Full-time Faculty in Art and Technology Studies
The Department of Art and Technology Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) seeks exceptional applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty member with a commitment to excellence in teaching and to innovative professional practice, beginning in August 2014.
The department seeks artists who work directly with code-based and generative art practices. The ideal candidate will provide leadership in one or more of the department’s areas of focus: DIY, open source and community-based art, kinetics, electronics and mechatronics, interactive and responsive art, emerging materials, digital fabrication and bio-art, performance and experimental audio, experimental visualization and object-making, gaming, augmented reality, social and locative media, networks, and other technology-centered practices. It is important that candidates demonstrate their integration of a skills base with a strong conceptual and historical grasp of contemporary issues in the intersecting worlds of art, science, technology, and new media.
Given its position in an art school with a interdisciplinary focus, the Department of Art and Technology Studies is committed to alternative forms and practices that emphasize innovation with code, software, hardware, and various forms of technology. We recognize that current artistic practices combine media within several modes of exhibition; including but not limited to theaters, galleries, museums, festivals, podcasts, websites, and workshops.
About the Department
The Art and Technology Studies Department is one of 23 departments at SAIC. It is chaired by a full-time faculty member with five full-time faculty and 20 part-time faculty who offer 60 courses each year with average enrollments of 10 to 15 students per course and who work with 20 dedicated Master of Fine Arts (MFA) students through individual tutorial sessions.
Responsibilities
Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to teach both theory and practice; participate in curricular initiatives and strategic planning; and teach undergraduate and graduate students in a fine art and design context, and advise graduate students in a tutorial environment. Faculty are expected maintain an active professional practice, and participate in the development of the department, and in faculty governance of SAIC.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will be an accomplished, versatile artist with relevant teaching experience, and expertise in contemporary approaches, concepts, techniques, and critical issues as they pertain to art and technology, and art in general. The ideal candidate is committed to teaching studio courses from the foundations level to the graduate level, while creating a critical and inventive environment in the classroom. Applicants should be familiar with various methods of production in the field—and some level of proficiency in computer programming would be highly regarded by the committee. MFA or relevant terminal degree is required; a minimum of three years teaching experience at the college level is preferred. Rank and salary are competitive with peer institutions; and are commensurate with quality of scholarship or practice, extent of teaching experience, and current professional standing.
Application Procedure
By or before Monday, January 6, 2014 please submit an application at SAICfaculty.slideroom.com. You will be asked to create an account, and then complete the application that is a combination 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, and once an application is begun, there is a grace period for additions or revisions. No late applications may be submitted beyond the deadline for any reason.
Complete the fields for: a cover letter stating your interests and qualifications, artist statement, a statement of teaching philosophy, and contact information for three professional references. Required files to upload include: curriculum vitae, sample syllabi for an undergraduate studio course, and documentation of professional work (e.g., portfolio/support materials or other documents as appropriate).
