PRESS RELEASES

Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) selected by Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) for General Counsel Search

(May 7, 2026, WEST HARTFORD, CT) Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES), a leading higher education focused executive search firm, has been selected to recruit the next General Counsel at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt). Jennifer Muller, Managing Partner, will be leading the search.

The General Counsel will serve as the University’s chief legal and compliance officer, providing strategic legal guidance to the President, Board of Trustees, President’s Cabinet, and senior leadership on a broad and complex range of matters. As a collaborative partner, the General Counsel promotes sound decision-making and mitigates institutional risk, ensuring policies and practices align with legal requirements and best practices in higher education. This is a highly engaged role requiring a proactive, solutions-oriented approach and the ability to advise across a wide range of institutional issues, from employment and labor relations to free expression, student matters, and emerging regulatory challenges. The General Counsel oversees the University’s compliance program, centralized policy management system, and Enterprise Risk Management process, while advising on employment matters, governance, contracts, and regulatory compliance, and managing relationships with outside counsel. This role is highly visible across the institution, serving as a trusted and accessible advisor on sensitive and high-profile matters. The ideal candidate will be a proactive partner to campus leaders, known for sound judgment, strong communication, and the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical guidance. The position requires exceptional judgment, integrity, and discretion, with the ability to navigate complex legal landscapes in support of the University’s mission.

This position reports to the President and supervises the Executive Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX, as well as co-supervision of the Administrative and Special Projects Coordinator.

Founded in 1873, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), is the nation’s first and only independent, free-standing public college of art and design. MassArt is an inclusive community of thinkers, doers, makers, educators, innovators, and leaders striving to shape the future through art and design. Located in Boston’s hub of arts and culture along the Avenue of the Arts, MassArt enrolls 2,000 students and offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in 18 disciplines, as well as continuing education and youth programs. The College offers twenty-two areas of concentration in fine arts, design and art education, and awards one undergraduate degree, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, and graduate degrees including the Master of Fine Arts, the Master of Art in Teaching, Master of Education, Master of Design Innovation, and the Master of Architecture. The college also offers certificate programs in Communication Design, Fashion Design, Furniture Design, and Industrial Design.

Affordable Excellence 

Academic Career & Executive Search, a higher education focused search firm, specializes in affordable excellence, providing perfectly matched candidates to institutions quickly and accurately. Their methodologies, based on frequent touchpoints, pinpoint ideal candidates with speed and meticulous care resulting in highly successful placements.

They offer flexible service/pricing levels for all positions, ensuring affordability.

Contact Jennifer Muller, Managing Partner, at 860-740-2600 or Jennifer@ACESrch.com, or visit https://acesrch.com/.