Department Head and Endowed Professorship in Digital Media and Design
Applications are invited for the position of Department Head, Digital
Media and Design and Donna Krenicki Endowed Professorship in Design
and Digital Media in the School of Fine Arts at the University of
Connecticut. The School seeks a dynamic leader with a distinguished
record of creative and scholarly achievement, and a clear vision to
shape the future of the department. Candidates should have a strong
record in university education and administration, excellent
interpersonal skills, and a national and international profile in
research and/or creative practice deserving appointment as a full,
tenured professor in the department.
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is in the midst of a
transformational period of growth supported by the $1.7B Next
Generation Connecticut (http://nextgenct.uconn.edu/) and the $1B
Bioscience Connecticut (http://biosciencect.uchc.edu/) investments and
a bold new Academic Plan: Path to Excellence (http://issuu.com/uconnprovost/docs/academic-plan-single-hi-optimized_1).
We are pleased to continue these investments by inviting applications
for the Department Head of Digital Media and Design and Donna Krenicki
Endowed Professorship in Design and Digital Media.
Since its establishment in 2012, the Department of Digital Media and
Design has grown rapidly to a current size of over 350 undergraduate
and graduate students, a full-time faculty of fifteen, and a committed
team of staff and specialist adjunct faculty. The department is
dedicated to establishing, advancing and promoting programs of
transdisciplinary education and research in digital media and design;
commitment to experiential learning in the classroom prepares students
to respond to real-world challenges that will distinguish them as
thinkers, creators and innovators in the digital space. The department
offers a wide range of degrees, and enjoys state-of-the-art facilities
both at the main campus in Storrs and at UConn Stamford, which is
located in the heart of a thriving business community with easy access
to New York City. Both locations offer excellent opportunities for
collaboration with a wide range of partners both within and outside
the university: the department is involved in projects with a number
of different schools, including Engineering, Business, and Medicine,
and with numerous major corporations and other external entities,
including National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Library
and Museum Services, Boston Children’s Hospital, IBM, NBC Sports,
Connecticut Innovations, and Cigna. It is also playing a leading role
in the development of a Scholarly Communications Design Studio at
UConn, funded by a major grant from the Mellon Foundation.
The successful candidate will demonstrate excellence in one or more of
the department’s six concentrations: 2-D Animation and Motion
Graphics; 3-D Animation and Visualization; Game Design and
Development; Web Design and Development; Digital Media Strategies for
Business (including social media, marketing, advertising, branding,
and data analytics); and Digital Humanities (including humanities
computing, digital pedagogy, digital libraries, and public
humanities). At the same time, they will show a willingness to embrace
the diversity of digital media practice reflected in the department’s
broad offerings. Accordingly, the search committee welcomes applicants
from a diverse range of fields, including, but not limited to the fine
arts, the humanities and social sciences, education, business, health,
and the STEM disciplines. Candidates with a proven commitment to
interdisciplinary research and practice are especially welcome.
The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to research
and scholarship through extramural funding, high quality publications,
impact as measured through citations, performances and exhibits, and
national recognition as through honorific awards. In the area of
teaching, the successful candidate will share a deep commitment to
effective instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels,
development of innovative courses and mentoring of students in
research, outreach and professional development. Successful candidates
will also be expected to broaden participation among members of
under-represented groups; demonstrate through their research,
teaching, and/or public engagement the richness of diversity in the
learning experience; integrate multicultural experiences into
instructional methods and research tools; and provide leadership in
developing pedagogical techniques designed to meet the needs of
diverse learning styles and intellectual interests.
The new Head will be expected to have a strong commitment to academic
excellence in a major research institution, and to fostering diversity
and inclusiveness at all levels of the academic enterprise, including
faculty and staff hiring and student recruitment. They will work
collaboratively with the Dean and other leaders within the School of
Fine Arts, particularly the Heads of the other academic departments
(Art & Art History, Dramatic Arts, and Music) to implement the
strategic goals of the School and of UConn’s Academic Plan (http://academicvision.uconn.edu).
The Head will oversee budget, personnel (including faculty promotion
and tenure procedures), curriculum, and facilities, and work closely
with faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and outside
constituencies to support and promote the vision and mission of the
department.
The state is home to a large number of international high technology
companies. The Storrs campus is located in a beautiful area of New
England, with a moderate cost of living and proximity to major
cultural, recreational, and urban centers of the Northeast. The
University community provides residents with a rich diversity of
cultural, athletic, artistic, and historic experiences, and the
surrounding area offers affordable quality housing and top schools for
faculty and families.
Minimum Qualifications
1. Earned terminal degree as recognized in candidate’s primary
field.
2. Distinguished record of research and practice in application of
digital technologies in the candidate’s primary field of
expertise, commensurate with appointment as a tenured full
professor at the University of Connecticut.
3. Demonstrated success in a leadership role in higher education.
4. Demonstrated success in obtaining and managing research funding
from external agencies, including major grants and sponsored and
entrepreneurial projects.
5. Demonstrated success in developing relationships with
corporations, foundations, and other entities.
6. Excellent interpersonal skills.
7. Record of successful teaching in higher education.
Preferred Qualifications
1. At least 3-5 years of experience in an academic leadership
position, such as Department Head, Associate Department Head,
Associate Dean, or Center Director.
2. Record of initiative in promoting diversity among faculty, staff,
and students.
3. Record of interdisciplinary collaboration in research and/or
curriculum development.
Appointment Terms
This is a full-time, 10-month tenure track position with an
anticipated start date of August 23, 2017. The successful candidate’s
appointment will be at the Storrs campus. Salary will be commensurate
with qualifications and experience.
To Apply:
Select "Apply" to complete your application. Application packages
should include: a cover letter; a full curriculum vitae; a two-page
vision statement summarizing the candidate’s personal vision and goals
for education and research in digital media and design, and their
philosophy of academic leadership for achieving those goals; and names
and contact information of five professional references. Submission of
materials as a PDF is strongly encouraged. (Later in the search
process shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit additional
statements, on teaching, research, and commitment to diversity, as
mandated by University policy.)
Review of applications will begin on Friday, March 17, 2017. The
position is open until filled. Employment of the successful candidate
will be contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment
criminal background check. (Search #2017388)
All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics
which may be found at http://www.ct.gov/ethics/site/default.asp.
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The University of Connecticut is committed to building and supporting
a multicultural and diverse community of students, faculty and staff.
The diversity of students, faculty and staff continues to increase, as
does the number of honors students, valedictorians and salutatorians
who consistently make UConn their top choice. More than 100 research
centers and institutes serve the University’s teaching, research,
diversity, and outreach missions, leading to UConn’s ranking as one of
the nation’s top research universities. UConn’s faculty and staff are
the critical link to fostering and expanding our vibrant,
multicultural and diverse University community. As an Affirmative
Action/Equal Employment Opportunity employer, UConn encourages
applications from women, veterans, people with disabilities and
members of traditionally underrepresented populations.