Head of the Department of Art and Design

The College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at American University of Sharjah (AUS) seeks applications and nominations for the position of Head of the Department of Art and Design. CAAD is committed to providing a comprehensive education that will enable its graduates to make significant contributions to the Gulf region and the broader global community through conscientious participation in practice.

The Head leads a department of 14 faculty members, with an enrollment of 200 undergraduate students. The department offers the four-year Bachelor of Science in Design Management, Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Design, and Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication. Samples of student work can be found at www.aus.edu/caad/department-of-art-and-design/gallery.

Reporting to the Dean and assisted by a dedicated administrative staff member, the Head is responsible for engaging in collaborative leadership with the Department of Art and Design faculty and effectively managing human, fiscal and physical resources. The Head:

• helps develop a strategic vision for each program; provides oversight over curriculum, personnel and budget; and is responsible for applying university rules and procedures
• mentors all department faculty, supervises and evaluates support staff, examines departmental offerings and curriculum, assigns courses and performs annual faculty evaluations
• reaches out to local and regional professional and disciplinary communities

The successful candidate will possess a terminal degree (MFA or Ph.D.) in design- or art-related fields along with relevant academic and professional experience, preferably with the North American model of higher education. Evidence of administrative experience is preferred. Candidates must be eligible for an appointment as an associate professor or professor. AUS is committed to promoting internal, qualified faculty into administrative and leadership positions.

In addition to administering the department, the Head teaches nine credit hours a year, engages in scholarship, and provides service to the college, university and community.

This is a twelve-month appointment and the initial term is for three years.  Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. All faculty receive an attractive package inclusive of free on-campus housing, a retirement supplement, annual airfare to the candidate’s point of origin, and contributions to health insurance and education expenses for dependent children. The successful candidate is expected to assume duties in August 2021 or January 2022. For full consideration, applications should be received prior to March 30, 2021, when a review of applications will commence. 

Interested applicants should submit the following: 1) a letter of application that describes your fit with this position description and provides the names and contact information of three referees; 2) a curriculum vitae; and 3) a digital portfolio of scholarly/professional/teaching activities. All these documents to be submitted as one PDF file, which must not exceed a total of 50 pages and 80 MB in size.

Submit applications in confidence by visiting https://tinyurl.com/Head-of-Art-and-Design-2021. (To apply, you must have a Google account).

CAAD promotes a culture of design through making and experimentation. CAAD has a collection of labs that support working with wood/metal, digital fabrication tools, clay, photography, video, sound and printmaking.

AUS is licensed and its degree programs are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Education. AUS has been accredited in the United States by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA, Tel +1 215 662 5606) since June 2004.

There are four academic units in the university.  In addition to CAAD, the university includes the College of Arts and Sciences,  the College of Engineering and the School of Business Administration.  All classes are taught in English, and although most faculty members are educated in the West, the atmosphere is vibrantly international. CAAD currently has five undergraduate programs leading to degrees in architecture, interior design, visual communication, multimedia design and design management, as well as a graduate program in urban planning. The curriculum is based on the North American model with liberal arts and sciences integrated with professional education. Undergraduate students in CAAD begin their studies in a Foundation Year.

Founded in 1997 by the Ruler of Sharjah, American University of Sharjah is a comprehensive, independent, non-profit coeducational university based on American models of higher education. AUS provides broad access to highly motivated students from around the world. Firmly grounded in principles of meritocracy and with a strong reputation for academic excellence, AUS has come to represent the very best in teaching and research, accredited internationally and recognized by employers the world over for creating graduates equipped with the knowledge, skills and drive to lead in the 21st century  The campus is a spectacular setting and is located approximately 30 minutes from Dubai International Airport.  Sharjah is known as a city of learning and culture, and the United Arab Emirates is a thriving and rapidly changing country of approximately nine million inhabitants from across the world.