THOMPSON ENDOWED PROFESSOR/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR in MEDIA, ART & DESIGN / UMKC School of Humanities and Social Sciences
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Kansas City, MO
Full-time
Education
Posted on January 21, 2023
Hiring Department
The Department of Media, Art and Design
University of Missouri-Kansas City
The Department of Media, Art and Design programs provide students with tools to develop creative and critical thinking skills, visual and verbal communication abilities, and versatility in professional and personal situations. We offer BA degrees in Studio Art, Film and Media Arts, Art History, and Media, Art and Design. We serve a variety of students including non-majors and non-traditional students. Our faculty includes nationally exhibiting artists and filmmakers, and actively publishing art historians and film scholars. The department's own UMKC Gallery of Art, which hosts visiting artists, scholars and gallery exhibitions, supplements coursework and provides unique interactive learning opportunities outside of the classroom. We engage students in high-impact learning trips, such as to local artists' studios and active art hubs across the country. As an urban university, our physical proximity and professional connections to museums, studios and organizations in Kansas City offer students additional opportunities for internships, as well as access to visiting artists and enrichment programs to enhance their education.
The new School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) was established in the summer of 2022. SHSS includes the departments of Media, Art and Design; Communication and Journalism; English Language and Literature; Foreign Languages and Literatures; History; Sociology and Anthropology; Economics; Political Science and Philosophy; Race, Ethnic and Gender Studies; and Criminal Justice and Criminology.The academic realignment allows faculty and programs to optimize resources and provide greater opportunity for collaborative pedagogy, research and student success.
Job Description
The Department of Media, Art and Design at the University of Missouri-Kansas City is conducting a search for the Dorothy and Dale Thompson Missouri Professorship in the Arts with a focus on interactive design and emerging creative technologies. Endowed professorships are among the most prestigious positions in the university and are reserved for the most distinguished scholars and leaders. Individuals appointed to these positions are expected to enhance the quality of the university's academic programs through their contributions to teaching and scholarship. These positions also enhance the reputation of the university and help to attract high-achieving students and faculty members. Applicants for this endowed Dposition are encouraged to review UMKC's Guidelines for Evaluation of Endowed Chairs and Professors at the following link:https://info.umkc.edu/academichiring/endowed-chairs-professorships/. We are seeking an exceptional faculty member in the rank of Associate or Full Professor to fulfill this full-time, benefit-eligible, 9-month endowed professorship position.
Specifically, we are seeking applications from candidates who possess an understanding of the critical, historical and theoretical aspects of technology within visual arts. The ideal candidate will demonstrate proficiency with current industry tools, and the ability to teach processes, methodologies, standards and practices in one or more of the following areas: UI/UX, motion graphics, animation, game design, AR/VR, experiential design, data visualization, or other technologies for artists and designers. The candidate should be especially insightful to the ways in which these areas can enhance community and culture through storytelling.
The successful candidate will demonstrate an exceptional approach to their own creative research, developing and maintaining a national and international reputation through projects, writings, lectures and other creative outlets. The selected candidate also will have a fundamental role in shaping the future of media art and design at UMKC and its relationship to the university, and the local/global design community. They will have an important role in mentoring underserved students. They will be expected to participate in developing a new curriculum around their expertise.
Minimum Qualifications
AnMFAor otherterminal degreein a related field is required, as well asrank of Associate Professor or Professorat the applicant's current institution.
Full Time/Part Time
Full-time, benefit-eligible, ranked, tenure-eligible, 9-month endowed professorship position.
Application Deadline
Review of applications will begin on February 24, 2023, and continue until the position is filled.
Application Instructions
Application materials must be submitted online athttps://info.umkc.edu/hr/careers/academic-positions/Job ID 44738.
Please upload a letter of interest addressing qualifications and teaching philosophy, which includes success with inclusive pedagogy and mentoring of students from underrepresented groups; a curriculum vitae; a list of three academic and/or professional references with full current contact information; and a portfolio documenting creative, academic, and/or professional experience. Please note that the maximum file size is 11MB for each document.
Questions about the position can be directed to the search committee via Professor Ricky Allman atallmanrw@umkc.edu.
Comments
Kansas City is a diverse and vibrant community. Our UMKC campuses are centered in the hubs of business activity, cultural arts, (some great barbeque and ethnic cuisine!) and health science research engagement for both the Volker and Health Sciences campuses. As one of the largest cities in Missouri, we are home to national championship sports teams, a rich history of cultural arts and music, NASCAR racing, and a community that is very engaged with and supportive of our university initiatives. Our beautiful state has rolling hills, rivers, lakes, and long bike/hiking trails for those that enjoy time in the great outdoors. Kansas City offers something for everyone!
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Diversity, equity and inclusion are central to the UMKC mission as an urban-serving institution. Kansas City is a particularly diverse city, including African, African American, Asian, German, Irish, Italian, Latino, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern,Native Americanand Slaviccommunities. Such ethnic diversity, in addition to our thriving neighborhoods of the Westside, Northeast Kansas City and the Eastside, fosters creativity, connection and innovation, which is showcased across the region. Major attractions such as the Annual Ethnic Enrichment Festival, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Filipino Cultural Center, the American Jazz Museum, Guadalupe Centers and Mattie Rhodes and Kansas City Irish Fest are a small sample of the many ways our diverse city enriches us.
For the reasons enumerated above, UMKC's strategic plan prioritizes our commitment to multiculturalism, globalism, diversity and inclusion. The university's values call upon its faculty, staff, students and community to position themselves as global citizens who seek out, embrace and celebrate the many benefits of diversity.UMKC received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award in 2019 in recognition of our continued commitment to equity and inclusion.Such commitment is demonstrated across teaching, service and research. We welcome applicants to share in our commitment to these core values and know that you will quickly understand the beauty of calling Kansas City your home.
Please visit these pages to learn more about UMKC's engagement in diversity, equity and inclusion.
Roos Advocate for Community Change
The Division of Diversity and Inclusion
Annual Report
Multicultural Student Affairs
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