Assistant Professor of Studio Art

Stetson University seeks a studio artist whose practice emphasizes ceramics, sculpture and/or other 3-dimensional media for a 9-month, full-time, tenure-track appointment as an Assistant Professor of Studio Art, beginning in Fall 2022.

QUALIFICATIONS:

We seek a teacher-scholar who is committed to undergraduate education and modeling an active and engaged creative agenda for our students. Ideally, this new colleague should also be committed to pursuing collaborations with other creative disciplines on campus, such as theatre arts, digital arts, creative writing and/or music, within the context of the intense and rigorous intellectual culture of the University. We are particularly interested in an artist whose research and artistic practice engages with one or more of the following areas: race, class, gender, queer aesthetics, body politics, questions of identity and social belonging, digital culture, popular culture, immigration, sustainability or related issues.

The successful candidate must hold an MFA or equivalent terminal degree in Studio Art, Ceramics, Sculpture, or another relevant discipline and must be conversant with and engaged in contemporary practices of 3-D art and other relevant media. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated record of creative projects that have been programmed for public exhibition. Candidates should also have a strong commitment to innovative teaching, a creative approach to pedagogical design and implementation, and a strong commitment to all aspects of diversity in our learning-centered community.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position will carry a 3/3 teaching load. Primary teaching responsibilities will include introductory sculpture and/or ceramics courses for both majors and non-majors, in addition to more advanced courses in these fields. Other courses will be based on the candidate’s expertise and may include offerings for the University’s general education curriculum.  Additional responsibilities will include mentoring students academically and professionally, especially during the completion of capstone projects and portfolio evaluations. Studio and classroom maintenance is expected, with assistance from work-study students. Service to the Department, the College of Arts and Sciences, the University, and the profession is required. For more information on our expectations in teaching and scholarship, our tenure policies, and our support for faculty development, please see the Academic Affairs website at http://www.stetson.edu/administration/provost/prospective-faculty/index.php. 

THE DEPARTMENT:

The Creative Arts Department is home to academic programs in Studio Art, Art History, Digital Arts, and Theatre Arts. United in the study and practice of creative endeavors, the department fosters collaboration on curricular offerings and event programming at the Hand Art Center and Second Stage Theatre.

THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:

Stetson’s College of Arts and Sciences (http://www.stetson.edu/portal/artsci/) is the largest and most diverse of the University’s colleges and schools. With nineteen academic departments and nine interdisciplinary programs, the College is the liberal arts core of the University; it includes the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, education, and creative arts. A great strength of the College is its faculty of approximately 140 full-time teacher-scholars. The College offers 31 undergraduate majors and 34 undergraduate minors; six graduate degrees are offered in Education, Counselor Education, and Creative Writing. Every undergraduate major requires a senior research project, giving students the opportunity to design and carry out independent research under faculty mentorship. Our academic programs are shaped by the values of social justice and civic responsibility.

All of our courses and programs of study promote engaged learning, whereby students create connections between the classroom or lab and the local, regional, and global community. The academic programs of the College of Arts and Sciences prepare students to live significant lives, interact with and positively affect the world around them.

THE UNIVERSITY:

Founded in 1883, Stetson University (http://www.stetson.edu) is a private, selective university comprised of a rich array of liberal arts and professional academic programs. Collectively, Stetson’s faculty works with nearly 4,000 students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The University’s historic main campus, located in DeLand, enrolls more than 3,000 students in undergraduate programs in the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business Administration, and the School of Music. Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s first law school, moved from the main campus to Gulfport in 1954, and, with the addition of the Tampa Law Center, serves approximately 1,000 students working full-time or part-time toward J.D. or LL.M. degrees. Graduate programs offered include Business, Accounting, Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Creative Writing. Florida’s oldest private institution of higher learning, Stetson has regularly been ranked among the best regional universities in the Southeast and was the first private college in Florida to be granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Stetson University provides an inspiring education that engages students with rigorous academic and creative study grounded in liberal learning and promotes civic values of personal and social responsibility. Working closely with faculty and with one another, students cultivate abilities to explore issues deeply, think critically, reason empirically, speak persuasively and connect ideas creatively. Firmly committed to inclusive excellence, our vibrant community of teacher-scholars nurtures the potential of individual students to lead lives of significance and prepares each to meet the challenges of shaping the future—locally, nationally, and globally. Stetson University affirms cultural diversity and inclusion as a core value of academic excellence. We are committed to achieving equal access in education, employment, and participation through the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds, and to meaningful academic and intellectual transformation in curriculum, research and service. We are dedicated to actions and policies that foster a community in which individuals with various identities, cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints work together to create opportunities for engagement through rewarding and fulfilling careers and personal experiences in a culturally and racially diverse society and a globalized world.

THE COMMUNITY:

DeLand is a picturesque residential community of 35,000 located 20 miles west of Daytona Beach and 35 miles northeast of Orlando. The area offers extensive cultural as well as recreational activities.

SALARY: Salary is competitive.

STARTING DATE: August 10, 2022

APPLICATION:

For initial consideration, applicants should submit a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae, and a list of three references.  In the cover letter, candidates are encouraged to highlight skills and experiences that demonstrate their ability to teach the courses listed above, additional courses that fit within their expertise, and how they might be able to contribute to the Studio Art Program and Creative Arts Department. In addition, candidates are encouraged to highlight skills and experiences that demonstrate a commitment to social justice, diversity, and inclusion. Finally, candidates must provide an electronic portfolio, preferably online, although CDs, DVDs, and USB drives are acceptable. The electronic portfolio should include 15-20 samples of work, collated in a single PDF. Please include titles and a materials list along with the images. If available, candidates are encouraged to send 15-20 samples of student work as well, collated in a single PDF.  Any works (or media) submitted in physical form will not be returned.  Finalists will be encouraged to present original work if they are selected for a campus visit (either in person or virtually).

All information may be submitted electronically to Dr. Julia Schmitt, Search Committee Chair, at . While electronic submissions are preferred, alternatively application materials may be mailed to

Dr. Julia Schmitt, Search Committee Chair

Department of Creative Arts

Stetson University

421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8252

DeLand, FL 32723

Review of applications will begin on December 15, 2021, and continue until the position is filled.

Stetson University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that affirms cultural diversity and inclusion as a core value of academic excellence at Stetson University. We are committed to achieving equal access in education, employment, and participation through the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds, and to meaningful academic and intellectual transformation in curriculum, research and service. We are dedicated to actions and policies that foster a community in which individuals with various identities, cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints work together to create opportunities for engagement through rewarding and fulfilling careers and personal experiences in a culturally and racially diverse society and a globalized world. We strongly encourage members of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged groups and women to apply for employment. Stetson University is an EEO, ADA, ADEA, and GINA employer.