Assistant Professor of Craft/​Materials Studies- Specialization in Wood Virginia Common­wealth University

Assis­tant Profes­sor of Craft/​Material Studies — Special­iza­tion in Wood

Virginia Common­wealth Univer­sity School of the Arts (VCUarts)

Depart­ment of Craft/​Material Studies

This full-time, 9‑month posi­tion is at the rank of Assis­tant Profes­sor, is non-tenure eligi­ble (term), and begins August 16, 2022.

Appli­ca­tion Dead­line: For best consid­er­a­tion, appli­ca­tions are due Friday, January 14, 2022.

The Oppor­tu­nity:

The VCUarts Depart­ment of Craft/​Material Studies (https://​arts​.vcu​.edu/​a​c​a​d​e​m​i​c​s​/​d​e​p​a​r​t​m​e​n​t​s​/​c​r​a​f​t​-​m​a​t​e​r​i​a​l​-​s​t​u​dies/) seeks highly-qual­i­fied appli­cants for a non-tenure eligi­ble (term) faculty posi­tion at the rank of Assis­tant Profes­sor with a special­iza­tion in wood. The ideal candi­date will be a dynamic teacher, creative colleague, broad thinker, and artist who will want to contribute to the progres­sive spirit of an estab­lished mate­r­ial studies program.

This is a non-tenure eligi­ble (term) faculty posi­tion. Term faculty are eligi­ble for promo­tion in acad­e­mic rank, and are valued for their acad­e­mic, profes­sional, and creative practice/​scholarly contri­bu­tions in their specific area of exper­tise. The primary respon­si­bil­i­ties of this oppor­tu­nity are teach­ing so we seek to hire faculty who stand out with respect to effec­tive­ness in teach­ing and engage­ment with students.

Our new colleague will be well versed in mate­r­ial knowl­edge and object-based prac­tices and will offer students a frame­work through which impor­tant crit­i­cal theo­ries and histor­i­cal craft knowl­edge can be empha­sized. An under­stand­ing of and the ability to incor­po­rate both analogue and digital prac­tices in teach­ing methods is preferred. The ideal candi­dates will demon­strate a commit­ment to peda­gog­i­cal projects and course­work that support an inclu­sive, diverse, and acces­si­ble expe­ri­ence for all students. Addi­tional inter­dis­ci­pli­nary oppor­tu­ni­ties are avail­able for an engaged colleague, includ­ing advanced studios, foun­da­tions, and/​or under­grad­u­ate and graduate seminars.

Depart­ment of Craft/​Material Studies:

The Depart­ment of Craft/​Material Studies is among 16 depart­ments and programs in VCUarts. We special­ize in five media areas (Clay, Metal, Wood, Glass and Fiber) and offer both breadth and depth across craft disci­plines at the BFA and MFA levels.

Our Mission: We are a commu­nity of makers/​artists who advance the concep­tual, histor­i­cal, tech­ni­cal and haptic aspects of Clay, Fiber, Glass, Metal and Wood. We promote an artis­tic prac­tice rooted in the values of Craft. We inves­ti­gate Craft’s inher­ent rela­tion­ship to the world with fearless innovation.

Major Respon­si­bil­i­ties:

This posi­tion is a 9‑month non-tenure eligi­ble (term) faculty posi­tion in the VCUarts Depart­ment of Craft/​Material Studies with an acad­e­mic rank of Assis­tant Profes­sor. The faculty member’s respon­si­bil­i­ties will be heavily weighted towards teach­ing. Instruc­tional respon­si­bil­i­ties comprise devel­op­ment and teach­ing of under­grad­u­ate and grad­u­ate courses in wood, and include service on grad­u­ate commit­tees. The ideal candi­date will teach classes such as Intro­duc­tory Wood­work­ing Tech­niques, Furni­ture Design, and Advanced Wood­work­ing. The faculty member will have a broad under­stand­ing of the fields of craft and fine art in order to teach at all levels with rota­tional topics. The ability to relate contem­po­rary tenden­cies in craft and fine arts to histor­i­cal, theo­ret­i­cal, and crit­i­cal issues is essen­tial. Addi­tional courses could be taught in the faculty member’s area(s) of exper­tise. Course assign­ments will change based on demand and will be at the discre­tion of the Chair.

