Search for the Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York

Hamilton College (“Hamilton” or “the College”), a pre-eminent residential liberal arts college with 2,000 students located in Clinton, NY, seeks an innovative and inclusive spiritual leader and higher education administrator to serve as its inaugural Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life (“Dean”). Reporting to the Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students, the Dean will be a thoughtful and engaged leader for the College and a collaborative curator of programming, space, and community to meet the  pluralistic and ever-changing needs of the Hamilton community. The Dean will join the College at a pivotal moment of transformation in spiritual and religious life, working to make it a more relevant, central, and visible part of campus life. As a trusted partner, the Dean will play a key role in offering education, programming, and support, fostering exploration and strengthening community. 

For more than 200 years, Hamilton has been preparing students for lives of meaning, purpose, and active citizenship. Hamilton blends tradition with progressive ideas and innovation, encouraging students to think critically, embrace difference, communicate persuasively, and approach issues with ethical creativity—all within a supportive and inclusive community. The College’s motto, “Know Thyself”, speaks to Hamilton’s commitment to supporting students’ personal, professional, and academic journeys and evolution. Through their Open Curriculum and ALEX advisory model, students are both encouraged and supported to build an academic experience that speaks to their personal pursuits as well as engage in a diverse community of thought, lived experience, and perspectives. Hamilton is also in the midst of a new chapter as President Steven Tepper, a nationally recognized leader in creativity and education, was appointed as the 21^st president of the College on July 1, 2024. 

This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, strategic, and highly engaged spiritual life leader to partner with the Hamilton community to co-create and actualize a vision for  spiritual and religious life in the context of a diverse, non-sectarian liberal arts college. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding and respect for the diversity of religious beliefs and practices across traditions, including worldviews of non-belief. They will also be skilled in engaging and supporting individuals at various stages of their spiritual exploration, curiosity, or questioning. The Dean will offer generous pastoral empathy and a mature sense of moral and ethical leadership to the Hamilton community that compliments the College’s mission, motto, and values. 

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. For priority consideration, applications are encouraged by March 21, 2025. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/hamilton-college/dean-spiritual-and-religious-life  

Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

Ernest Brooks, Partner

Alexis Ditaway, Associate

Caroline Corry, Senior Search Coordinator

Isaacson, Miller

Hamilton College is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity employer and is committed to creating an accessible, supportive environment and an educational experience that recognizes diversity in all of its forms and a wide array of cultural experiences as integral components of academic excellence. Candidates who can contribute to those goals are encouraged to apply and identify their strengths in these areas.

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