Assistant Professor in Art History – Asian Art
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar)
Art History Program
This full-time, 9-month position is at the rank of Assistant Professor, is non-tenure-eligible, and begins July 10, 2022*.
Application Deadline: For best consideration, applications are due November 30, 2021.
The Opportunity:
VCUarts Qatar (https://qatar.vcu.edu/) seeks an art historian specializing in the arts of Asia, specifically East Asia, to teach undergraduate courses in support of the Bachelor of Arts in Art History curriculum. Applicants must demonstrate potential to teach courses in different areas of Asian art. We seek to complement current departmental expertise with a candidate whose scholarly interests bridge the historical and the contemporary in Asian visual culture. We especially welcome researchers engaged in the study of visual and material cultures that involve issues of power, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, gender, and/or class.
VCUarts Qatar’s Art History Program is based on the curriculum offered to students pursuing the corresponding degree on our main campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. It is the only undergraduate degree program of its kind in the Gulf region and offers a distinctive concentration in Islamic art within a global perspective. It shifts a Western-oriented curriculum prevalent in most university Art History programs to one that encompasses a multicultural and global approach. VCUarts Qatar is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty committed to teaching and working in an inclusive environment and strongly encourages applications from all racial, ethnic, gender, and social identities.
Position Responsibilities:
This position is a 9-month non-tenure-eligible faculty position in the VCUarts Qatar Art History Program with an academic rank of Assistant Professor. Instructional responsibilities comprise development and teaching of undergraduate courses including introductory surveys of art, upper-level offerings in the faculty member’s area of specialization, and core requirements including ARTH 292 Writing for Art History, ARTH 390 Art Historical Methods, and potentially ARTH 302 Introduction to Museums, on rotation with other faculty. Course assignments will change based on demand and will be at the discretion of the Program Director. The current course catalogue can be found here: http://bulletin.vcu.edu/undergraduate/arts/school-arts-qatar/art-history-ba/#coursestext.
The faculty member is expected to mentor students; integrate innovative pedagogical and technological approaches, and multicultural perspectives into instructional methods; and foster collaborative teaching partnerships across Education City and the main VCU campus. In support of the unit’s strong commitment to diversity, the faculty member is expected to foster a hospitable learning environment for all students. The faculty member should generate national and international academic, community, and scholarly partnerships, including relationships with Qatar Museums and other institutions in the Arab Gulf region.
The faculty member’s research activity should make a significant contribution to a body of knowledge within the discipline of art history (or cognate field) and reflect a high standard of quality. The faculty member will be expected to secure extramural research funding. The faculty member must demonstrate an active professional career and scholarly activities related to the program’s curriculum, and be consistent with and support the broader mission and initiatives of the department, School, and University.
As a member of a community-oriented, tight-knit department and School, the faculty member will provide service such as directing and assisting with student, department, and school-wide initiatives; developing and fostering student internships; and serving on department/School/University committees. In addition, the faculty member is expected to serve as a peer reviewer, organizer of conferences and/or conference sessions, and to retain membership in professional associations and provide professional service. Other responsibilities may be assigned by the Program Director or university administration.
Required Qualifications:
· PhD in Art History or a cognate field.
· Two years or more of teaching as instructor-of-record within an English-language university.
· Demonstrated establishment of a research agenda and clear potential for external funding.
· Demonstrated commitment to academic service within university and professional organizations.
· Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU.
· Must have strong collaboration skills, and demonstrate enthusiasm toward teaching and interacting within a multicultural environment as a faculty member at VCUarts Qatar.
· Experiential learning through lived experiences and/or professional service that inform perspectives about minority group status to include race, age, ethnicity, gender, religion, and disability.
Preferred Qualifications:
· University teaching experience in an ESL context outside of North America or Europe.
· Grounding in current theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical discourses within the discipline.
Application Instructions:
Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to organizational diversity, equity and inclusion – an environment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excellence.
Applicants are requested to submit a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (typically between 150-300 words) providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through this statement, you can share how your lived experiences, and academic and professional activities will impact your contribution to VCU’s mission of promoting equity and inclusion.
