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Shepherd University

Assistant Professor of Art, Photography/Computer Imagery Job at Shepherd Univers

Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV, United States, 25443


Posting Details

Posting Information

Posting Number
F119P

Working Title
Assistant Professor of Art, Photography/Computer Imagery

FLSA
Exempt

Pay Grade
Faculty

Advertised Salary
$55,000.00

Position Status
Full Time

Appointment Length
9 Months

Department
Dept of Contemporary Art, Communications, and Theater

Job Summary/Basic Function

The Department of Contemporary Art, Communication, & Theater at Shepherd University invites applications for an Assistant Professor of Art, Photography/Computer Imagery. This is a full-time, 9-month academic year, tenure-track faculty position, with a start date of August 2025. The position carries a 4/4 teaching load.

We are seeking an artist educator whose creative practice is rooted in lens-based media and reflects the ways in which photography as a contemporary medium is highly interdisciplinary. The ideal candidate for this position will have an aptitude in both digital technologies and traditional analog methods, as well as fluency in contemporary cultural and aesthetic theory as pertaining to visual imagery (e.g., critical theories of representation, visual culture, intersectional feminism, artificial intelligence, social and cultural anthropology, etc.). A passion for teaching and working with students in a supportive community with a low faculty-student ratio is of the utmost importance as Shepherd University is first and foremost a teaching institution.

As the sole instructor in the photography area, the successful candidate will be the Program Coordinator for Photography/Computer Imagery. Primary teaching responsibilities will be focused in the photography area, with additional opportunities in Professional Practices courses for the broader Art major. In addition to teaching production-based courses in multiple photographic processes - including studio lighting, time-based media, digital editing, inkjet printing and portfolio production, image manipulation, alternative processes, research-based practice, and traditional darkroom methods - the successful candidate should be equipped to teach both the history and theory of photography with an inclusive approach that contends with and challenges traditional Western canons.

We seek a colleague that values collaboration, collective effort, and shared leadership of the department. Service responsibilities include undergraduate advising and mentorship; maintaining the photography labs and studios (lighting studio with equipment cage and checkout, 18 machines across two Mac labs, four Epson scanners, two Canon PRO-300 printers, two large-format Epson printers, darkroom lab with 14 enlargers, alternative process spaces, and critique space/classroom); participating in curriculum development and other departmental and/or divisional activities and projects; and serving on departmental, college, and university committees.

Minimum Qualifications
  • MFA in Photography or equivalent terminal degree
  • Two years of teaching experience at the graduate teaching assistant level (instructor of record) or beyond
  • Ability to teach a range of skillsets including analogue and digital photography, videography, interdisciplinary studio practice, and the history and theory of photography
  • Ongoing personal practice of creative work/research

Preferred Qualifications
  • Evidence of strong professional record of creative work/research
  • Demonstrated record of teaching effectiveness (student course evaluations, teaching accolades, ongoing pedagogical development, etc.)
  • Prior experience in running and maintaining multiple photo labs/studios

Posting Date
01/15/2025

Close Date

Special Instructions Summary

Applications must include the following materials combined as a single PDF file:
  • Letter of interest
  • CV
  • Artist statement
  • Teaching philosophy that addresses pedagogical approaches for fostering inclusion and belonging (1 page)
  • 20 Personal work samples - link to online portfolio accepted*
  • 20 Student work samples - link to online portfolio accepted*
  • Unofficial undergraduate and graduate transcripts
  • Names and complete contact information for three references
  • OPTIONAL: Student course evaluations from within the past 3 years

*If online portfolios are password-protected, be sure to include that information in your application. Work that cannot be easily viewed or accessed may not be considered.

All materials should be uploaded to the Shepherd University HR system. Priority consideration will be given to applications received on or before February 7, 2025. Initial interviews will be conducted by video conference (via Zoom) beginning the second week of February, 2025. The position is open until filled. Appointment to this position will be contingent upon a satisfactory background check.

Please send inquiries to the Search Committee Chair, Andy Dolan at adolan@shepherd.edu.