Director of the Richard T Robertson School of Communication

Overview

Mission or Goal of Unit : The mission of the College of Humanities and Sciences is to serve as the intellectual heart and soul of our institution and wider community. The College of Humanities and Sciences :

• Prepares lifelong learners to participate actively as engaged and responsible citizens
• Propels scientific research and scholarship to improve the human condition, cure and treat diseases, and promote healthy environments
• Grounds us in our history, critically examines our present human condition and empowers students to create more equitable local and global communities
• Provides communities with a passionate and creative workforce that serves as a powerful engine for economic development and innovative solutions to problems

As the intellectual lifeblood of VCU and our community, the College of Humanities and Sciences seeks to inspire our students to explore their passions and dreams as individuals and provide the context to understand their place in the world and connections with others—locally, globally and throughout time. Most importantly, our educational and research environment addresses an array of technological, health-related and societal problems, as well as providing profound insights and reflections of what it means to be human and humane.

Chief Purpose of this position : Virginia Commonwealth University invites nominations and applications for an exceptional leader to serve as the next director of the Robertson School. The successful candidate will foster excellence in learning, teaching, research, creative activity and institutional development. The director will champion career readiness and student success by supporting initiatives that bridge academic learning with real-world application, including internships, employer engagement and career education. A special focus for the School in the coming years will be the training of faculty, staff and students in the area of artificial intelligence. The ideal candidate understands the importance of cultivating strong relationships with alumni, industry professionals and community partners to expand career pathways for all students. The candidate also recognizes the need to have a robust mix of scholars and practitioners to achieve these goals and to align with the R1 mission of the university.

Position Responsibilities

The director is the academic and administrative leader of the Robertson School and will collaborate with all key stakeholders in executing the School's strategic plan. The director will ensure the academic excellence and success of the undergraduate and graduate programs; promote the success of students, faculty, staff and alumni; responsibly manage and grow its fiscal, physical and professional resources; foster an environment in which research and professional excellence flourish; and represent it effectively and collaboratively within the University and to a broad variety of external constituencies, including the School's Industry Advisory Council.

Required Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated a distinguished record of individual professional and / or academic accomplishment and leadership in one or more of the Robertson School's fields of study, as well as a passion for advancing the professional and academic pursuits of advertising, journalism, media production and public relations. A terminal degree in a related field from an accredited institution is required. Candidates are expected to possess either documented administrative experience and a record of success at the department chair or school director level within one or more of the disciplines represented in the school or equivalent leadership experience and success within the advertising, journalism, media production and / or public relations professions. A successful candidate's scholarly record will support an appointment at the rank of professor with tenure at VCU.

Ideal candidates will have attained distinction in, and can exhibit evidence of :

Additionally, the successful candidate will have the following personal qualifications and characteristics : highest professional and personal integrity; outstanding listening skills and ability to foster a respectful and productive workplace; strong commitment to student success and faculty and staff development; open-mindedness in dealings with others and acceptance of diverging perspectives; capacity to bring individuals and groups with a variety perspectives to common action; ability to formulate, communicate and inspire others with a strong and clear vision; effectiveness in person-to-person and group communication with students, faculty, staff and others; willingness to propose and consider innovative ideas and to take creative approaches to problem solving; and demonstrated experience working in and fostering a thriving environment for faculty, staff and students or commitment to do so as a faculty member and administrative leader at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

N / A

Application Process / Additional Information

WittKieffer Executive Search is assisting Virginia Commonwealth University in this search. For consideration, all applications must be submitted through VCU eJobs and WittKieffer Executive Search. Submission of application materials as PDF attachments is strongly encouraged. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately, and applications and nominations will be accepted until an appointment is made; however, the priority consideration date is September 2, 2025.

VCU is transitioning to a new application system beginning in October 2025. Please be aware that applicants for job postings that remain open after September 30, 2025 may be asked to resubmit your application in the new system after it goes live. Clear instructions will be provided at that time. We appreciate your understanding during this transition and look forward to reviewing your application.

#J-18808-Ljbffr