Assistant Professor of Photography

Assistant Professor of Photography

Job no: 527578
Work type: Faculty - Tenure Track
Location: Eugene, OR
Categories: Arts/Theater/Museum, Instruction

Department: Department of Art
Rank: Assistant Professor
Annual Basis: 9 Month

Application Deadline
December 13, 2021; position open until filled

Required Application Materials
To be considered a complete application, applicants must apply both on the UO Careers site as well as submit their portfolio in SlideRoom (Department of Art application). The link to submit via SlideRoom will be accessible as part of the UO Careers application. Both portions must be completed by December 13, 2021 in order for an applicant to be considered.

The position will remain open until filled. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Submit here (UO Careers):
1. Cover letter outlining specific interests, qualifications, and contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Department of Art is dedicated to building a diverse community that is committed to teaching and working in an inclusive environment. Contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion might address:

• Understanding of inequities in academia and the field of art faced by historically underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.
  
• Evidence of initiatives, mentoring, or teaching that aim to reduce barriers for underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.
  
• Evidence of creative projects or research interests that address or incorporate issues that involve or affect diverse groups.
  
• Examples of how you envision new activities and pedagogical projects that will support and expand an accessible, diverse, and inclusive education in art.
  
  2. CV, including a list of courses taught
  3. Names and contact information for three professional references
  
  Submit in SlideRoom:
  4. Artist statement
  5. Teaching philosophy
  6. Portfolio of 20 digital work samples of the candidate's own work
  7. Portfolio of 5 examples of student work
  
  Additional information regarding SlideRoom: You will find a link to the SlideRoom Department of Art application within the UO Careers employment application (this is at the end of the application, after required pages). All image samples must include name, title, dimensions, media/materials, and date work was completed, and in the case of student work, include the course title. Video samples should be no longer than three minutes in length and be submitted via SlideRoom along with other work samples. (Excerpts of longer time-based pieces should be noted as such in the description. Candidates may also provide a link to Vimeo or other video sharing platforms in the description area for further consideration of samples excerpted from pieces longer than three minutes.)
  
  Reference letters and additional academic support materials (such as syllabi) may be requested at a later date.
  
  Position Announcement
  The Department of Art at the University of Oregon is accepting applications for a tenure-track faculty position in photography at the rank of Assistant Professor with a start date of September 16, 2022. The position is a full-time, nine-month academic year appointment.
  
  We seek a faculty member whose creative research locates the medium of photography firmly within the context of contemporary art and interdisciplinarity, while finding its footing in a lens-based practice. With an aptitude in both digital technologies and traditional analog methods, the ideal candidate for this position will also have fluency in contemporary cultural and aesthetic theory, with an interest in course development in this area.
  
  The successful candidate will have the ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students from a variety of diverse backgrounds and media areas. An MFA, or equivalent terminal degree is required. A minimum of three years college teaching experience beyond graduate school is preferred. The candidate should have a strong and active exhibition/publication record.
  
  Some potential areas of research interest for the ideal candidate are:
  
  
• Artists with a clear interdisciplinary and installation-related approach to the medium whose practice draws from the cultural and aesthetic potency of photography's indexical relationship to the visible world, either through lens-based original capture or archival appropriation.
  
  
• Artists with a lens-based approach to the medium whose practice taps into the directed/performative potential of photography, while engaging larger questions of identity, race and/or gender.
  
  
• Artists with a “documentary” approach to the medium whose practice expands on how this generic term is understood and engaged, either through a deep theoretical investment in documentary practices, or by bridging their production to other forms, such as performance and video, or working with photographic archives to locate and amplify the cultural signs and symbols embedded in every photographic image.
  
  Primary teaching responsibilities will be focused in the photography area, with additional interdisciplinary opportunities, including graduate seminars, advanced studios and experimental courses. The University of Oregon operates on a system of three 10-week quarters with a typical load of five courses per year. Additionally, all faculty participate in graduate studio mentorship. Service responsibilities include committee contributions, advising, and participation in shared governance. In addition to teaching and service responsibilities, the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to a sustained and developing creative practice, with an active and ongoing exhibition/publishing record.
  
