Director, Master of Library and Information Studies Program

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Closing Date:

11/17/2026

Type of Position:

Faculty - Tenure/Tenure TrackNo

Job Type:

RegularNo

Institution Name:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a land grant institution, classified by the Carnegie Foundation among the nation’s top 2 percent of universities with the highest level of research activity. The University of Arkansas works to advance the state and build a better world through education, research, and outreach by providing transformational opportunities and skills, fostering a welcoming climate, and nurturing creativity, discovery, and the spread of new ideas and innovations.

The University of Arkansas campus is located in Fayetteville, a welcoming community ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S. The growing region surrounding Fayetteville is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and one of the nation’s strongest economies. Northwest Arkansas is also quickly gaining a national reputation for its focus on the arts and overall quality of life.

As an employer, the University of Arkansas offers a vibrant work environment and a workplace culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. The benefits package includes university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance, tuition waivers for employees and their families, 12 official holidays, immediate leave accrual, and a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary.

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions, you should review before applying for the opening.

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Department:

Research and Learninghttps://libraries.uark.edu/

Summary of Job Duties:

Position Summary

The University of Arkansas Libraries invites applications for the Director of the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) Program, a twelve-month, tenure-track faculty appointment reporting to the Dean of Libraries. This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished academic leader to launch and shape the university's first graduate program in library and information science, working closely with the Dean of Libraries, program faculty, and campus partners to build a new practitioner-oriented program from the ground up. The successful candidate will bring strong collaborative, management, and communication skills, along with the ability to navigate a complex and dynamic academic environment. The University Libraries preferentially seeks a candidate whose record of teaching, scholarship, and service qualifies them for appointment with tenure at the rank of Associate Professor upon hire.

About the Program

The MLIS program is new to the University of Arkansas and is the only master's-level library and information science program in the state. Housed within the University Libraries and based at Mullins Library on the Fayetteville campus, the program offers an in-person, practitioner-oriented curriculum developed in consultation with ALA-accredited peer institutions and is pursuing accreditation from the American Library Association. The program will welcome its first cohort in Fall 2027 and is projected to grow to a steady-state enrollment of approximately 36 students. Because the program is housed within a large, comprehensive academic library, students learn alongside working practitioners and gain access to hands-on, experiential learning opportunities not typically available in stand-alone or fully online programs.

About University Libraries

The University of Arkansas Libraries is the recognized flagship of the University of Arkansas System and includes Mullins Library, the University's main library, which recently completed a two-phase renovation creating modern instructional, collaborative, and research spaces. The Libraries employ 34 full-time faculty librarians whose scholarship spans user behavior, public services, archival practice, digital technology, artificial intelligence, and data analysis, and who will play a central role in teaching and mentoring within the new program.

Key Responsibilities

Provide overall vision, leadership, and day-to-day administration for the MLIS program, working with the Dean of Libraries to establish policies, procedures, and long-term strategic direction.

Serve as the principal liaison between the program, University Libraries leadership, campus partners, and external stakeholders.

Coordinate student recruiting, admissions, orientation, and communications for the program.

Lead curriculum development and coordinate course scheduling, staffing, and program assessment in collaboration with program faculty, adjunct instructors, and University Libraries faculty.

Provide leadership, mentorship, and workload coordination for MLIS program faculty in partnership with the Dean of Libraries.

Partner with the Assistant Dean for Finance to develop the program's budget and approve unit expenditures.

Lead the program's efforts toward American Library Association accreditation, including preparation of self-study and candidacy materials.

Teach two courses each fall and spring semester (2-2 load) within the MLIS curriculum.

Advise and mentor MLIS graduate students.

Maintain an active program of research and professional scholarship consistent with promotion and tenure expectations.

Represent the program on department, college, and university committees and participate in shared governance.

Workload is generally distributed as approximately 50 percent teaching and program leadership, 30 percent research, and 20 percent service, consistent with the responsibilities of a 12-month administrative faculty appointment.

This is an in-person position. Most university classes are offered face-to-face, and extensive in-person engagement in such activities as office hours, student advising, and departmental, college, and university committee meetings is essential to advancing student success and departmental effectiveness.

Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Earned doctoral degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent) in Library and Information Science, Higher Education, or a closely related field, conferred no later than June 1, 2027

• A Master of Library Science (MLS) or Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) from an ALA-accredited program

• Demonstrated experience teaching in higher education 

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

• A record of teaching, scholarship, and service sufficient to qualify for appointment with tenure at the rank of Associate Professor upon hire

• A minimum of four years of experience in academic administration, such as budgeting, curriculum development, course scheduling, strategic planning, project management, or program evaluation

• Demonstrated supervisory or team leadership experience

• Experience in academic libraries or other library and information science practitioner settings

• Experience with new academic program development or accreditation processes, such as those of the American Library Association

• Successful experience securing grants or external research funding

• Experience recruiting, advising, and mentoring graduate students

Qualification Equivalencies:

Additional Information:

$100,000 - 115,000; commensurate with education and experienceCover Letter/Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, List of five Professional References (name, email, business title), Statement of Teaching PhilosophyProof of Veteran StatusCaitlin Hughes, [email protected]

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS  

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

Applicants should submit a letter of application addressing the required and preferred qualifications, a curriculum vitae, a statement of administrative and teaching philosophy, and the names and contact information of three professional references.

The review of applications begins on Monday, November 17, 2026.

Pre-employment Screening Requirements:

Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry

The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.

The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds equal opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.

The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of any category or status protected by law, including age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sex, sexual preference, or pregnancy. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University’s Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

All Application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Constant Physical Activity:

N/A

Frequent Physical Activity:

N/A

Occasional Physical Activity:

N/A

Benefits Eligible:

Yes