FULL-TIME FACULTY POSITION IN PHOTOGRAPHY

The Department of Photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) invites applications for a full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty position, beginning August 2017. The ideal candidate will contribute to a diverse studio department and provide innovative approaches to collaboration, teaching, community engagement, technology, or other aspects of new photographic practices. Rank and salary are competitive with peer institutions and are commensurate with level of practice, scholarship, extent of teaching experience, and current professional standing. The ideal candidate will contribute to the diversity of the School by bringing a perspective, way of thinking, and/or a unique set of experiences that expand the intellectual conversations and artistic practice in the field.

PROGRAM PROFILE
The Department of Photography offers 60 courses each year with approximately 500 enrollments and 16-20 dedicated MFA students. It embraces a diverse philosophy towards the discipline, and seeks energetic and visionary practitioners actively engaged in extending the multiple traditions and emerging practices in the expanded field of contemporary photography.

Students use a broad range of media and methods with an emphasis on individual practice, research, and historical precedents. The Department prepares students to become independent, self-directed artists, scholars, and citizens. The department establishes a learning environment that values respectful questioning and creative subversion, facilitating the process by which our students become active participants in the transformation of material and intellectual culture. The School’s interdisciplinary openness challenges each student to take responsibility for their own learning within and across the lines of traditional disciplines. Models of civic and social engagement set examples for students’ guided construction of themselves as global citizens in a world of intensifying diversity.

The Department fosters a multidisciplinary, multicultural curriculum through self-initiated individual projects and active student participation in visual, aesthetic and intellectual research. Students are immersed in a culture of public critique of their own and others’ creative work in an atmosphere of supportive challenge. We aspire to integrative, critical thinking, and the actions such thinking generates. Further information about the department can be found at http://www.saic.edu/academics/departments/photo/

RESPONSIBILITIES
Full-time faculty teach undergraduate and graduate level studio classes, seminars, and graduate tutorials within the Photography Department and the School in the context of an interdisciplinary art school curriculum. Faculty members are expected to maintain active professional careers and also participate in departmental and school-wide committees, service, and governance. The successful candidate must be capable of performing administrative duties, and provide vision and direction as the department chair on a rotating basis.

QUALIFICATIONS
MFA or equivalent terminal degree preferred. A minimum of 3 years college-level teaching experience required. Candidates are expected to have an active studio practice, and be accomplished, versatile artists. Successful candidates will have expertise in all or most technical aspects of digital and analog photography, with a comprehensive knowledge of photographic history. They will demonstrate the ability to teach both theory and practice, to participate in curricular initiatives and strategic planning for the department, and to teach undergraduate and graduate students in a fine art and design context. Candidates must have an expansive understanding of contemporary approaches to the medium, conceptual and critical issues relevant to contemporary art, and be a complement to the current faculty’s wide range of established and new genre practices.

The ability to communicate with both graduate and undergraduate students on multiple levels is essential, as is the interest to participate in an ongoing conversation about curriculum and the evolution and future of the discipline within the department and the art world.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
By or before Saturday, December 31, 2016 please submit application materials at http://SAICfaculty.slideroom.com. You will be asked to create an account after which time you may complete the application comprised of fill-in fields and uploaded documents. SAIC will underwrite the application fees; you will not be charged to apply for the position. You are encouraged to begin the application well before the deadline. No applications may be submitted beyond the deadline for any reason.

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 interests and qualifications; curriculum vitae; artist statement; statement of teaching philosophy; sample syllabi for a 15 week studio course that would reflect your own interest in theory, research and/or studio practice; and portfolio of creative work and support materials or other documents as appropriate.

QUESTIONS
Questions regarding the School and its open positions, application procedures, or the search process may be emailed to [email protected]. Please consult www.saic.edu for information on the School and its programs, or www.saic.edu/about/jobsatsaic 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 trans-disciplinary 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.

The School currently enrolls 3,590 students in 15 studio departments and 8 academic departments. There are 153 full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty and visiting artists, and 693 adjunct and part-time faculty supported by 300 staff.

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 in 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; Modern and Contemporary Art History; Art Therapy; New Arts Journalism; Teaching; Visual and Critical Studies; and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation.

EOE
The Art Institute of Chicago, including both the school and the museum, is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for its students, visitors, faculty, and staff, and to ensuring that educational and employment decisions are based on an individual’s abilities and qualifications. The Art Institute of Chicago does not tolerate unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or former military status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law, in its programs and activities, public accommodations or employment practices. The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Title IX Coordinator
Michael Nicolai, Vice President for Human Resources, Human Resources Department, 116 S. Michigan Ave., suite 1200 Chicago, IL 60603, 312.629.9411, [email protected]

Section 504 Coordinator
Felice Dublon, PhD, Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs, The Office of Student Affairs, 36 S. Wabash Ave., suite 1204, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.629.6800, [email protected].

For further information on notice of nondiscrimination, see the Office for Civil Rights Discrimination Complaint Form for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area, or call 800.421.3481.