Job Vacancy

Position Information

Functional Title Associate Professor, Photography Position Details

Job Description Summary

The University of La Verne is a private not-for-profit university founded in 1891 located in La Verne, California. The core values that we live by are Ethical Reasoning, Diversity and Inclusivity, Lifelong Learning and Community and Civic Engagement.

>>>If you’re passionate about these values, join us at the University of La Verne!

The Department of Photography at the University of La Verne invites applications for a full-time, ten-month tenure-track appointment at the associate professor rank to begin in Fall 2019 in the area of photography, visual media/literacy, and design. While the department has a long history of offering a solid photography major, we are at a crossroads of re-imagining the photography department as an interdisciplinary offering within the larger liberal arts and sciences context. This position will be pivotal to the reimagining process. As such, we are seeking a seasoned academic with professional experience to assist in this re-imagining process.

The University of La Verne offers a bachelor’s degree in photography. Committed to educating the whole person, the Department of Photography’s mission is aligned with the core values and mission of the University of La Verne. The curriculum integrates an interdisciplinary approach to the study of photography. We encourage students to explore, comprehend, apply and evaluate photographic technique, address contemporary considerations of the chemical and digital photographic craft, and engage in thoughtful and collegial consideration of the history of the medium, its effects and its future. The Department of Photography includes two “learning lab” assets: The Irene Carlson Gallery of Photography and the Staff Photography Archive.

The Irene Carlson Gallery of Photography, which is managed by the department, was founded in 1990 on the garden-level of Miller Hall. The gallery presents four exhibitions by contemporary photographers each year. Learn more about the exhibition programs and its history at https://sites.laverne.edu/photography/irene-carlson-gallery/

Additionally, the Staff Photography Archive is a managed digital asset image bank comprised of student photographs taken in tandem with their assignments for the campus newspaper and magazine. Established circa 1983, the Archive continues to accumulate documentary content offering a rich visual history of the University of La Verne.

To learn more about the department visit https://sites.laverne.edu/photography/

Specific Duties

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Teaching six courses per year inclusive of a wide array of photography courses, including photographic history, theory, traditional black and white and color materials, studio lighting, and senior projects.

• Advising and mentoring students, internship development, curriculum review, new and online course development.

• Faculty service and providing leadership for a team of dedicated adjunct/senior adjunct faculty.

• Supervision of Photography Department Manager
• Ability to provide administrative leadership in managing an academic program and working with other interdisciplinary programs

• Contributions to curatorial services for the Irene Carlson Gallery of Photography, other administrative duties.

Minimum Qualifications

• Evidence of effective teaching, successful record in research/creative arts, and a terminal degree (PhD or MFA) in an appropriately related academic field of study are expected.

• The successful candidate for this position should have a record of significant professional and/or teaching experience in photographic history, theory, and practice with applying photographic craft with interdisciplinary approaches. Candidates with backgrounds in visual or digital media and publishing for news are also highly desirable. Academic department management is also desireable.

• Successful teaching is a hallmark of this department. The department is committed to making sure students receive instruction and hands-on experiences in the applied crafts in photography being used as a discipline which intersects culture and enterprise. Knowledge of industry expectations, imaging trends and issues of visual literacy is required. A significant publishing history, curatorial experience and/or exhibition record is expected. Some working experience or comprehensive conversant capability with darkroom alternative processes and Lightroom and Photoshop is essential. The willingness to be innovative and passionate about the field and demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset in pedagogy and in regards to industry will enhance this candidate’s application.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated enthusiasm and creative pedagogical approaches to instruction in the history of the photographic craft, in the most basic fundamentals of the crafts of photography and in interdisciplinary opportunities that demonstrate the profound effects of photography across all disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences.

• Desire to contribute to the cultural life of the University and the La Verne community and expand the conversation on photography in regular community outreach.

• A record of successful grant and/or fellowships is a plus.

• A terminal degree (PhD or MFA) in an appropriately related academic field of study.

Benefits Summary

Salary will be commensurate with experience and internal equity. Benefits include a comprehensive health and wellness plan, tuition remission program for employee, spouse, and dependent children, a generous 10% contribution to the University’s 403B retirement plan, and a generous time off plan.
Employment is contingent upon successful completion and clearance of a background check and employment verification.

U.S. News & World Report rates La Verne Online No. 1 in California for the third consecutive year and 24th best in the country. Washington Monthly’s 2016 “America’s Best Colleges for Adult Learners” rankings place La Verne No. 3 among private, 4-year institutions in California.
La Verne is Tier 1 in U.S. News 2017 “America’s Best Colleges” National University rankings for the seventh straight year, and again made Forbes “America’s Top Colleges” rating (WASC Accredited).

Location La Verne Central Campus Posting Details

Posting Number 20160113FA Special Instructions to Applicants

Priority review of applications will begin October 15 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a cover letter of interest describing your teaching philosophy and research experience, curriculum vita, evidence of teaching effectiveness (including recent course evaluations and syllabi) and the names, positions, contact phone and email addresses for three professional references.

Open Date 08/27/2018 Close Date Open Until Filled Yes Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
   • InsideHigherEd.com
   • HigherEdjobs.com
   • Referred by University of La Verne Employee
   • University of La Verne Website
   • ScholarlyHires.com
   • Other

Applicant Documents Required Documents

1. Cover Letter with Teaching Philosophy
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Graduate School Transcripts
4. Course Syllabi
5. Teaching Evaluations
6. List of 3-5 Professional References

Optional Documents

1. Letter of Recommendation 1
2. Letter of Recommendation 2
3. Letter of Recommendation 3
4. Research Agenda
5. Transcripts
6. Student Evaluations
7. Samples of Published Research
8. Peer-reviewed publication
9. Sample Materials