Assistant Professor — History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture of Indigenous North America (Tenure Track)

The Department of Art & Design at the University of Alberta invites applications for a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor position with a specialization in History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture of Indigenous North America. This position is to commence on July 1, 2024.

The History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture (HADVC) division focuses on historically-informed ways of seeing and thinking about images and objects. Its faculty members embrace theoretically-informed and creative methods of research as well as teaching. We are seeking a colleague whose research and teaching focuses on Indigenous North America, with an emphasis on diverse visual media such as material culture, photography, installation, and curation. We are particularly interested in candidates who include Canada in their research and teaching.

The HADVC division supports undergraduate major and honors programs across the department, and it delivers two MA programs and the Department’s PhD program. In addition to Art & Design students, HADVC faculty teach large numbers of students from across the Faculty of Arts and the University. Courses range from the early modern to contemporary eras in Europe, East Asia, and the Americas, exploring fine and applied arts, design, and visual cultures.

Applicants will have a growing record of scholarship and/or an established curatorial practice in their field, be able to establish/continue a successful research and creative activity program, and be able to integrate it into teaching and learning opportunities for students. Applicants must have the capacity to effectively teach lectures and seminars at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and to engage in the collective life of the University through service and administrative roles. The successful candidate will have an aptitude for working in team situations and an interest in innovative modes of interdisciplinary teaching, as well as the desire to foster creative and critical thinking in our students. The candidate is also expected to participate actively in Departmental, Faculty, and University activities.

Duties

The successful candidate will:

• Teach four courses per academic year (distributed across the year) including existing graduate and undergraduate courses, with the opportunity to develop and teach additional courses in their areas of expertise;
• Supervise graduate students and serve on graduate committees in the HADVC division and elsewhere in the university;
• Conduct a robust research and creative activity program within their area(s) of expertise;
• Collaborate with sectors outside of academia, including community groups, non-profits, and industry; and
• Engage in active and effective service to the Department of Art & Design, the Faculty of Arts, the University of Alberta, and external communities as appropriate to their career stage.

Minimum Qualifications

The successful candidate will have:

• a terminal degree in the field (PhD in Art History, Visual Culture, or a related/relevant academic discipline);
• evidence of research and creative activity within their area(s) of practice;
• teaching experience at the university level commensurate with their career stage;
• active engagement in research, creative activity and scholarship in the field; and,
• demonstrated commitment to the visual realm, broadly construed.

The Department of Art & Design
The Department of Art & Design offers popular degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Fine Arts, Design Studies, and HADVC, and faculty members in HADVC teach core classes required by all three. The department also encompasses the FAB Gallery and a Visual Resource Centre. For more information about the department, please consult the department website at  https://www.ualberta.ca/art-design/

The Department of Art & Design is committed to building and supporting an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce. We particularly welcome applications from women; First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons; members of visible minority groups; persons with disabilities; persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression; and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Working at the University
The University of Alberta is one of Canada's largest and most-respected research universities. With a metropolitan area population of approximately 1.5 million people, Edmonton is home to numerous arts and music festivals, has an excellent public school system, a diverse population, and boasts the largest system of urban parkland in North America. Edmonton and the University of Alberta are situated on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional meeting ground and home for many Indigenous Peoples, including Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Métis, and Nakota Sioux.

For more information about the University of Alberta and Edmonton, please visit http://www.ualberta.ca and http://www.infoedmonton.com

Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications in accordance with the Faculty Agreement as per the negotiated salary scales.

How to Apply

To have your application considered, please select the Apply Online icon below and submit the following

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (please include the names of three referees, letters of reference will only be requested for selected interview candidates and only after permission is granted. Referees should be prepared to send their letters by late December)
• Teaching Dossier that includes evidence of, or potential for, teaching effectiveness. This can include a statement of teaching philosophy, a brief description of your approach to teaching, or brief descriptions of courses you have taught or would be interested in teaching. Full syllabi are not required. (Attach under "Statement of Teaching/Research Interests")
• Proposed Program of Research & Creative Activity (1–2 pages). (Attach under "Research Plan")
• EDI (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Statement about the importance of EDI to your teaching, research, and service. (Attach under "EDI Philosophy")

Specific questions about the position can be addressed to Aidan Rowe, Chair, Department of Art & Design at [email protected]

Review of applications will start on November 20, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled, with a targeted start date of July 1, 2024. 

The University of Alberta is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage applicants who are women; First Nations, Métis and Inuit; members of visible minority groups; people with disabilities; people of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression; and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and the University to apply.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. If suitable Canadian citizens or permanent residents cannot be found, other individuals will be considered. 

As part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program requirements, the university must conduct recruitment efforts to hire Canadians and permanent residents before offering a job to a temporary foreign worker. To ensure we remain in compliance with these regulations, please include the appropriate statement in your application "I am a Canadian Citizen/Permanent Resident" or "I am not a Canadian Citizen/Permanent Resident".

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.