Assistant Professor of Foundations

The School of Art in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Foundations to start in August 2023. This is a nine-month faculty appointment, with a standard workload of 40% teaching, 40% research/creative activity, and 20% service.

The successful candidate for this position will occupy an integral role in the School of Art’s intensive Foundations program, which is required for all students pursuing degrees in Studio Art, Graphic Design, and Art Education. This candidate will be a collaborative, innovative critical thinker who is actively engaged in their respective field of study with a strong research trajectory and is committed to contributing to an inclusive culture.

The candidate will primarily teach undergraduate curriculum within the Foundations program as it relates to their area of expertise and participate in the leadership structure of the program. Foundations introduces students to a multitude of contemporary ideas, experiences, and techniques intended to orient them toward success in their chosen course of study.

The candidate will be comfortable teaching across art and design disciplines and possess demonstrated proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud. The School of Art is especially interested in candidates with experience/fluency in graphic design and visual communication. Additional desirable expertise includes fabrication using advanced technologies and/or printmaking processes.

In addition to their primary role in Foundations, the candidate will have the opportunity to teach courses in their affiliated program of expertise (Graphic Design, Studio Art, Art Education), including working with graduate students, and to collaborate with other programs in the School of Art.

The School of Art at the University of Arkansas highly values equity, access, diversity, and inclusion in creating, studying, and teaching. This position is part of a cluster of searches designed to foster an equitable, innovative, and inclusive environment for teaching, mentoring, research, and service. The School of Art is especially interested in applicants whose work aims to broaden the canon, demonstrates a commitment to mentoring students from diverse backgrounds, creates the conditions for classroom experiences that are marked by empathy and mutual respect, and fosters collaboration, community, and open dialogue. We seek faculty committed to working and creating in ways that foster encouraging and supportive learning experiences that expand the School of Art’s current efforts to engage the campus and community in dialogue.

Duties will include:
• Teach a 2/2 load
• Maintain an active and nationally/internationally significant program of research
• Participate in Foundations leadership structure (committee service and/or direct leadership of the program)
• Management (or co-management) of Foundations’ budget, materials, facilities, technology, and other resources
• Organizational support of Foundations-related programming
• Supervision of graduate assistants
• Service on graduate student thesis/dissertation committees
• Active participation in program, School of Art, and university community
• Positive contribution to School of Art recruitment efforts

Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

Minimum Qualifications:

• MFA, MDES, MGD, or equivalent terminal degree conferred by the start of employment

• An active research/creative practice

• College teaching experience (as instructor of record or teaching assistant)

• Experience in (or the potential for) building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment in teaching, mentoring, research, life experiences, and/or service

• Evidence of strong interpersonal and communication skills 

• Experience/fluency in graphic design / visual communication

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in creative/research practice

• Demonstrated excellence with inclusive teaching

• Experience mentoring a diverse student body

• Research that aims to challenge a homogenous canon

• Interest or experience in interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and/or cross-campus collaborations

• Three years or more of college-level teaching experience

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS 
Completed applications received by January 6, 2023, will be assured full consideration.

For additional inquiries, please contact the search committee chair, Sam King, at (stk004@uark.edu).

Required Documents 

• Curriculum Vitae  
• Letter of Application 
• Portfolio of creative research (20 images, or examples of scholarly research)
• Portfolio of student work (20 images)
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy and its application 
• Artist statement (or statement of research)
• One or two course syllabi 
• Statement detailing your contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), including information about your understanding of these topics, how your professional experience or background has prepared you to promote EDI in this role, and your specific plans and goals for advancing EDI if hired at the University of Arkansas  
• List of three professional references (provide name, title, email address, phone number; note, letters of recommendation will be requested only for candidates selected for interviews)

Optional Documents 

• Other materials applicant deems relevant to application
• Proof of Veteran Status 

About the School of Art: 
In 2017, the University of Arkansas was awarded a $120 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation to establish a School of Art in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The gift created the first and only school of art in the state of Arkansas, and is helping to advance art education, design, art history and studio art in the state while providing unparalleled access and opportunity to students. In addition, in 2017, the School of Art also received a $40 million gift from the Windgate Foundation to develop and build a new Studio Art and Graphic Design facility. Most recently, in 2021, the Windgate Foundation gave a $30 million partial challenge grant to develop and build a facility to house a professional gallery, auditorium, the foundations program, as well as idea fabrication and arts entrepreneurship labs. The mission of the School of Art is to develop one of the highest quality educational, research and service programs in the visual arts available nationally. The School of Art is a fully accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and includes 54 faculty, 8 staff members, and more than 500 students. There are currently 8 degree options: BFA in Art Education, BFA in Graphic Design, BFA in Studio Art, BA in Art History, BA in Studio Art, MA in Art Education, MFA in Studio Art, and MDES in Communication Design. Advanced degrees in Art History are currently in development.

About the Foundations Program: 
The Foundations program comprises two nine-credit hour, sequentially team-taught courses, offered in the regular academic year. Each of these courses consists of distinct curricular units, plus a graded written component.

Students intending to major in Graphic Design, Studio Art, and Art Education all enroll in Foundations. In addition to course meeting hours, Foundations students attend the programming of the School of Art Visiting Lecturer series, as well as other scheduled events.

Salary Information:
Commensurate with education and experience

Recruitment Contact Information:
Sam King, Search Committee Chair, stk004@uark.edu

All application materials must be uploaded to the University of Arkansas System Career Site https://uasys.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/UASYS  

Please do not send to listed recruitment contact.