Design Faculty - School of Architecture

School of Architecture Design Faculty Searches  

About the Positions

The School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota seeks candidates for two faculty positions in design. This includes one open rank position (tenure-track or tenure review-on-hire with the aim of filling the role of Director of Undergraduate Studies) and one Tenure-Track Assistant Professorship. Our primary selection criteria include excellence and innovation in design pedagogy supported by strong evidence of creative achievement in the field: design work, scholarship, research, professional practice, or a combination thereof. Successful candidates will teach a range of undergraduate and graduate studios and courses specific to the curriculum needs of the School of Architecture. 

 

These are 100%-time academic year (9-month), tenure or tenure-track faculty positions. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, and will be supplemented by a generous start-up package to support the advancement of scholarship and teaching. Priority application deadline is November 15th, 2021; however, applications will be reviewed until the positions are filled. Anticipated start date is August 2022.

 

About the School of Architecture

The School of Architecture (SoA) is committed to a diverse and socially engaged, contextually sensitive, ecologically responsible and technologically rich vision of design. Founded in 1913, SoA is known for its history of design excellence, its strong relationships with an exceptional practice community, and its highly regarded integrated research centers and programs. The SoA is positioned to draw upon a culturally diverse local community seized with the need for race and climate justice, through a curriculum that actively pursues engaged design, research, and scholarship in the College, University, and beyond.

Situated within the College of Design, the School of Architecture is located in Rapson Hall, designed by Thorshov & Cerny and renovated in 2002 with an addition by Steven Holl, named for former Head and architect Ralph Rapson. Its architecturally inspiring spaces include studios, fabrication shops, review and collaboration spaces, a library and an auditorium. The School of Architecture enrolls about 600 students, including about 450 undergraduate students in its pre-architecture, pre-professional and design degrees in architecture (BDA and BS), around 100 graduate students in its NAAB accredited Master of Architecture, and 35 students in its Master of Science program with tracks in Sustainable Design, Research Practices, Metropolitan Design, Heritage Studies and Public Histories; and its new post-professional Ph.D. program.

The School of Architecture maintains cross-college collaborations with landscape architecture, interior design, graphic design, product design, apparel design, retail merchandising, and human factors and ergonomics. The School’s faculty comprises internationally recognized experts in a range of interrelated architectural fields: design; urban and rural design; building technology; digital design and representation; design/build; sustainable building design; resilient and regenerative infrastructures; housing; heritage studies and public histories; critical practice and representation; history, theory, and criticism; and research embedded in practice.

Within this context, we seek candidates to augment our faculty and add critical voices to design studio instruction at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Candidates will contribute to the school’s creative and intellectual life through pedagogical excellence and accomplished studio teaching. The ideal candidates should combine innovative studio instruction with competence in a variety of digital and analog media, and show the ability to support and advance design pedagogy while building a supportive and inclusive culture in our school. 

In addition, candidates should demonstrate excellence in design scholarship, bridging research and design practice through architectural practices or related interdisciplinary design practice; understanding of the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration; and commitment and energy to act on urgent, environment-shaping forces, both local and global. 

 

Responsibilities

Innovative teaching in undergraduate and graduate design studios and architectural courses in support of the programs’ needs and mission.  Advancement of design pedagogy and leading and coordinating studios in the MArch, BDA and BS studio curriculum. Creative achievement in architecture demonstrated through design work, scholarship, research, professional practice, or a combination thereof. Service in support of the School of Architecture, College of Design and University.

 

Required Qualifications

A Master of Architecture or equivalent professional degree. At least two years teaching experience in a design studio at the collegiate, graduate or professional level.  Evidence of creative achievements in the practice of architecture.

Additional Desired Qualifications

Peer-recognized examples of scholarship: research work and/or creative work in design (or in areas related to design). Excellence and innovation in design pedagogy that bridges studio teaching and professional practice. Unique global views on design to enhance our understanding of architecture culture and design through studio teaching. Professional practice license.

Additional Desired Qualifications: Director of Undergraduate Studies

Interest and experience in developing design pedagogy and undergraduate studio curriculum. Demonstrated ability of leadership in academic and/or design practice roles.  Demonstrated ability to support student needs, welfare and wellness. Experience with faculty governance, management, budgets, and implementation of policy and initiatives. 

To Apply

Please apply online: jobsearch.cla.umn.edu/343981. You must include the following materials:

1.Cover letter outlining interest and qualifications for this design position (300 words maximum).

(Please indicate if you are interested in the Director of Undergraduate Studies Open Rank position.)

2.Portfolio including the following (40 MB total maximum):

• Teaching materials and student work from design teaching (20 pages maximum).
• Professional, research, and creative or scholarly work (20 pages maximum).

3. Curriculum Vitae.

(In all of the above - 1, 2, and 3 - please identify collaborative works, including roles and authors.)

4. Statement describing your past and current work and future aspirations for teaching, research, scholarship and/or creative practice in design (1000 words maximum).

5. List of three current references (names and contact details only; no letters needed).

 

About the College of Design

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. The University resides on Dakota land ceded in the Treaties of 1837 and 1851. The College of Design acknowledges this place has a complex and layered history. This land acknowledgment is one of the ways in which we work to educate the campus and community about this land and our relationships with it and each other. The College of Design is committed to ongoing efforts to recognize, support, and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.

Formed in 2006, the University of Minnesota’s College of Design encompasses a full range of design disciplines, including eight undergraduate degrees, 24 graduate and professional degree options, and nine centers for research, creative scholarship, and engagement. Through rigorous commitments to creativity, equity, and advancing technologies, College of Design educational programs and innovations address emerging issues, identify problems, frame creative approaches, and generate solutions across all scales of human experience. We offer rich opportunities for interdisciplinary research and public engagement, through highly-regarded research and engagement centers, including the Center for Retail Design and Innovation (CRDI), Wearable Product Design, Digital Design, the Goldstein Museum of Design, Minnesota Design, and Sustainable Building Research. For more information about the college, please visit our website at design.umn.edu.