  Entering faculty generally will not supervise student employees (undergraduate and graduate), adjunct faculty, or classified staff, but may do so once tenure is granted.
  
  Department or Program Summary
  Situated within a nationally recognized research institution, the Department of Art attracts students and faculty who value the study of studio art in the context of a larger intellectual and critical environment. Our curriculum reflects a diverse and fluid set of creative practices and critical methodologies. Students engage broad and interdisciplinary approaches, as well as depth within specific media area practices. A robust visiting lecture series, bringing 10-12 artists, critics and curators to campus each year, complements the curriculum. Nationally and internationally active, the faculty thrive on making connections between their individual studio practices and teaching. While we have diverse backgrounds, philosophies and approaches, we have a strong commitment to a collective mission and a shared governance model.
  
  The Department of Art is one of the two departments within the School of Art + Design within the College of Design, which also includes Architecture, the History of Art and Architecture, Arts Administration, Product Design, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, and Planning, Public Policy and Management. With more than 400 undergraduates and 30 graduate students, the Department of Art offers BA/BS, BFA and MFA degrees; the curriculum encompasses ceramics, art & technology (print media, animation, video and interactivity), fibers, jewelry and metals, painting and drawing, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. The Department includes 21 tenure-track faculty and 12 Career Instructors.
  
  The photography area is one of eight media areas in the Department of Art. The area currently has one Tenure Track and two Non-Tenure Track faculty. Classes in the photography area emphasize conceptual and contextual engagement with the medium and offer instruction in analog and digital methods of image making. The area offers a breadth of courses driven by both concept and process to emphasize the wide range of possibilities within the medium. Our course offerings interweave contemporary critical theory alongside the history of photography in a comprehensive curriculum that develops students' artistic practice, critical thinking and writing skills.
  
  Faculty and students working in the photography area have access to a range of spaces and equipment to support the development of creative research, including: a lighting studio, digital output workspaces equipped with large format Epson printers, darkrooms (including numerous private spaces) equipped with enlargers accommodating all film formats, ranging from 35 mm to 8 x 10, an alternative process and mural printing room with ultraviolet exposure unit, a Hasselblad Flextight X-1 drum quality film scanner, and view cameras and DSLRs for checkout.
  
  The University of Oregon supports Department of Art faculty by providing private dedicated studio spaces and a fund for professional development. Additionally, the Pacific Northwest and the state of Oregon have a vibrant range of accessible funding, opportunities, and resources for artists.
  
  Minimum Requirements
  
• An MFA, or equivalent terminal degree.
  
• Strong and active exhibition/publication record.
  
  Preferred Qualifications
  
• Three years college teaching experience beyond graduate school.
  
  About the University
  The University of Oregon is an AAU Research I institution and has over 24,000 undergraduate students and approximately 4,000 graduate students. The UO is known for its spirit of cooperation and collaboration, and for its ability to provide a variety of personal and professional opportunities that enrich the academic community. The University actively supports an institutional commitment to diversity and multiculturalism. Through this search, the Department of Art seeks to further this commitment and encourages applications from underrepresented groups.
  
  The University of Oregon is located in Eugene, Oregon's second largest city. Located 110 miles south of Portland, the Eugene metro area (pop. 216,000) is in a region noted for its dynamic quality of life and progressive cultural environment. Within only an hour's drive are ocean beaches, lakes, rivers, forests, high desert, and the Cascade and Coast mountain ranges.
  
  The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit http://hr.uoregon.edu/careers/about-benefits.
  
  The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply, and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112.
  
  UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, Office of Civil Rights Compliance, or to the Office for Civil Rights. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed on the statement of non-discrimination.
  
  In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at http://police.uoregon.edu/annual-report.
  
  
  
  To apply, visit https://careers.uoregon.edu/en-us/job/527578/assistant-professor-of-photography
  
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