The Department of Art and Technology / Sound Practices (AT/SP) at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position, beginning in August of 2024. Salary is competitive with peer institutions and commensurate with quality of practice, scholarship, academic research, extent of teaching experience, and current professional standing.
The department is open to candidates working in all forms of the sonic arts, in focused or interdisciplinary contexts, which we broadly define as including sound art, music, installation, performance, phonography, acoustic ecology, or transmission arts. A technologically driven practice is neither a requirement nor an impediment. We seek a sonic arts practitioner committed to an expansive and inclusive future for the sonic arts and committed to teaching the next generation of practitioners in an equitable, anti-racist, interdisciplinary, and rigorous educational environment.
PROGRAM PROFILE
Sound has had a unique and dynamic position at SAIC for over 50 years, beginning as an area of study in 1972, evolving into the first Sound Department in an art school, and initiating the world’s first MFA in Sound in 2002. It now unites this legacy with that of the similarly long-lived Department of Art and Technology Studies into the newly integrated Department of Art and Technology / Sound Practices (AT/SP). The current search for a sonic arts practitioner supports the new department’s goal of maintaining and developing a rigorous, experimental, and decolonized study of the sonic arts. In AT/SP, sound is an area of focus in its own right and is a significant contributor to other hybrid practices in the department. The practice-based pedagogy of the department reflects an interdisciplinary and multi-faceted approach to the sonic arts that is consonant with SAIC’s overall interdisciplinary ethos. Its faculty, students and curriculum represent intertwined approaches to sound including those rooted in sound art, music, transmission arts, sound with moving image, text-sound, installation, performance, hacking and circuit-bending, coding, phonography, acoustic ecology, and improvisation. Built into its curriculum is the study and critical interrogation of sonic arts histories, theories, and strategies from a global perspective.
Further information about the department can be found at: https://www.saic.edu/academics/departments/sound
RESPONSIBILITIES
Full-time faculty teaching sound in AT/SP instruct and advise undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds and many levels of experience in an interdisciplinary art and design school environment. They teach across its sonic arts curriculum in ways that are consistent with their own practices, complement their peers, diversify cultural perspectives, expand the curriculum, and challenge the students and themselves. They are expected to consistently evaluate their contributions to the curriculum and to suggest new courses for students to build skills, expand their practice, and develop critical inquiry. Faculty members collaborate with their colleagues to contribute to the evolving decolonized curriculum of the department, and, through their own areas of specialization, they provide new curricular approaches that further the department’s pedagogy. Full-time faculty are expected to take a leadership role in the department, to fully participate in the department’s programs of student events and visiting artist presentations, to serve on school-wide committees as part of the SAIC shared governance model, to invite and encourage interdisciplinary initiatives across departments and programs, and to contribute to a supportive, inclusive, and anti-racist learning environment.
QUALIFICATIONS
The department seeks a practitioner whose approach is demonstrably audio-centric, conceptually grounded with appropriate attention to craft and technique, critically engaged with decolonizing the field, and cognizant of contemporary global cultural production and the histories that inform it. Although we are not specifying a particular technical or production skill set for the position, the candidate must display technical knowledge in aspects of sonic arts production and be able to teach those skills at a high level.
MFA or a relevant terminal degree is preferred, or equivalent professional experience. Teaching experience in higher education is preferred. Candidates should have a substantive record of exhibitions and/or performances appropriate to their practice, along with significant critical recognition.
The ideal candidate complements the department’s current pedagogy and curriculum and would fully participate in developing new and unanticipated approaches to sonic arts education in a diverse and interdisciplinary art and design school. To that end, they would also have experience in, or an aptitude for, departmental administration and collegial collaboration. They would contribute to the diversity of SAIC by bringing a perspective, a way of thinking, and/or a unique set of experiences that expand the intellectual conversations and practices in the field.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Applicants are encouraged to apply by September 1, 2023 for full consideration. Please submit application materials via http://SAICfaculty.slideroom.com. You will be asked to create an account after which time you may complete the application, which consists of fill-in fields and required documents to upload. You are encouraged to begin the application well before the priority deadline. Applications will not be accepted after October 1, 2023.
Complete the fields for: educational background; current position; and contact information for three professional references.
Please convert all word documents into PDFs before uploading. Required files to upload include:
- Cover letter stating your interests and qualifications
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Diversity statement
- Statement of teaching philosophy including details on how your teaching has supported the success of students from racial, ethnic, gender, and/or socio-economic backgrounds that are underrepresented in your academic field
- Statement of research and practice
- Documentation of a selection of professional work (For long-form works, excerpts between 3 min and 5 min should be uploaded to Slideroom and URLs to complete works can be provided. In the case of collaborative works, the candidate’s role must be clearly and specifically articulated.)
- Up to three examples of course syllabi, either those you have taught or those you would propose
All applicants for this position must complete and sign a Prior Workplace Conduct Declaration as part of their initial application materials in order to be considered as a candidate, and sign a release authorizing SAIC to conduct a misconduct reference check should the candidate ultimately be selected as a finalist for the position.
QUESTIONS
Questions regarding the School and its open positions, application procedures, or the search process may be emailed to saicteach@saic.edu. Please consult www.saic.edu for information on the School and its programs, or https://www.saic.edu/about/work-at-saic for open positions and application procedures.
ABOUT SAIC
A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate programs to students from across the globe. Located in the heart of Chicago, the School is one of the largest and oldest private schools of art and design in the country with programs reflecting current practices in art. SAIC's educational philosophy is built upon a transdisciplinary approach to art and design that provides unparalleled opportunities for students to develop their creative and critical abilities with renowned faculty who are leading practitioners in their fields. SAIC's resources include the Art Institute of Chicago and its Modern Wing, and numerous special collections and programming venues that provide students with exceptional exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances. The campus is located on Chicago’s magnificent lakefront amid the city’s cultural and architectural treasures.
Degree tracks include the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio; BFA with Emphasis in Art Education or Writing; BA degrees in Art History and Visual and Critical Studies; Master of Architecture; Master of Design (MDes) in Designed Objects; MDes in Fashion, Body, and Garment; MFA in Studio or Writing; MA degrees in Arts Administration; Art Education; Art History, Theory, and Criticism; Art Therapy; Teaching; Visual and Critical Studies; and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation.
REQUESTS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS
SAIC provides reasonable accommodations during the interview process for candidates with disabilities in adherence with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Should you need an accommodation to participate in an interview, please contact Molly Roth Scranton, Associate Director of Faculty Affairs at mscranton@saic.edu.
