Assistant Professor Of Art In Photography/Digital Media

Position Summary:

Art Department offering B.A. and B.F.A. programs seeks a dynamic art educator with a specialization in Photography and Digital Media. The primary teaching responsibilities will include all levels of Photography and Lens-based Digital Media.

Expertise in digital, analog and alternative photography techniques is required. All faculty also contribute to teaching core art classes and general education courses. The successful candidate will cultivate a strong vision, develop and grow enrollment in the Photography and Digital/Lens-based Media program.

The faculty member will also participate in departmental efforts to expand applied professional practices and ensure coursework has strong connections to careers in the fine arts and industry. Responsibilities include: teaching four classes per semester, overseeing senior projects, maintaining and upgrading classroom facilities, administering the budget for the Graphic Design area. Additional expectations include assuming an equitable share of responsibility for departmental work such as curriculum planning, advising, recruitment and engagement with the campus and local community.

This is a tenure track position and thus expects excellence in teaching, as well as significant engagement in scholarly/creative work and service. Teaching load is 12 credit hours per semester. Rank and salary commensurate with qualifications.

Candidates should demonstrate that they possess (1) a commitment to student-centered instruction, and (2) a commitment to furthering the university's mission of Inclusive Excellence. The successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with diverse faculty, staff, and students within the School of Visual and Performing Arts and across campus.

Adams State University is a state-supported, regional comprehensive university located in the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado and the city of Alamosa. As the state's premier Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), over 50 percent of its undergraduate students represent racially diverse backgrounds.

A high percentage of undergraduate students are first-generation and Pell-eligible. The university offers undergraduate programs in the arts and humanities, physical and natural sciences, mechanical engineering and computer science, social sciences, kinesiology, fine arts, business, and nursing, and specializes in educator preparation in several disciplines. Adams State also offers graduate degrees in cultural resource management, public administration, music education, kinesiology, higher education administration and leadership, history, business (MBA), and educator programs, including counselor education; the university also has a doctoral (Ph.D.) program in counselor education.

The university has an active athletic program.

The Adams State Grizzlies athletic teams compete under the auspices of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).

The institution is committed to increasing the diversity of its professional staff and is actively seeking qualified applicants who have experiences, skills, and/or personal attributes that augment the perspectives of our current faculty and staff. We are working to diversify our faculty and staff and especially encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ community members, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other historically underrepresented populations.

We will give particular consideration to qualified applicants with experience in ethnically diverse settings; persons who possess varied language skills, and a record of successful experience in engaging diverse communities/student populations; and job seekers who can contribute to equity, diversity, and inclusion through teaching, service, and scholarship. The successful candidate will join a campus that is dedicated to inclusive excellence and acknowledges Adams State's purpose to foster the educational goals of its students and the well-being of the surrounding community.

About Us- Diversity & Inclusive Excellence

Mission of the Department

Our goal is to produce graduates with the ability to make connections between artmaking and all aspects of their lives, whether through continued practice as artists or other avenues of creativity and expression. Curricular revisions aim to provide students with breadth and depth of experiences in 2D, 3D, and Digital/Lens-based media that prepare students to tackle any career path they choose.

Faculty support students from all backgrounds and experiences so they can thrive and grow as creative individuals. As a cultural hub for the visual arts in the San Luis Valley, the art department provides space for all to explore and enjoy the visual arts. We recognize that women and people of color are often less likely to apply to a position if they don't match 100% of the job qualifications.

Don't let that be the reason you miss out on this opportunity! We encourage you to apply if you can demonstrate many of these skills and competencies.

Minimum Qualifications

● Master of Fine Arts in Photography, or other relevant terminal degree, from an accredited institution

● A strong focus on teaching, including demonstrated college-level teaching, and professional experience in photography and digital media

● Direct experience with curriculum development

● Demonstrated excellence in oral and written communication skills

● Demonstrated experience and ability to work collaboratively

● Knowledge of photography, lens-based digital media, design principles, and color theory

● Ability to teach beginning through advanced levels of photography, digital media, analog techniques and alternative techniques

● Ability to maintain inkjet printers, traditional darkroom, and related equipment

● Active participation in, and/or concrete strategies for, recruiting, retaining and engaging students

● A record of recognized creative/scholarly work and an ongoing body of work, suitable for tenure and promotion

● Demonstrated knowledge of, sensitivity to, and ability to work effectively with, the educational needs of individuals and groups with a diverse range of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and abilities

● Evidence of responsiveness to and understanding of the racial, socioeconomic, academic, and cultural diversity of Adams State University's student population, including students with different abilities (e.g. physical and or learning) as these factors relate to the need for equity-minded, inclusive practices within the classroom

Preferred Qualifications

● Teaching and/or professional experience in photography and digital media, art theory, and general education courses

● Ability to mentor students beyond the classroom setting in preparation for their thesis capstone exhibition

● Skills in communication with an ethnically and culturally diverse population including first generation and non-traditional students

● Ability to work in the interdisciplinary, collaborative liberal arts setting

● Ability or experience working with historically under-served and/or underrepresented populations, and first-generation college students.