Note: Examples include working with others to further the goals of equity and inclusion; leading in any capacity that tangibly promotes an environment where diversity is welcomed, fostered, and celebrated; creative activity, research and scholarship that promotes equity and parity; teaching and mentoring students, and/or engaging with faculty and/or staff from traditionally underrepresented groups to create a positive and successful organizational experience. For additional guidance on writing a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: https://provost.vcu.edu/faculty/prospective/.
In addition, the following documents should submitted:
· A Letter of Interest (address interest and qualifications for the position; include discussion of research agenda and service activities)
· Curriculum vitae
· Reflective teaching statement (include approaches and philosophies; evidence of effective teaching; and potential courses in area of specialization)
· Writing sample (published or under-review article or chapter)
· List of three professional references including names with titles and contact information (references will not be checked prior to candidate’s approval).
Only electronic applications submitted via the VCU Jobs Website will be accepted. For best consideration, completed applications are due by Tuesday, November 30, 2021. Questions about the application process should be directed to Tasia Robinson, HR Administrator at thompsontl5@vcu.edu; questions about the position may be directed to the program director Dr. Radha Dalal at rjdalal@vcu.edu.
*This full-time, 9-month position is at the rank of Assistant Professor, is non-tenure-eligible, and begins July 10, 2021. Qatar is hosting the next FIFA World Cup from November 17 through December 21, 2022. VCUarts Qatar, along with the other international branch campuses based in Education City, is adjusting its 2022/2023 academic calendar so that local venues, facilities, and grounds can be utilized to host World Cup events, activities, and celebrations. Thus, classes for the Fall 2022 semester will begin on July 31, 2022, with faculty required to be in Qatar by July 25, 2022. VCUarts Qatar will resume its standard academic calendar for 2023/2024, with classes starting in late August 2023. Additional details will be shared with candidates during the application process.
VCUarts Qatar:
VCUarts Qatar is the international branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts (VCUarts). Located in Richmond, Virginia, VCUarts (www.arts.vcu.edu) is the top-ranked public art school in the U.S. VCUarts Qatar was established in 1998 through a partnership with the Qatar Foundation and offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design, graphic design, interior design and painting & printmaking; a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history; and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design. Located in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, VCUarts Qatar is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The current student body represents a diverse range of nationalities with students coming from 35 countries.
VCUarts Qatar is dedicated to global outreach and education and provides students with an environment for cross-cultural exchange that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation. Examples of this mission are the two significant international conferences hosted by VCUarts Qatar—the biennial design conference, Tasmeem and the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art. VCUarts Qatar attracts globally recognized designers, artists and scholars while fostering partnerships within the region, and beyond, that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of Qatar. Having established itself as a center of excellence for education and research, VCUarts Qatar has substantial involvement with the influential art and design world of the Middle East, and is a catalyst for the growth and development of these fields in the region. VCUarts Qatar has 154 full-time faculty and staff and a student body of 324. VCUarts Qatar was the first campus established in Education City, a unique 2500-acre multiversity campus. VCUarts Qatar was joined by Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Carnegie-Mellon University, Texas A&M University, Weill Cornell Medical College, Northwestern University, HEC Paris and University College of London.
Qatar, with English as the standard second language, is a progressive country in the Arabian Gulf and remains one of the healthiest economies in the Gulf region. Doha offers all the conveniences found in a contemporary and cosmopolitan city, while honoring a rich tradition that is evident in the old markets and the city’s Islamic Arab architecture. The National Museum of Qatar, designed by Jean Nouvel, opened in March 2019 while the Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M.Pei opened in November 2008 and the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf) opened in 2010. The U.S. Embassy considers Qatar among the safest countries in the world for Americans.
VCUarts:
Ranked by US News & World Report as a top-five arts and design school, VCUarts (arts.vcu.edu) includes over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students with nationally recognized programs in design, visual and performing arts, and has an annual budget of $38 million and an endowment of more than $13.5 million. Students are taught by over 175 full-time teaching and research faculty members and the school is supported by over 50 staff members that assist in daily processes. The School includes two campuses; one in Richmond and one in Doha, Qatar. The Richmond campus is located on the university’s 75-acre Monroe Park campus situated in the city’s historic Fan District. Ultimately, the work of the School of the Arts extends globally with partnerships throughout the world and across fields as diverse as the humanities, health care and business.
To Apply:
To apply, please submit application materials via the VCU Jobs Website
