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 Photography & Expanded Media to start in August 2024. This is a standard nine-month faculty appointment with a standard workload of 40% teaching, 40% research/creative activity, and 20% service.
The School of Art seeks a practicing artist and educator whose scholarship demonstrates a commitment to an expanded definition of photography, a critical engagement with the histories of photography, and a commitment to the medium's use as a means for research, art making, and discovery. The candidate's research should engage with contemporary societal and photographic issues while showing evidence of contribution to innovation in photographic knowledge. The successful candidate will demonstrate a dedicated commitment to teaching and mentorship at all levels of undergraduate and graduate curriculums through creative and engaged pedagogy. Applicants should possess conceptual and technical skills in analog and digital photography. Strong consideration will be given to applicants with research interests in critical theories, interdisciplinary practice, photographic futures, technology, and expanded photographic practice. We seek artists/photographers/researchers whose work demonstrates local, regional, national, and/or global engagement with the community and while fostering relationships within and outside of the university environment.
We seek a colleague 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. The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to contribute to an inclusive learning and working environment and cultivate a positive and productive studio culture in and out of the classroom.
The School of Art values diversity, equity, and inclusion through innovative teaching, research, mentoring, and service in the classroom, studio, and collaborative working environments. We seek faculty committed to working and creating in ways that enable encouraging and supportive learning experiences that expand the School of Art's current efforts to engage the campus and community in dialogue.
The program celebrates an interest in fostering interdisciplinary, cross-campus relationships and engagement with a vibrant local and regional art community. The advancement of photographic understanding through community engagement and new means of photographic dissemination is highly valued. Beyond the primary role in Photography, the position may occasionally contribute to teaching within the School of Art's Foundations program, which serves a broader student population pursuing degrees in Studio Art, Graphic Design, and Art Education.
We hope to draw applicants at any career level post-MFA—emerging, mid-career, or established artists and educators— who are active in the field and ready to contribute their unique insights to our learning environment.
Duties will include:
• Maintaining an active program of research & creative and/or scholarly activities
• Teaching two courses per semester (Fall and Spring) in Studio Art
• Assisting in planning and implementing new undergraduate and graduate courses.
• Performing graduate and undergraduate student mentoring and advising, including participation in BFA and MFA reviews, MFA thesis committees, and studio visits.
• Collaborative oversight and operation of the Photography area including but not limited to assistance in maintaining facilities, contributing to a positive and productive studio culture, overseeing a safe working environment, curriculum development, departmental reviews, executing a budget, managing supplies and equipment, and supervising graduate assistants.
• Participating in program-level advising, committee work, and other program, school, college and university service.
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.
About the Photography Area:
Photography at the University of Arkansas School of Art combines practice in traditional & contemporary photographic processes with conceptual development, inspiring students to become innovative & critically engaged artists. The photography program offers a robust and supportive community where artists define their practice, deepen their understanding of visual literacy and create innovative imagery. The area provides training in a variety of traditional & contemporary techniques, equipping students with a critical understanding of the medium and its applications in research and artmaking. Experimentation, interdisciplinary practice and conceptual development are fostered, preparing students to become engaged practitioners.
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. The MA degree in Art History of the Americas launched this Fall 2023.
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
With submitted materials, the candidate must demonstrate
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Master of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Studio Art, Photography, or related terminal degree from an accredited institution conferred by the start of employment
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Minimum of 2 years of teaching experience in higher education (including teaching as a graduate instructor of record) and/or substantive evidence of success as a collegiate educator
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A clear and substantial body of work or research agenda that demonstrates either promise, active practice, or sustained practice in the field through exhibitions, publications, and/or other scholarly creative activities
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Demonstrated experience working with underrepresented communities and/or a commitment to building an equitable scholarly environment through teaching, mentoring, research, outreach, and service
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Evidence of a comprehensive knowledge of digital & analog photographic practices, critical engagement with photographic histories, and a demonstrated ability to teach across a broad spectrum of photographic techniques
Preferred Qualifications:
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Experience and research interests in photographic futures, technology, new means of photographic dissemination, and /or photography as a critical practice
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Commitment to, or experience in, mentoring and advising undergraduate and graduate students in independent research
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Experience contributing to curriculum management, innovative pedagogical practices, and new course creation at the undergraduate & graduate levels
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Demonstrated commitment to community outreach and/or cross-disciplinary collaborative work
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Evidence of a commitment to provide service to the University and the profession
Additional Information:
Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Required Documents to Apply:
Cover Letter/Letter of Application, Curriculum Vitae, List of three Professional References (name, email, business title), Other (see special instructions for details), Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Proof of Veteran Status
Recruitment Contact Information:
Rebecca Drolen, search committee chair, drolen@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.
Special Instructions to Applicants:
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Completed applications received by 12/18/2023, will be assured full consideration. Late applications will be reviewed as necessary to fill the position.
For additional inquiries, please contact the search committee chair, Rebecca Drolen, at drolen@uark.edu.
Applicants must submit
• a curriculum vitae with professional website URL(s),
• a cover letter/letter of application,
• a statement of research/creative practice,
• a statement of teaching philosophy,
• Two sample syllabi of relevant courses, taught or proposed (submit as one document)
• 20 images of personal work identified with title, date, medium, and dimensions
• 20 images of student work identified with date, course title, and student level, and
• a list of three professional references (name, title, email address, and phone number) willing to provide letters of recommendation if requested during the application process. Letters of recommendation will be requested only for candidates selected for interviews.
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Pre-employment Screening Requirements:
Criminal Background Check, Sex Offender Registry
The University of Arkansas is committed to providing a safe campus community. We conduct background checks for applicants being considered for employment. Background checks include a criminal background check and a sex offender registry check. For certain positions, there may also be a financial (credit) background check, a Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) check, and/or drug screening. Required checks are identified in the position listing. A criminal conviction or arrest pending adjudication or adverse financial history information alone shall not disqualify an applicant in the absence of a relationship to the requirements of the position. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.
The University of Arkansas seeks to attract, develop and retain high quality faculty, staff and administrators that consistently display practices and behaviors to advance a culture that embeds inclusion, opportunity, educational excellence and unparalleled access for all.
The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate in its education programs or activities (including in admission and employment) on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, marital or parental status, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, or sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity). Federal law prohibits the University from discriminating on these bases. Questions or concerns about the application of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, may be sent to the University's Title IX Coordinator and to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.
All application information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
