Standards and Guidelines

Standards and Guidelines for Academic Art Administrators

Adopted by the CAA Board of Directors on October 25, 2009.

Preface and Acknowledgements

In February 2009, the Professional Practices Committee (PPC) and CAA Executive Director Linda Downs approved the formation of a task force to develop Professional Practices for Academic Art Administrators, which would serve as a resource for emerging, new, and current academic art administrators and other CAA members seeking guidance regarding the role of the academic art administrator operating in a visual-arts context. PPC member Jean Miller agreed to: (1) establish a task force to assist in creating the guideline; and (2) serve as task-force chair. Current CAA members holding academic art-administration positions in comprehensive public and private institutions, independent art schools, and community colleges were invited to participate.

The task force included administrators from diverse geographical regions and varied professional experiences. Once the guideline was in draft form, the task-force chair requested additional comments. Task-force members included program directors, chairs and division heads, directors of schools of art, associate deans, deans, and vice presidents. The following individuals responded to the invitation and contributed their experience, knowledge, and perspectives to this original document:

Carmon Colangelo, Washington University in St. Louis; Anna Calluori Holcombe, University of Florida; Jim Hopfensperger, Western Michigan University; Art Jones, University of North Dakota; Ronald Jones, University of South Florida; Joseph Lewis III, Alfred University; Jean M. K. Miller, Towson University (chair); Robert Milnes, University of North Texas; Denise Mullen, Alberta College of Art and Design; Joseph Seipel, Savannah College of Art and Design; Georgia Strange, University of Georgia; Judith Thorpe, University of Connecticut; Adrian Tio, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth; and Ruth Weisberg, University of Southern California.

The Professional Practices Committee is grateful to the task-force members for their contributions in the writing and editing of the Standards and Guidelines for Academic Art Administrators. Established as an initial resource for CAA members, the guideline is expected to serve as a catalyst for additional comments and therefore potentially will require future revisions as the roles of academic art administrators evolve.

General Principles and the Role of Academic Art Administrators

Statement on Leadership

An academic art administrator is a leader who shapes a robust learning environment, where creativity and success can be nurtured and acknowledged. He or she is imaginative and proactive, responding to opportunities and challenges offered in the field, exploring entrepreneurial partnerships, and continually learning ways to support diversity, new ideas, and scholarship interests of faculty, students, and staff. Basic qualifications for an academic art administrator most often includes knowledge of art, effective writing and organizational skills, experience in public speaking or presenting to groups, and a working knowledge of budgets and fiscal oversight.

Academic art administrators provide leadership for their unit (e.g., program, department, school, college, division, or institution). The particular challenges of leadership and how they are defined differ according to an individual’s position, unit, institution, and personal style and are defined by the position held. Some academic art administrators are charged with establishing a mission and vision and have a great deal of independence in doing so. Others are expected to facilitate a vision set by an immediate supervisor(s), an institutional leadership team, a university system, and/or a governing board.

The work environments of academic art administrators range from decentralized to highly centralized, depending on the institution. Sizes of units can vary from fewer than one hundred students, faculty, and staff to several thousand. Defining a particular administrative role depends on these and numerous other factors.

Academic art administrators typically work collaboratively toward formulating and articulating a common vision, develop strategic plans, and assist in securing resources for promoting and accomplishing unit goals. Consultations to aid academic art administrators in developing plans often incorporate input from numerous constituencies: faculty; staff; students; other administrators and colleagues; board members; business and community leaders; and local, state, and federal government officials. Academic art administrators are additionally expected to assure constructive engagement among the multiple elements and layers within their unit(s) by employing clear and consistent communications, maintaining an objective perspective, and gathering input from all available sources.

Successful academic art administrators are often characterized as effective team builders and problem solvers, adept at navigating risk taking and transition. Most often, they seek open and transparent methods of management. Academic art administrators recognize the responsibilities associated with their positions and cultivate a strong foundation for their unit(s) by employing the organizational tools and diplomatic skills often required to stimulate change, while maintaining stability within a unit and institution.

Statement on Knowledge and Excellence

It is essential for an academic art administrator to be aware of trends and emerging practices in the visual arts and art-related areas. Arts leadership assumes knowledge, experience, and education in the fine arts. To exercise sound judgment in matters related to academic policy, human resources, curriculum, equipment and technology, faculty development, grants and contracts, staffing, budget, assessment, accreditation, fundraising, and environmental health and safety, an academic art administrator needs to remain informed about developments in the field and continually expand his or her frames of reference.

Nurturing artistic and teaching excellence is considered to be a primary function of an academic art administrator. In recognition of the many ways of supporting excellence, an academic art administrator may support new and innovative curricular initiatives; develop faculty mentor and student leadership programs; create faculty travel budgets and professional-development funds; suggest funding resources and provide tools for grant writing; link faculty and students to opportunities abroad; support visiting artists and guest lecturers; attend faculty and student events regularly; and work with faculty members to design plans to attain individual, unit, and institutional excellence.

For those in academic art administration, the awareness of current practices demands the broad view. This view includes knowledge of issues in higher education, such as those related to the economy and global markets, philanthropy, international educational philosophies, civic engagement, student expectations, financial aid, recruitment and retention, promotion, tenure, and merit practices, part-time faculty needs, shared governance and collective bargaining models, salary comparisons, legal protocols, operational planning, campus master plans, student affairs, diversity initiatives, and new models of thinking and doing.

Statement on Management

For purposes of this document, the definition of an academic art administrator is the individual that has direct oversight of a unit. Oversight is considered an element of managing a unit and implies consistent communication and documentation, recordkeeping, using internal and external resources responsibly, and making fair personnel decisions that may have short- or long-term consequences for the staff, faculty, students, unit, and institution.

