Alan F. Rothschild Distinguished Chair of Art

ALAN F. ROTHSCHILD DISTINGUISHED CHAIR OF ART

COLUMBUS STATE UNIVERSITY

 

 

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https://www.myersmcrae.com/skins/userfiles/files/ColumbusState_Chair-Art_2024_FINAL.pdf

 

 

Columbus State University, a dynamic university that is part of the University System of Georgia located in Columbus, Georgia, seeks an outstanding person for its Alan F. Rothschild Distinguished Chair of Art.

 

 

 

The Mission of CSU is to empower its community, drive innovation, and create opportunities. To accomplish this, CSU focuses on Student Success, Responsible Stewardship, Community Impact, and Economic Competitiveness.

 

The Vision of CSU is to be a model of empowerment through transformational learning experiences that prepare students to serve the world as creative problem-solvers and high impact leaders.

 

 

 

CSU CORE VALUES

Excellence: Actively engaging outstanding methods in teaching, academic discovery, creative pursuits, student success, cultural enrichment, and the overall campus community.

 

Creativity: Pursuing distinction through inquiry and innovation, challenging convention and focusing on solutions.

 

Engagement: Dynamic civic involvement and participation of students, faculty, staff, and alumni in the university experience.

 

Sustainability: Advancing fiscal responsibility, well-being, innovation, lifelong learning, and environmental stewardship.

 

Inclusion: Cultivating and championing a campus environment that welcomes diverse backgrounds, ideas, perspectives, and practices.

 

Servant Leadership: Leading through ethical empowerment and service.

 

 

 

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1958 and known for its academic excellence, Columbus State offers more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree options, including nationally recognized programs in the arts, education, business, and nursing. Its online degree options and continuing education program are designed to help students balance education with work and family life. Columbus State University (CSU) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, nexus, baccalaureate, masters, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees. It is ranked among the top public regional universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Among its many rankings, CSU is ranked nationally as a Most Affordable College/University by the College Consensus.

 

     Located 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, CSU enrolls nearly 8,000 students from the Southeast, across the nation, and around the world. Recognized as a vibrant and contemporary cultural community, the university strives to provide all students with an exceptional education that’s accessible, affordable, excellent, and engaging.

 

     Columbus State University has a nationally recognized track record of partnership and outreach through sites and programs such as Pasaquan, the Bo Bartlett Center, the NPACE Center, the Georgia Film Academy partnership, the Cunningham Center for Leadership Development, Coca-Cola Space Science Center, Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center, and its own residence, Spencer House, in Oxford, England. 

 

 

 

CSU Campuses

The University has two primary campus locations in Columbus: the original, main campus located on 150 acres in midtown Columbus and a beautiful campus in historic downtown Columbus overlooking the Chattahoochee River. The two campuses are designed with intention.

 

     Home to the arts, CSU’s RiverPark Campus is located in historic Uptown, the creative heart of Columbus. CSU’s RiverPark Campus features some of the nation’s most sophisticated teaching and performance spaces. It also encompasses CSU’s Schwob School of Music, theaters, galleries, and art studios with housing for more than 400 students.

 

 

 

CSU Arts

The College of the Arts, from its nationally accredited programs in art, music, and theatre to its communication program’s Non-Profit and Civic Engagement Center (NPACE), builds upon its reputation for excellence. With world-class, state-of-the-art facilities on the RiverPark Campus, the College is well-renowned for its fine and performing arts. 

 

     Offering four undergraduate degrees, the Department of Art recently added tracks in graphic design and animation. With 12 full-time faculty and attractively positioned on the University’s RiverPark campus in the revitalized Uptown area of Columbus, the NASAD-accredited department has experienced steady growth over the last five years. The Department of Art enjoys facilities considered among the finest in the Southeast, featuring state-of-the-art educational, studio, gallery, and performance spaces positioning Columbus State to be a premier destination for art students from across the region. 

 

     The College of the Arts and the RiverPark Campus represent a significant emphasis on the arts, collaboration, community partnerships, and excellent private funding establishing the University as a vibrant presence in the historic city center contributing to urban renewal, sustainability, and a progressive cultural environment.

 

 

 

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Dean of the College of the Arts, the Alan F. Rothschild Distinguished Chair provides stewardship, strategic direction, and vision for enhancing the image and viability of a growing art department. In addition, the chair collaborates with associated galleries, art centers, and community stakeholders. This is a 12-month position with an expectation to teach two courses per year.

 

 

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Department Leadership 

Be a visionary leader who understands the role and possibilities of a contemporary art program.  Work with faculty, students, and staff to establish and maintain a long-term vision for the department that is consistent with the departmental, college, and university missions.  Demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the study and practice of art, shared governance, collegiality, a willingness to engage faculty in strategic planning and decision-making.  Demonstrate excellent verbal, written, electronic, and interpersonal communication skills.  Promote a dynamic teaching environment that exemplifies the highest standards of a creative teaching community.  Demonstrate success in outreach and engagement with local and regional civic arts and community organizations.  Work with faculty to maintain accreditation.   

