The School of Art and Art History and the Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Program at the University of Denver invite applications for a jointly appointed tenure-line Assistant Professor to start in Fall 2024 whose expertise lies at the intersection of critical theories of race and theories of contemporary art. The School of Art and Art History (SAAH) offers a BA in Art History, MA in Art History with a Museum Studies concentration option, a BA and BFA in Studio Art, and a BA, BFA, MA and MFA in Emergent Digital Practices. The Art History program has about 20 art history majors and 30 MA degree students in art history, most with an added concentration in Museum Studies. The Studio Program has 60 majors. The Critical Race and Ethnic Studies program (CRES) was founded in 2018 with an undergraduate minor. CRES now offers an undergraduate major and minor, has nearly 60 minors, and is composed of a tenured faculty director, two visiting faculty members, and numerous affiliated faculty members. CRES also has approval for additional faculty lines being added over the next few years.
Both programs serve undergraduate students across campus in the common curriculum. We are strongly committed to building a diverse and inclusive educational environment, which is in full accord with the value that DU places on its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to integrate content and issues relating to, and to work effectively with, ethnically/racially diverse populations.
The University of Denver is a mid-sized University of about 14,000 graduate and undergraduate students with average class sizes under 21 students and an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio. As the cultural center of the Rocky Mountain region, Denver has a wealth of institutional resources including the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art – Denver, the Clyfford Still Museum, the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Arts, and the Museo de las Americas. The School of Art has its own exhibition spaces including the Vicki Myhren Gallery, the Madden Museum, and the Davis Gallery. The University Art Collections seeks to build its holdings of work by artists who are historically underrepresented in institutional collections. Our current emphasis includes acquisitions of artwork by contemporary BIPOC artists with input from representative students, staff, and faculty.
Position Summary
For this jointly appointed tenure-line Assistant Professor position, we welcome candidates from various fields in contemporary art such as curatorial practice, art criticism, art history and studio art. This joint appointment will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and enhance the intellectual diversity of both departments, creating a unique opportunity for cross-pollination of ideas and pedagogical approaches. The ability to teach Introduction to Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Theories of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, a CRES capstone course in the scholars area of expertise, and upper-division CRES/SAAH cross-listed courses developed by the successful candidate is expected over time and will be rotated with other CRES jointly appointed faculty. There will also be opportunities to periodically teach graduate-level art history courses, if desired, as well.
During the first two years of the position, the faculty member will assist the Director of the CRES program in developing the new CRES major. To facilitate this, the faculty member will be protected from other substantial service obligations. After the first two years, the CRES program and School of Art and Art History have established a practical distribution of teaching and service obligations that will be decided triennially.
The ideal candidate demonstrates experience and versatility in inclusive pedagogies. We are especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute to diversity, equity and inclusion through their teaching, research, and service.
Essential Functions
- Pursue a research agenda that results in high-quality scholarly publications and, if applicable, art or curatorial practice.
- Teach five in-person courses over three ten-week quarters per academic year, including upper division courses cross-listed between SAAH and the CRES program, as well as introductory, theory, and senior capstone courses within the CRES program specifically. The teaching schedule will be coordinated with the CRES Director and the SAAH Director.
- Hold office hours outside of class, on campus and/or online, to provide guidance and assistance to students enrolled in courses taught.
- Employ best practices through the University of Denver’s current course management system (Canvas) to provide essential course information to students, and conduct class sessions and individual appointments remotely when needed.
- Advise students regarding CRES and SAAH program requirements.
- Serve as a reader for masters research papers.
- Contribute to University, College, departmental, and program service.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Advanced scholarly expertise in the field of curatorial practice, art criticism, art history or studio art, focusing on critical theories of race and theories of contemporary art.
- Successful publication of peer-reviewed written work
- Excellent skills in oral and written communication
- Excellent undergraduate teaching skills
- Ability to interact constructively with a diverse population of faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate students
Required Qualifications
- ABD in Art History or related field or MFA in Art or related field at time of appointment
- University teaching experience
- Actively involved in research and writing within area of expertise and presentations of scholarship at professional or academically recognized programs
Preferred Qualifications
- PhD in Art History or related field or MFA in Studio Art at the time of appointment
- Teaching experience as the sole instructor for the course
- Demonstrated potential for teaching and research excellence in critical theories of race and theories of contemporary art
- Evidence of a relevant established scholarly agenda that is indicated by peer-reviewed publications
- A demonstrated commitment to, and experience in, promoting DEI and in using inclusive pedagogies
Work Schedule
Faculty positions are on 9-month appointments. While the University’s administrative offices are open Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, faculty schedules vary from term to term and are based on courses taught, service commitments, and research agendas. The University’s academic calendars are posted on the registrar’s website (the law school is on a semester system and has a different academic calendar).
Application Deadline
For best consideration, please submit your application materials by 5:00 p.m. (MDT) October 2, 2023. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.
Special Instructions
Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.
Salary Grade Number:
The salary grade for the position is UC.
Salary Range:
The salary range for this position is $70,000.00 – $82,000.00.
The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidates sex or any other protected status.
Benefits:
The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.
For full consideration, please include the following documents with your application:
- CV that indicates scholarly specialization, publications and/or working papers, curatorial and creative research when applicable, and courses you have taught before as an instructor
- Cover Letter explaining your interest in and qualifications for this position
- Three distinct statements (1-2 pages each), combined into one document with identifying headers, that articulate your (a) research agenda, (b) teaching philosophy and methods to engage students, and (c) how your research, teaching, and/or service contribute to DUs values, practices, and actions regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Candidates can view DUs DEI Action Plan [https://www.du.edu/equity/dei-action-plan] and/or the College of Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) DEI Strategic Plan [https://liberalarts.du.edu/news-events/all-articles/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-strategic-plan-cahss] for reference.
- Three samples of written work (e.g., two chapters from dissertation or book and one article)
- Where applicable submit a portfolio of creative research and artwork: A single PDF including 10 images, may include up to 2 video links (max length of 2 mins); images should be labeled with title, year of creation, medium, and dimensions. A one-sentence description may be included per image if necessary.
- Evidence of teaching effectiveness such as two course syllabi (including project assignments), a list of three proposed courses fitting this position, a set of teaching evaluations from two different courses, and any other artifacts of teaching excellence (e.g., a teaching award), all combined into one pdf file with headers identifying each discrete component. Where applicable, include student artwork (10 images).
- For applicants who have not finished their PhD, please include graduate transcripts.
- Contact information for three professional/academic references who will be emailed to upload letters of recommendation if required.
The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. The University of Denver prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age (40 years and over in the employment context), religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, veterans status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the university’s educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended in 2008; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For the university’s complete Non-Discrimination Statement, please see non-discrimination-statement.
All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history background check.