Associate Director of the Performing Arts Scholarship Program
School of Performing Arts at RIT
United States, New York, Rochester
Posted on: June 04, 2025
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Description:
The Associate Director of the Performing Arts Scholarship Program (PASP), within the School of Performing Arts at RIT, provides leadership for and oversight of the rapidly growing PASP. Now in its sixth year of existence, we anticipate there will be more than 2,000 PASP students on campus by the fall of 2025. The PASP requires a professional executive with strong and varied expertise, high-level communication and planning skills, extensive business acumen, and performing arts background to ensure continued success with this strategic initiative of the Institute.
The ideal candidate will bring deep knowledge and experience in performing arts and higher education partnerships, recruitment, retention and data-collection, operational leadership and supervision, budgetary planning and analysis, and marketing and communication plan development. The Associate Director will project and oversee a large autonomous annual budget and strategize short-term and long-term resource needs and expenditures for the program. The individual in this role has broad latitude to make independent decisions surrounding Program expenditures.
The Associate Director will engage in pivotal discussions with the Director of the School of Performing Arts about sustaining a campus-wide performing arts ecosystem at RIT. In addition to working collaboratively with Enrollment Management, they will also develop and maintain community partnerships that serve the PAS students' extracurricular, internship and co-op interests in cooperation with the School of Performing Arts initiatives. This demands an individual with deep expertise in conducting and analyzing longitudinal surveys and creating/conducting budgets, benchmarking, forecasting, and strategic planning.
The ideal candidate will bring deep knowledge and experience in performing arts and higher education partnerships, recruitment, retention and data-collection, operational leadership and supervision, budgetary planning and analysis, and marketing and communication plan development. The Associate Director will project and oversee a large autonomous annual budget and strategize short-term and long-term resource needs and expenditures for the program. The individual in this role has broad latitude to make independent decisions surrounding Program expenditures.
Job Responsibilities
Recruitment, Retention & Data-collection
Participate and present to large audiences of prospective and accepted students in online webinars, community outreach and recruitment sessions, as well as campus open houses.
Locate and invite PASP students to attend, speak and perform at webinars, open-houses, showcase performances, community engagements, and national donor/alumni events.
Coordinate and accompany students to these high-profile trips and engagements.
Promote the PASP to prospective students including developing promotional materials and presentations for faculty and the School director to share in open houses and other admissions events. Lead data collection through robust surveying of students. Survey and assess scholar interests and overall program success. This includes the PASP biannual survey as well as gathering event-based data.
Attend regional and national conferences and conduct interviews with on- and off-campus media outlets, as a representative of the PASP in order to promote growth & visibility.
Operations
Manage all student-oriented aspects and needs of the PASP including facilitating mentorships with faculty, organizing and booking workshops and creating performance opportunities for PASP.
Plan and direct the purchasing and booking needs of faculty involved in the PASP including tickets, bus reservations, guest artists, accommodations and hospitality for enrichment activities on and off campus.
Monitor and respond to prospective student queries about the PASP application process.
Review PASP application materials including audition videos when needed, holding the authority to approve or deny admittance into the program as needed. This requires a deep understanding of a diverse range of performing arts areas and disciplines.
Track and engage with Performing Arts Scholars through the RIT CampusGroups platform and other mediums. This requires technological knowledge and skill sets in assigning and managing various tags in the cloud-based platform.
Liaise with the Registrar's Office and Enrollment Management to ensure scholars have fulfilled their needed requirements.
Ensure PASP concerts, productions, workshops and events are scheduled and executed in a successful manner. This requires the oversight of and responsibility for securing necessary support services and student employee representation, and reserving necessary space and equipment leading up to an event.
Work with Career Services, RIT Study Abroad/Global, International Student Services Office, and School Director to establish and develop internships, co-ops, and study abroad programs for students engaged in the PASP.
Planning & Budgetary:
Develop and oversee the large and autonomous PASP budget as guided by the School Director and in consultation with the SPA Operations Team.
Apply independent oversight of and autonomous decision-making for financial transactions connected to the PASP. This requires the application of solid financial concepts and knowledge and understanding best practices for fiscal responsibility.
Work with Assistant Manager of Operations and Events and Operations Director of Performing Arts to ensure the PASP budget aligns with the forecasts, benchmarks, and outcomes of the School of Performing Arts budget.
Assess PASP budgetary activities annually to ensure proper utilization of resources and strategies for short-term and long-term resource needs for PASP.
Determine specific areas for donor and alumni requests/proposals. In collaboration with the SPA director, steward potential and existing donors for funding opportunities for the PASP. This includes establishing a fund for second, third, and fourth year students to apply to the PASP.
Work with the School director and Operations Team to identify opportunities for community outreach, partnerships, and collaborations.
Marketing & Communication:
Present on and speak about the PASP at community outreach events. This includes high-profile regional and national events, frequently in front of large audiences, at which the School director and Vice President of Enrollment Management are present.
Maintain close communication with the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management to ensure that the needs of performing arts student clubs are met.
Propose upgrades to the PASP website that increase transparency and clarity for students.
Distribute event, production and concert promotional materials through CampusGroups and other communication channels.
Communicate new PASP policies and procedures developed by the School of Performing Arts to the faculty and students in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
Communicate with faculty about PASP teaching and mentorship opportunities.
Develop and strengthen relationships on behalf of the PASP with campus partners and community organizations. This includes community organizations including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Garth Fagan Dance, Geva Theater Center, and others.
Work with the Director and Operations Director of SPA to develop regular and robust communication both within and outside the PASP.
Supervisory
Supervise a team of 6-8 Performing Arts Scholarship faculty advisors in the areas of music, theatre arts, dance, circus arts, composition, among others.
Review amd determine next steps for requests/proposals for funding from faculty advisors.
Supervise a team of 4-6 Performing Arts Scholarship mentors.
Review, approve, and deny requests for experiential learning projects to be funded and supported by the Performing Arts Scholarship Program.
Work with Assistant Manager of Operations and Events to interview, hire, evaluate, and occasionally terminate a team of six to eight student employees in a given semester.
OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED
Edcuaton/Experience
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in performing arts or a related field.
Two to three years of professional/executive experience in performing arts operations, events management, marketing/communication and/or a related field are required for this position.
Skills
Ability to establish priorities, work independently, and proceed with objectives without supervision.
Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors and customers face to face.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills that will include public speaking and presentations.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to build strong, collaborative, and long-lasting relationships for the betterment of the organization.
Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree in an arts administration-related field.
Experience in a leadership or management position and proven success with strong decision-making skills, especially during occasionally complex situations.
Department/College Description
The College of Liberal Arts encourages the creation, development, dissemination, and application of human knowledge in the arts, humanities, and social sciences by promoting innovative teaching, scholarship, and research, thus providing a comprehensive education for all RIT students.
We strive to prepare students for a lifetime of personal growth and responsible citizenship in an increasingly technological and rapidly changing society by maintaining and promoting the intellectual climate on campus, and enhancing students' abilities to reason critically and communicate effectively.
We value a rigorous liberal arts education that encourages innovative exp
Application Deadline:
Sept. 30, 2025
Job Duration:
Open ended
Job/Audition Type:
Full Time
Job Category:
Administrative
Payment status:
Paid
Job Location:
United States,
New York,
Rochester
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