TENURE-TRACK POSITION IN INTERMEDIA
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, MONTREAL
Concordia University’s Department of Communication Studies invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in INTERMEDIA. The Department has recently launched Intermedia as a fourth production stream in its highly selective undergraduate program, to complement established offerings in Film, Video, and Sound. This innovation has been broadly conceived to take account of the massive changes wrought by “the computerization of culture” in the arts, in professional practice, and in the academy. Our adoption of the term ‘intermedia’ is intended to address a confluence of media practices – diverse, hybrid, liminal, analog and digital – that cannot be easily captured in any one, established medium. The stream currently draws on the principles and practices of graphic design and typography, motion graphics, stopmotion animation, interactivity and database documentary.
In order to strengthen and advance this innovative curricular development in the field of communication studies we seek a highly qualified, conceptually oriented theorist-practitioner with an MFA, PhD, or equivalent in a related field, and a professional-level portfolio of creative work, who will collaborate in enriching and expanding this novel area of teaching, research and creative activity. Candidates will be expected to be active researchers and creators, teach and supervise students both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The ideal candidate might, for example, be especially active in research/creation in one or more of the following areas (and, ideally, conversant in at least a few of the others): analog/digital photography in any genre; minorities and social networking; digital archiving; performance; hacking and residual media; mobile technologies; free and open source software; data visualization and information graphics; physical computing. We especially welcome critical feminist approaches. The ideal candidate should have experience teaching in an undergraduate studio environment, and be capable of providing instruction in a coherent range of digital media authoring and computing tools, eg Illustrator, Photoshop, Flash, Processing, iMovie, Motion, HTML/CSS, Content Management Systems (Drupal, WordPress). An ability to work across and between some of these media tools and platforms, and an active awareness of open source alternatives, would be especially desirable.
Founded in 1965, the Department of Communication Studies at Concordia University is Canada’s oldest degree-granting department in the discipline. The Department offers programs leading to the BA, Graduate Diploma, MA, and PhD degrees. The undergraduate Degree in Communication Studies is well known for its integration of media production and critical theoretical perspectives; we offer the only undergraduate program in Communication and Cultural Studies and the only graduate diploma in Communication in Canada; our MA in Media Studies is unique in its structure and focus; the bilingual and inter-university PhD program offers access to a wide range of resources and expertise. In keeping with Concordia’s mission, the Department fosters inclusivity in its research, curriculum, and teaching practices, and is committed to serving the needs of a diverse student population. Montreal, where both campuses are located, is a world class city of over 3 million people, offering a rich and diverse cultural life, and the intellectual stimulation of four major universities. In addition, the city is a major new site of innovation and excellence in emerging digital media technologies, with significant government and private industry support. Candidates are encouraged to visit our departmental website for additional information concerning our programs and priorities: http://artsandscience.concordia.ca/comm/
Subject to budgetary approval, we anticipate filling this position for July 1, 2009. Review of complete applications begins November 1, 2008; final deadline November 17. Applications should consist of: a letter of intent and statement of teaching and research/creation interests; curriculum vitae; documentation of recent work; samples of students’ work, course syllabi and teaching evaluations (if applicable); and, three letters of reference.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. Concordia University is committed to employment equity.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted; portfolios will only be returned with the inclusion of a SASE. No electronic applications will be accepted.
Address all inquiries and applications to:
Professor Rae Staseson, Chair
Department of Communication Studies (CJ 3.230)
Concordia University
7141 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6
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