 

Department Curriculum

Be conversant in and able to navigate diverse disciplines such as animation, graphic design, art history, art education, and studio arts. Have a contemporary knowledge of how technology both influences and changes the world of visual communication. Foster transdisciplinary collaboration and interdisciplinary study within and among disparate colleges at CSU and universities nationally and internationally. Collaborate with faculty to oversee curriculum development and revisions for the department. Promote active learning strategies that increase student engagement in the learning process.  

 

Department Operations 

Provide executive financial oversight of the Department of Art, including a comprehensive understanding of the budget and other resource allocations in support of the Department’s mission, vision, and strategic planning.  Manage course schedules, registration, and instructor assignments to serve program and student needs.  Engage in fundraising collaboration with the Dean and University Advancement, and provide leadership for a well-established Friends of Art and other support organizations. Recruit, retain, and manage the faculty and staff cohort needed to achieve the department’s mission and strategic priorities in support of student success. Demonstrate commitment to serving graduate and undergraduate student populations including first-generation and non-traditional students.  

 

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

 

The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D., M.F.A., or Ed.D. with teaching and scholarship to warrant eligibility for a tenured appointment as associate or full professor; administrative experience; and excellent communication skills.  

 

Preferred

 

A track record of advanced leadership accomplishments including demonstrated ability to lead a collaborative department.  

 

DR. WANDA EBRIGHT

As Dean, Dr. Ebright leads a college of nearly 1,000 students and more than 60 faculty and staff. The college offers undergraduate and graduate study through its departments of Art, Communication, Theatre, the Schwob School of Music, and outreach centers and programs including the Bo Bartlett Center, Georgia Repertory Theatre, Non-Profit and Civic Engagement Center (NPACE), and Pasaquan.

 

Dr. Ebright came to Columbus State from Winthrop University (South Carolina), where she served as the associate dean and director of graduate studies. She also served as a full professor of dance in the university’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. 

 

Previously, she held academic appointments at Johnson C. Smith University (North Carolina), Coker University (South Carolina) and Kansas State University. Ebright founded the Midlands/Pee Dee Dance nonprofit and The Wanda Project, a contemporary dance company. She has also served as the artistic co-director of Allegro Dance Theater and Conservatory. Ebright has choreographed and taught master classes across the southeast and is the former president of the South Carolina Dance Association.

 

     Ebright holds a bachelor’s degree in French from Memphis State University (University of Memphis), a Master of Fine Arts degree in dance performance and choreography from Florida State University, and a Ph.D. in dance from Texas Woman’s University.

 

 

 

COLUMBUS, GEORGIA

Columbus, Georgia, is a city that offers the benefits of a larger city with the affordability of a smaller town. The second most populous city in Georgia, Columbus has a population of 350,000. Located only 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, Columbus has a lower-than-average cost of living.

 

     Columbus is a popular destination for outdoor lovers. The city has the longest urban whitewater course in the world and a zip line across the Chattahoochee River. The scenic Chattahoochee RiverWalk spans 15 miles of asphalt trails and parks along the river.

 

     Columbus is also known for many attractions, including the Columbus Museum, Golden Park, the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, Historic Westville, and Columbus Botanical Garden. It is also home to Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center, the National Civil War Naval Museum, Heritage Corner, Historic Linwood Cemetery, and much more.

 

     With great economic stability, Columbus is home to world-class enterprises, including Fort Moore, the U.S. Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence headquarters, the Muscogee County School District, Aflac, Synovus, TSYS, W. C. Bradley Company, and Pratt and Whitney.

 

     Piedmont Columbus Regional Healthcare System is the largest hospital in West Georgia providing a comprehensive array of healthcare services; St. Francis-Emory Healthcare provides inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room services.

 

 

 

APPLICATION & NOMINATION PROCESS

Confidential inquiries are welcomed, and nominations are invited.

 

 

 

Applications

1) All application packets must include the following:

 

a) A letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and qualifications of the position 

 

b) Current curriculum vitae    

 

c) Statement of teaching philosophy

 

d) Unofficial transcripts of all degrees and certificates earned (Official transcripts will be required of finalists.)

 

e) At least four references with full contact information including e-mail (References will not be contacted without consent from applicant.)

 

 

 

2) Submit application materials (preferably as PDFs) online. Additional information is requested with the submission of materials. For best consideration, complete applications should be received before January 5, 2025.

 

 

 

Nominations

Submit nominations with complete contact and e-mail information for the individual being nominated.

 

 

 

Consultant

Dr. Brianna Douglas, Vice President of Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting, is the lead consultant for this search. Request a conversation regarding this search at BriannaDouglas@myersmcrae.com.

 

 

 

Columbus State University is a proud member of the University System of Georgia, an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. At Columbus State University we are committed to excellence and the Office of Human Resources is dedicated to making CSU the best place to work.