● Ability or experience in the recruitment and/or retention of underrepresented students, including students of color.

● Commitment to professional development, scholarship, and service to the university and community.

● Demonstrated self-awareness of one's own cultural beliefs, perspectives, and privileges as a part of one's orientation towards teaching.

● Demonstrated decision-making that is informed by research, data, and theory and that leverages students' unique cultures, experiences, and background as strengths.

Salary and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $47,300-$53,900 for a traditional 9-month academic-year appointment, commensurate with experience and education.

The salary range reflects the level of the highest degree attained and assumes the minimum for an entry-level Assistant professor position to the maximum for an individual with significant experience. Opportunities for supplemental contracts may be available.

In addition to salary, Adams State University offers a competitive benefits program including medical, dental, vision, disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, and retirement savings plans. For detailed benefits information please visit https://www.adams.edu/hr/benefits/.

Required Documents (details below):

Completed applications should include the following:

● A detailed cover letter of application addressing teaching interest/experience as well as how professional interests and goals align with Adams vision and values.

• We encourage applicants to discuss their commitment to scholarly and/or creative excellence.

• Additionally, we seek to learn how scholarly/creative excellence is interwoven with their approach to service, teaching, mentoring, and affirming diverse perspectives.

● Curriculum Vitae

● Teaching Statement: (include sample course syllabi) in addition to describing your approach to teaching in general, please address the following questions:

• What do you feel are the best strategies for supporting art students who have been historically marginalized in (enter discipline)?
• What role should art faculty play in student success?

● Diversity Statement: please address the following questions:

• Describe how your life experiences, identities, and/or professional commitments have shaped your approach to enacting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)?
• How does teaching at a small HSI with a sizable population of first-generation university students set in a rural environment align with your teaching interests/experience and professional goals?

● Transcripts of all college level work (Copies accepted. Official transcripts required upon hire.)

● Three sample project/assignment descriptions (one for each beginning, intermediate, and advanced level) and a course semester schedule for one course as you would teach it

● Ten images of student work with assignment descriptions (PDF preferred) or link to digital portfolio

● Ten images of personal work (PDF preferred) or link to digital portfolio

● Three professional references: name, job title, and contact information (email, phone); at least one should be in a supervisory role.

Basic applications (resume, cover letter, transcripts) must be submitted at: https://adams.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/ASU

However, additional materials may be sent directly via email as needed to: Charise Mixa, Administrative Assistant to the Department of Art, charisemixa@adams.edu

Inquiries: Prof. John Taylor, Chair, Art Search Committee, jhtaylor@adams.edu (719) 587-7382

Only complete applications will be considered. Review of completed applications will begin immediately and continue until closed.

Priority is given to applications received before May 30, 2024. This appointment begins in August 2024.

Adams State University is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for its students, faculty, staff and visitors, and to protecting its funds, property and other assets. Well-informed hiring decisions contribute to this effort.

Therefore, Adams State University has adopted a policy on background screening for its prospective, continuing, and returning employees as well as students in certain circumstances. Offers of employment will be contingent upon the completion of an acceptable background check. The information received in response to a background check will be treated as confidential to the extent provided for by law.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Part 106 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including in admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and CFR 106 to Adams State University (ASU) may be directed to ASU's Office of Equal Opportunity, Director Ana Guevara, and/or to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of Education. Support resources for sexual misconduct, ASU's sexual misconduct policies, contact information for the Adams State University's Office of Equal Opportunity & Title IX, as well as a detailed procedure for filing a grievance due to discrimination on the basis of sex may be found online at https://www.adams.edu/administration/oeo/reporting-sexual-harassment/. These procedures also describe the University's response to reports and/or complaints of sex discrimination or sexual harassment.

Adams State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Applications are sought from all qualified persons regardless of race, color, sex, disability, and, as covered by law, veteran status. In addition, University policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation including transgender status and gender expression, marital status, and parental status.

Adams State University is dedicated to fostering Inclusive Excellence and especially encourages applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other historically underrepresented populations. Given the university's mission and student body composition, the institution is committed to increasing the diversity of its professional staff and is actively seeking qualified applicants who have experiences, skills, and/or personal attributes that augment the perspectives of our current faculty and staff; we will give particular consideration to qualified applicants with experience in ethnically diverse settings or who possess varied language skills and have a record of successful experience in engaging diverse communities and student populations. Additional information about the university and the academic mission may be found at www.adams.edu/academics/