The faculty member is expected to mentor students; have a fully-engaged peda­gog­i­cal frame­work that addresses current trends includ­ing collab­o­ra­tive and multi/​interdisciplinary engage­ment; inte­grate inno­v­a­tive peda­gog­i­cal and tech­no­log­i­cal approaches, and multi­cul­tural perspec­tives into instruc­tional methods; be a passion­ate educa­tor who models curios­ity and rigor­ous opti­mistic engage­ment to students and fellow faculty; foster collab­o­ra­tive teach­ing, educa­tional and commu­nity engage­ment oppor­tu­ni­ties through diverse and inno­v­a­tive projects and curricu­lum; promote the efforts of the depart­ment in the school and through­out the commu­nity. In support of the department’s strong commit­ment to diver­sity, the faculty member is expected to foster a welcom­ing, equi­table, and acces­si­ble learn­ing envi­ron­ment for all students.

Creative research is not a primary expec­ta­tion for this non-tenure eligi­ble posi­tion. It is expected that the faculty member will demon­strate excel­lence through teach­ing and will main­tain a schol­arly body of knowl­edge within the disci­pline. The depart­ment will support the faculty member’s profes­sional devel­op­ment, as appro­pri­ate and within avail­able resources, to ensure ongoing mastery of the disci­pline as it relates to craft and fine arts and the program’s curricu­lum. Profes­sional devel­op­ment activ­i­ties will be consis­tent with and support the mission and initia­tives of the depart­ment, school and univer­sity. The depart­ment will also support creative research at an appro­pri­ate annual level, though teach­ing will consti­tute the major­ity of the faculty member’s responsibilities.

The preferred candi­date will have an active profes­sional career and demon­strate a commit­ment to or poten­tial for involve­ment in national or inter­na­tional orga­ni­za­tions. As a member of a commu­nity-oriented, tight-knit depart­ment and School, the faculty member will partic­i­pate in univer­sity service, includ­ing coor­di­na­tion of student activ­i­ties; partic­i­pat­ing in open house events and port­fo­lio reviews, and attend­ing exhi­bi­tion open­ings. Other respon­si­bil­i­ties may be assigned by the Chair or university administration.

Qual­i­fi­ca­tions:

Required

· MFA or equiv­a­lent profes­sional expe­ri­ence and train­ing that equates to an MFA

· Demon­strated expe­ri­ence working in and foster­ing a diverse faculty, staff, and student envi­ron­ment and a commit­ment to equity and diver­sity in teach­ing, service, lead­er­ship and practice

· Active artistic practice

· Demon­strated effec­tive­ness in studio critique and teach­ing beyond graduate school

· Fluency in area of special­iza­tion, craft, and contemporary art

· Evidence of an ability to super­vise a special­ized facil­ity and its related equipment

· Demon­stra­ble inter­est in devel­op­ing produc­tive connec­tions across creative disciplines

· Strong collab­o­ra­tion skills, and demon­strate enthu­si­asm toward teach­ing and working with faculty, staff and students within the univer­sity; and to build­ing and main­tain­ing profes­sional rela­tion­ships outside of the univer­sity on the program’s behalf

Preferred

· Strong foun­da­tion in contem­po­rary critical discourse

· Ability to incor­po­rate both analogue and digital prac­tices in teaching methods

· Record of commu­nity-engaged teach­ing or extra-curricular activities

Appli­ca­tion Instructions:

Virginia Common­wealth Univer­sity is commit­ted to orga­ni­za­tional diver­sity, equity and inclu­sion – an envi­ron­ment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excel­lence. VCUarts strongly encour­ages appli­ca­tions from all racial, ethnic, gender, and social identities.

