foster a rich entrepreneurial college environment and the ability to effectively communicate the College’s vision, mission, values, and priorities.
The ideal candidate will have a history of leadership excellence; demonstrated leadership in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; a strong reputation as a knowledgeable industry professional with impeccable integrity; a collaborative leadership style; an innovative thinker with desire to continually grow and challenge the norm; and a respected professional within the broader entertainment industry communities with an unmatched ability to foster strategic donor relationships.
Job responsibilities include
- Serve as the chief academic and administrative officer for the College fostering a culture of teamwork and collaboration
- Build and maintain external relationships with the business and professional communities
- Identify, cultivate, solicit, steward, and sustain relationships with external constituencies and partners, including alumni, corporate sponsors, and donors, and meet fundraising and engagement objectives in partnership with the Office of Development
- Work collaboratively with university marketing and communications and the office of the president for strategic branding opportunities
- Provide leadership for associate dean(s), department chairs, faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate students
- Responsible for the student educational experience including enrollment growth and retention
- Support the goals of excellence in all areas of teaching, scholarship, and service
- Provide strategic leadership to the 5 strategic pathways and the University’s aspirational aim in partnership with pathway catalysts
- Oversee strategic trajectories of the college and guides academic innovation and change in curricula and promotes new programs and emergent fields, using appropriate technology in its fulfillment
- Ensure fiscal responsibility by monitoring funds allocated to operations and functions supporting academic programs
- Oversee and support continuing assessment and improvement of all academic initiatives
- Maintain accreditation for all accredited programs in the College
Perform other job-related tasks as directed by the President or Provost/EVP for - Academic Excellence
Desired Qualities
- Embodiment of Christ-centered vocation through commitment, service, and leadership
- An appreciation of Belmont University – its past, present, and future
- Commitment to academic excellence
- Demonstrated leadership in promoting inclusion and diversity in staff, faculty, and student populations
- Uncompromising personal and professional integrity
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills
- Distinguished portfolio of creative activities or scholarship
- Evidence of successful leadership experience in an academic or entertainment industry environment
- Leadership in developing/articulating a vision within a complex institution
- Strong financial management skills with the ability to make strategic budget decisions within limited resources
- Ability to listen to divergent views while building consensus and collegiality
Belmont University seeks to attract and retain highly qualified faculty and staff who share the University’s values and will contribute to its mission and vision to be a leader among teaching universities bringing together the best of liberal arts and professional education.
During the application process, applicants will be asked to attach a response to Belmont University’s Mission, Vision, Values, and “Five Ways of Being” articulating how the candidate’s knowledge, experience, and beliefs have prepared him/her to contribute to a Christ-centered, student-focused university of learning, and service.
About Belmont University
Located two miles from thriving downtown Nashville, Tennessee, Belmont University consists of more than 8,800 students who come from every state and 33 countries. Nationally recognized for its innovative approach and commitment to undergraduate teaching, Belmont is a Christ-centered, student-focused community intent on developing diverse leaders of purpose, character, wisdom, and a transformational mindset who are eager and equipped to make the world a better place.
In the classroom and beyond, the University aims to empower students, faculty, and staff to become radical champions for helping people and communities to flourish. Five key themes under-gird the University’s vision and help differentiate a Belmont education: the pursuit of 1) whole person formation, 2) data-informed social innovation, 3) an integrative approach to health and wellness, 4) hope and inclusive excellence to help reweave the social fabric and 5) storytelling that inspires the world with messages of truth, beauty and goodness.
While committed to being global citizens, Belmont also seeks to be a great neighbor, engaging with and serving Nashville and the broader Middle Tennessee region as a trusted community partner. The University’s location in the heart of the Tennessee’s capital – and Nashville’s growing reputation as one of the nation’s most dynamic, creative, and inviting cities – provides the perfect backdrop for an amazing higher education experience in a community known as “the Athens of the South.”
With more than 115 areas of undergraduate study, 41 master’s programs and five doctoral degrees, Belmont University provides an unparalleled environment for students to become all they were created to be.
To learn more about Belmont University, visit www.belmont.edu or review the institution’s 2021 President’s Report: Click Here.
The Application Process
An electronic version of a Cover Letter, and a Response to Belmont’s Aspirational Aim and Strategic Pathways must be attached to complete the online application.
Belmont University is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse learning community of committed Christians from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Consistent with applicable civil rights law, the University seeks employees of Christian faith who are committed to the mission of the University.
Belmont’s Office of Human Resources will conduct ongoing evaluations of the means by which candidates for employment are sought, to the end that the pool of candidates will include qualified women, minorities, veterans and disabled individuals
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please refer any questions to Dr. Jennifer Fowler via email at Jennifer.Fowler@belmont.edu. Applications will remain confidential and accommodations will be made for those who desire.
The selected candidate for this position will be required to complete a background check satisfactory to the University.
Required Qualifications
Belmont University seeks to attract and retain highly qualified faculty and staff that share the University’s values and will contribute to its mission and vision to be a leader among teaching universities bringing together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christ-centered community of learning and service.
- Knowledge of current trends and innovations across the spectrum of the music and entertainment industry
- Knowledge of current trends and innovations in higher education
- Ability to provide innovative leadership and sustain focus on vision
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to interact effectively with multiple and diverse constituencies (from students and faculty to industry leaders and university donors)
- Entrepreneurial ability
- Effective managerial skills characterized by fairness, adaptability, and willingness to innovate
- Ability to foster effective professional development of faculty
- Ability to guide the college through relevant accreditation processes
- Education Degree in a discipline related to those offered in the College or comparable experience.
- Experience in the entertainment and music industry.
The selected candidate will be required to complete a background check satisfactory to the University.
Belmont University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.
Belmont University is a Christian community. The university faculty, administration, and staff uphold Jesus as the Christ and as the measure for all things. As a community seeking to uphold Christian standards of morality, ethics, and conduct, Belmont University holds high expectations of each person who chooses to join the community.
In compliance with federal law, including provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and Sections 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973/the American with Disabilities Act, Belmont University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, military service, or sexual orientation in its administration of education policies, programs or activities; its admissions policies; or employment.
Consistent with applicable civil rights law, the University seeks employees of Christian faith who are committed to the mission of the University. Click here to learn more.