Building an atmosphere of mutual respect and civility among colleagues and an administrative team to support the operation of the unit is a high priority for every academic art administrator. As no one individual is equipped to address all personnel or unit concerns, academic art administrators must learn about the policies, protocols, and resources available to them and enlist knowledgeable advisors to seek counsel as appropriate when needed. Advisors might include the academic art administrator’s supervisor, lawyers representing the institution, disability- and counseling-services staff, student-affairs representatives, human-resource and fair-practices staff, as well as allies such as board members and professional colleagues.

It is important that the unit’s administrative team and other staff working with the academic art administrator have access to the same information and resources to ensure consistent actions and communication throughout the unit. Many academic art administrators offer retreats and active mentoring of their administrative team members to inform them about the importance of communication policies, grievance processes, appropriate decision-making hierarchies, and institutional policies and procedures.

Effective management protects the quality and reputation of the unit within the larger framework of an institution and community. Similar to desired leadership attributes, sound management practices should help to create environments that supports: 1) teaching and learning; 2) preparation for careers in the arts; 3) academic freedom; and 4) artistic pursuit.

Statement on Qualifications

An academic art administrator most often arrives in an administrative role with knowledge of the arts, having earned a terminal degree such as a PhD, EdD, or other types of doctorates in art history, art education, higher-education administration, organizational leadership, and/or art administration; he or she may also have earned an MFA in studio art or an MA, MS, or comparable degree. Others bring professional experience commensurate to a graduate-level degree, possessing cultural, business, or philanthropic experience. Depending on the individual, administrative experience can vary from “none” to “extensive.” To acquire new skills and build a network of colleagues to support them in their administrative roles, many seek further education throughout their careers by attending courses, programs, workshops, and conferences offered by professional organizations, businesses, and other institutions.

Several professional arts organizations have acknowledged that the role of the academic art administrator has grown in complexity and scale in recent years, due to ever-changing technology demands, student expectations for a broad menu of program, schedule and course-delivery options, rising costs of goods and services, development expectations, and challenging personnel issues. Due to the often sensitive nature of decisions made in these and other areas, it is recommended that an academic art administrator hold tenured status, if that option is available at his or her institution.

In preparation to take on the role, new academic art administrators may wish to seek assistance from more experienced administrators and colleagues. Several possible avenues for assistance exist, such as the College Art Association (CAA), the National Council of Art Administrators (NCAA), the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD), the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS), the American Council of Education (ACE), and the American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD). Links to these and other organizations are listed at the end of this document.

Statement on Visibility and Advocacy

Professional arts organizations offering networking opportunities and publishing guidelines and position papers on the arts often cite visibility and advocacy as key components of an academic art administrator’s role. Although the extent of advocacy activities depends on its priority in the unit and institution, as well as the academic art administrator’s value of such activities, it is common for academic art administrators to take the lead by being visible as an advocate for the arts and their unit on their campus(es), in the community, and at the state, national, and international levels.

Resources for Arts Administrators

It is critical that academic art administrators build networks of support among their colleagues and continually seek creative and educational opportunities that allow them to enhance their knowledge base. Professional arts organizations, colleges and universities, and other institutions offer summer institutes, annual conferences, leadership seminars, and graduate programs to provide mentoring, networking, and employment resources. Higher-education institutions, such as Carnegie Mellon University, Kansas State University, Bryn Mawr College, and Harvard University, are among those offering regular leadership programs for academic art administrators. Most of these opportunities are advertised through the organizations and publications cited below.

For those seeking academic art-administrative positions, the same resources are useful. For some positions, typically at a dean level or above, a search firm may be retained by the employer and involved in the search process. Information about the role of search firms in hiring practices can be found on the American Council of Education’s website (see below).

Professional Organizations, Conferences, Workshops, Networks, Mentors, Publications, and Employment

American Association of University Professors (AAUP)

American Council on Education (ACE)
The American Council on Education hosts regular conferences and workshops, sponsors internship programs designed specifically to advance the careers and experience of administrators in all tiers and sectors of higher education, and publishes books and papers for and about department chairs and higher-education executives.

Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD)

College Art Association (CAA)
The College Art Association, an organization of over 14,000 individual and institutional members, facilitates the exchange of ideas and information among arts professionals and fosters career development and advancement by offering mentoring and interviewing opportunities at its Annual Conference.

Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (CCAS)

International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD)
The International Council of Fine Arts Deans hosts an annual conference focusing on topics central to the role of a dean. It offers an online forum and an active mentorship program. Updated lists of advertised positions are sent to members regularly.

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
The major activities of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design are the accreditation of educational programs in the visual arts and the establishment of curricular standards and guidelines. NASAD is the only accrediting agency covering the entire field of art and design recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. The association is composed of over 240 member institutions, including public and private colleges and universities, as well as independent art and design schools. All member institutions of NASAD meet standards and uphold the code of ethics of the association as stated in the NASAD Handbook.

In addition to the accreditation function of the association, NASAD publishes books and newsletters, holds an annual art meeting, and provides information to the general public about educational programs in the visual arts and design. NASAD also publishes a helpful document available to art administrators.

National Council of Art Administrators
The National Council of Art Administrators (NCAA) is an organization of academic professionals dedicated to creating and maintaining a vital network of administrators. Program directors, chairs, associate deans, and deans attend the annual conference. Preconference workshops for emerging art administrators are offered.

The following periodicals, and other such publications, provide commentary on current issues and are sent to subscribers on a daily basis:

Task-force members recommend reviewing this document for updates and revisions on an annual basis. CAA members are invited to submit suggestions for additional resources through the chair of the Professional Practices Committee.

Standards and Guidelines