Appli­cants are requested to submit a State­ment of Contri­bu­tions to Diver­sity, Equity, and Inclu­sion (typi­cally between 150 – 300 words) provid­ing your career aspi­ra­tions and contri­bu­tions toward promot­ing diver­sity, equity, and inclu­sion. Through this state­ment, you can share how your lived expe­ri­ences, and acad­e­mic and profes­sional activ­i­ties will impact your contri­bu­tion to VCU’s mission of promot­ing equity and inclusion.

Note: Exam­ples include working with others to further the goals of equity and inclu­sion; leading in any capac­ity that tangi­bly promotes an envi­ron­ment where diver­sity is welcomed, fostered, and cele­brated; creative activ­ity, research and schol­ar­ship that promotes equity and parity; teach­ing and mentor­ing students, and/​or engag­ing with faculty and/​or staff from tradi­tion­ally under­rep­re­sented groups to create a posi­tive and success­ful orga­ni­za­tional expe­ri­ence. For addi­tional guid­ance on writing a State­ment of Contri­bu­tions to Diver­sity, Equity, and Inclu­sion: https://​provost​.vcu​.edu/​f​a​c​u​l​t​y​/​p​r​o​s​p​e​c​tive/.

In addi­tion, the follow­ing docu­ments should submit­ted online via the VCU Jobs Website (https://​vcu​.csod​.com/​u​x​/​a​t​s​/​c​a​r​e​e​r​s​i​t​e​/​1​/​h​o​m​e​?​c=vcu):

· A Letter of Inter­est that conveys rele­vant acad­e­mic and profes­sional expe­ri­ence and describes expe­ri­ences and/​or profes­sional service that inform a collab­o­ra­tive and commu­nity-engaged approach to clar­inet and performance

· Teach­ing Philosophy

· Current CV

· A list of three current refer­ences includ­ing names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses (refer­ences will not be contacted prior to applicant’s approval)

· Port­fo­lio of work— a link to appro­pri­ate selec­tions of docu­men­ta­tion of the appli­can­t’s work and expe­ri­ence in their area of exper­tise. This could include tradi­tional and/​or non-tradi­tional exam­ples of one’s work from a broad cross-section and/​or combi­na­tion of experience.

Only elec­tronic appli­ca­tions submit­ted via the VCU Jobs Website will be accepted. For best consid­er­a­tion, completed appli­ca­tions are due by Friday, January 14, 2022. Ques­tions about the VCU Jobs Website appli­ca­tion process should be directed to Tasia Robin­son, HR Admin­is­tra­tor at thompsontl5@​vcu.​edu.

VCUarts:

Ranked by US News & World Report as a top-five arts and design school, VCUarts (arts​.vcu​.edu) includes over 3,000 under­grad­u­ate and grad­u­ate students with nation­ally recog­nized programs in design, visual and perform­ing arts, and has an annual budget of $38 million and an endow­ment of more than $13.5 million. Students are taught by over 175 full-time teach­ing and research faculty members and the school is supported by over 50 staff members that assist in daily processes. The School includes two campuses; one in Rich­mond and one in Doha, Qatar. The Rich­mond campus is located on the university’s 75-acre Monroe Park campus situ­ated in the city’s historic Fan District. Ulti­mately, the work of the School of the Arts extends glob­ally with part­ner­ships through­out the world and across fields as diverse as the human­i­ties, health care and business.

Virginia Common­wealth Univer­sity is commit­ted to provid­ing acces­si­ble and equi­table living, learn­ing, and working envi­ron­ments free from discrim­i­na­tion and harass­ment based on race, color, reli­gion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex (includ­ing preg­nancy), polit­i­cal affil­i­a­tion, veteran status, genetic infor­ma­tion, sexual orien­ta­tion, gender iden­tity, gender expres­sion or disability.