Assistant Professor – Art Foundation – Two Faculty Opportunities

Assistant Professor – Art Foundation – Two Faculty Opportunities

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts)
Art Foundation Program

These full-time, 9-month positions are at the rank of Assistant Professor, are non-tenure eligible, and begin August 16, 2023.

Application Deadline: Review of applications begins Friday, January 6, 2023 and continues until the position is filled. For best consideration, applications are due by Friday, January 6, 2023.

The Opportunity:

The VCUarts Art Foundation Program (https://arts.vcu.edu/academics/departments/art-foundation-program/) invites collaboration-minded applicants with qualifications, experience, and demonstrated strengths in either or both of the areas of three-dimensional/spatial, and time-based art and design strategies to join the school’s vibrant community of students, faculty, and staff. Two future colleagues will be selected who can teach in both the Space Research and Time Studio curricular areas or focus on one of these areas.

These are non-tenure eligible (term) faculty positions. Term faculty are eligible for promotion in academic rank, and are valued for their academic, professional, and creative practice/scholarly contributions in their specific area of expertise. The primary responsibilities of these roles is teaching. We seek to hire faculty who stand out with respect to effectiveness in teaching and engagement with first-year students.

Art Foundation Program:

Completion of the Art Foundation Program is a prerequisite for entry into all visual art and design departments: Art Education, Communication Arts, Craft/Material Studies, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Kinetic Imaging, Painting + Printmaking, Photography + Film, and Sculpture + Extended Media.

The Art Foundation Program (AFO) fosters the development of every student by cultivating their curiosity and unique perspectives. This first-year studio experience promotes the discovery of passions and aptitudes within a supportive community of faculty and peers. Students take risks, learn by doing, and explore new modes of working and thinking. Faculty develop and model generative and generous methods of feedback to sharpen students' perception and deepen understanding. The curriculum participates within a larger forum of ideas and creative practices, providing concepts and skills relevant to a wide range of disciplines. AFO provides opportunities that empower students to make informed and inspired decisions about their future path of study. The Art Foundation Program is committed to equity and strives to be an inclusive and accessible learning experience for all students.

Major Responsibilities:

These positions are 9-month non-tenure eligible (term) faculty positions in the Art Foundation Program with an academic rank of Assistant Professor. Faculty responsibilities will be heavily weighted towards teaching. An annual teaching load will be determined in consultation with the Lead of the Art Foundation Program. It is expected that the standard annual teaching assignment will consist of a 3/4 load, with sections of Space Research and/or Time Studio being taught to first-year art and design students in both the fall semester and the spring semester. Other course assignments could change based on demand and will be at the discretion of the Program Lead and Department Chairs.

Space Research is one of four core studios in Art Foundation that provides concepts and skills relevant to a wide range of disciplines. This studio cultivates students’ ability to think, perceive, design, and build in three dimensions. Issues of understanding, envisioning, and communicating effectively and critically about space, systems, scale, and relationships of the body to the built environment and cultural landscapes are subjects of the course.

Time Studio brings together tenets of contemporary practice that have extended the fields of fine art and design. The principles of editing narratively and non-narratively are learned through the forms of video, sound, and animation. Concepts of duration and temporality are also explored through non-mediated strategies such as performance and socially-engaged art. Experimentation and risk-taking are incubated in the class, nurtured by a collaborative and supportive environment.

Each faculty member is expected to be a passionate mentor and creative leader for an enthusiastic and diverse community of first-year and transfer students; integrate innovative pedagogical and technological approaches, and multicultural perspectives into instructional methods; bring experience in developing initiatives that contribute to a meaningful art and design education accessible to underrepresented or disadvantaged groups; foster collaborative teaching and educational opportunities through diverse and innovative projects and experiences; promote the efforts of the program across the university and throughout the community. In support of the department’s strong commitment to diversity, the faculty member is expected to foster a welcoming, equitable, and inclusive learning environment for all students.

Creative research is not a primary expectation for these non-tenure eligible positions. It is expected that the faculty will demonstrate excellence through teaching and will stay engaged in the discourse, pedagogy and practice in their area/s of expertise. The Art Foundation Program will support professional development relevant to the Space Research and Time Studio areas, as appropriate and within available resources. The department will also support creative research at an appropriate annual level.

As a member of a community-oriented, tight-knit program and School, the faculty member will provide service to support student, department, and school-wide initiatives that enrich and reflect the first-year student experience, such as student exhibitions and programming; foster the innate nature of the first-year program as a bridge to majors and opportunities; collaborate with other Art Foundation Program faculty and VCUarts faculty and guest artists; support recruitment activities; foster community engagement opportunities; and serve on department/School/University committees. Other responsibilities may be assigned by the Program Lead or university administration.

Qualifications:
Required:
·       MFA or professional training and experience that equate to a graduate degree
·       Minimum two years of teaching experience
·       Demonstrated passion for teaching first-year students
·       Advanced skills in the making and conceptualizing of  three-dimensional and/or four-dimensional art and design, and documented ability to effectively teach in either or both of the “Space Research” and “Time Studio” areas
·       Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU
·       Strong collaboration skills, and demonstrated enthusiasm toward teaching and working with faculty, staff and students within the university

Application Instructions:
Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to organizational diversity, equity and inclusion – an environment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excellence. VCUarts strongly encourages applications from all racial, ethnic, gender, and social identities.

Applicants are requested to submit a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (typically between 400-600 words) providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through this statement, you can share how your lived experiences and academic and professional activities will impact your contribution to VCU’s mission of promoting equity and inclusion.

Note: Examples include working with others to further the goals of equity and inclusion; leading in any capacity that tangibly promotes an environment where diversity is welcomed, fostered, and celebrated; creative activity, research and scholarship that promotes equity and parity; teaching and mentoring students, and/or engaging with faculty and/or staff from traditionally underrepresented groups to create a positive and successful organizational experience. For additional guidance on writing a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: https://provost.vcu.edu/faculty/prospective/.

In addition, the following documents must be submitted online via the VCU Jobs Website (https://vcu.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home?c=vcu):
●      A letter of interest that conveys qualifications, academic and professional experience, and speaks to interest in the position.
●      Portfolio of student work, indicating course level and assignment/prompts
●      Teaching philosophy
●      Current CV
●      Artist Portfolio (PDF)
●      A list of three current references including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses (references will not be contacted prior to applicant’s approval)

Please note that applicant materials can represent experience in either or both of the “Space” and “Time” areas, and should be calibrated to reflect the applicant’s strengths.

Only electronic applications submitted via the VCU Jobs Website will be accepted. Review of applications begins Friday, January 6, 2023 and continues until the position is filled. For best consideration, applications are due by Friday, January 6, 2023.Questions about the VCU Jobs Website application process should be directed to Tasia Robinson, Assistant Director of Human Resources, VCUarts, at thompsontl5@vcu.edu.

VCUarts:

Ranked by US News & World Report as a top-five arts and design school, VCUarts (arts.vcu.edu) includes over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students with nationally recognized programs in design, visual and performing arts, and has an annual budget of $38 million and an endowment of more than $13.5 million. Students are taught by over 175 full-time teaching and research faculty members and the school is supported by over 60 staff members that assist in daily processes. The School includes two campuses; one in Richmond and one in Doha, Qatar. The Richmond campus is located on the university’s 75-acre Monroe Park campus situated in the city’s historic Fan District.  Ultimately, the work of the School of the Arts extends globally with partnerships throughout the world and across fields as diverse as the humanities, health care and business.

Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to providing accessible and equitable living, learning and working environments free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or disability.