Arts & Letters Dean Search

Dear College of Arts & Letters and Residential College of the Arts and Humanities Community:

In Fall 2024, Interim Provost Jeitschko charged the search committee, working in partnership with the executive search firm, Russell Reynolds and Associates, to conduct a national search for the next Dean for the College of Arts & Letters. Since the initial charge, the search committee has reviewed and considered candidates for the position and through this work, has identified finalists for campus visits.

The search committee encourages you to engage with the candidates for the Dean position and to provide the committee with feedback on each finalist.

First, please attend the constituency group (e.g., staff, students) meeting that best fits your role. Each finalist will meet and interact with various constituency groups during their visit, which will provide an opportunity for each candidate to introduce themselves and answer questions from meeting attendees. Information regarding the constituency group meetings will be sent in the coming days. Details for each candidate will be shared one day prior to their campus visit and will be added to the search webpage. In-person attendance is strongly encouraged for these meetings; however, Zoom links will be provided to those who must join virtually.

Second, please attend the public presentation. Each candidate will deliver a public presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. While we strongly encourage in-person attendance for the public presentations, they will be live-streamed, recorded, and, after processing, will be available on a password-protected MSU website (more details to come). Calendar invites will not be sent for the public presentations. The dates, times, and locations are provided below. We ask that you please mark your calendars with these presentation dates/times. Note that more information regarding subsequent campus visits will be sent in the coming days.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025
11:00am – 12:00pm, HYBRID
In-Person: Room 401, Board Room, Administration Building

Friday, March 28, 2025
11:00am – 12:00pm, HYBRID
In-Person: Room 401, Board Room, Administration Building

Tuesday, April 1, 2025
11:00am – 12:00pm, HYBRID
In-Person: Room 401, Board Room, Administration Building

Friday, April 4, 2025
11:00am – 12:00pm, HYBRID
In-Person: Room 401, Board Room, Administration Building

Third, we invite you to share your feedback about each candidate. An electronic survey will be provided to collect your feedback about each finalist; those will be released following each visit and will be available for you to submit your feedback for approximately one week after each visit.

Although there will be a remote option, we strongly encourage in-person participation whenever possible to make a good impression on the candidates and to ensure they have ample opportunity to learn about the College of Arts & Letters and the Residential College for the Arts and Humanities

Please note two important items for you to review prior to the campus visits:

1. The posting for this position, to familiarize yourselves with the responsibilities and qualifications of the position.
2. Pages 27-34 of this search toolkit. This document describes best practices for interviews and campus visits, to aid in providing an equitable experience for all candidates.

Thank you for your participation in this important search process. We know that this is an extremely busy time of year, and we are grateful for your time and effort to engage with the search for the next Dean for the College of Arts & Letters.

Best,

Mary Finn
Professor and Former Dean, College of Social Science
College of Arts & Letters Dean Search Committee Co-Chair
Michigan State University

Jeff Wray
Professor and Timnick Chair in the Humanities, College of Arts & Letters
College of Arts & Letters Dean Search Committee Co-Chair
Michigan State Universit