Kinetic Imaging: Teaching and Research Faculty - VCUarts Qatar

Kinetic Imaging: Teaching and Research Faculty

Virginia Commonwealth University
School of the Arts in Qatar

Position: Teaching & Research Faculty
Tenure: Ineligible
Rank: Open
Salary: Commensurate with experience and training. Generous international benefits available.
Promotion: Eligible for promotion in academic rank
Department/Program: Kinetic Imaging with a Concentration in Interaction and Game Design
Position Number: F73350
Location: Doha, Qatar
Position Begins: August 10, 2024
Review of Applications: Review of applications continues until position is filled. For best consideration, applications are due February 17, 2024.

This full-time, 9-month position is Open Rank, is non-tenure-eligible (term), and begins August 10, 2024.

The Opportunity:
VCUarts Qatar’s (http://qatar.vcu.edu) newly established Kinetic Imaging program seeks two (2) full-time faculty members with teaching and research interests in one or more of the following areas of artistic practice, including fine artists and designers: computational creative practices, interaction design, game design, and 3D modeling and animation. We are seeking candidates who are accomplished artists or designers in the field of new media arts, dynamic educators, and forward-thinking individuals. They should have a strong connection to contemporary practices and discourses at the intersection of the arts and emerging technologies, allowing them to thrive in teaching and research within our innovative and multi-disciplinary learning environment.

Collaborating closely with program faculty and the director, successful candidates will play a pivotal role in shaping the newly introduced program. They will foster a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to teaching and curriculum development, actively engage in creative research, fulfill service duties and participate in faculty governance, among other assigned tasks. The successful candidates will thrive in a team-oriented small-school environment, working alongside experienced and dedicated educators. Furthermore, they will have the opportunity for regional and international engagement.

The curriculum for this program is adapted from the BFA in Kinetic Imaging degree program offered to students in the School of the Arts at the main campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. VCUarts Qatar, a branch campus located in Doha, extends this program to its students, with an additional concentration in interaction and game design. Faculty are expected to collaborate with five other undergraduate art and design majors and the MFA graduate program at VCUarts Qatar. The role also encompasses collaborative endeavors with the Qatar Foundation Education City Partner Universities, in line with the “Multiversity” institutional initiative.

Major Responsibilities

• Support the development of the newly introduced program;
• Contribute to creating a dynamic, exploratory, interdisciplinary studio-based environment for new media arts practices;
• Promote excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement;
• Teach courses within the BFA in Kinetic Imaging program, corresponding to the needs of the program and the candidate’s expertise; courses include but are not limited to one or more of the following areas: animation practices, 3D computer art, creative coding, interaction arts and design, game design, media arts survey, critical issues in media arts, etc.
• Contribute to teaching in academic units outside of Kinetic Imaging, as assigned, including Art Foundation, BFA, and the MFA programs;
• Contribute to new knowledge in the field through research and/or creative work, with impact at the national and/or international level;
• Participate actively in institutional service, including governance committees and special task forces, as well as service to the creative/academic discipline;
• Engage in collaborative relationships across VCUarts Qatar departments and Qatar Foundation partner universities in Education City;
• Support collaborative relationships with the Kinetic Imaging department on the Richmond, VA campus and the VCU School of the Arts at large;
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• MFA, PhD, or equivalent terminal degree in new media arts or related fields, or a combination of professional training, experience, and education that equates to a terminal degree;
• Expertise in one or more disciplinary domains represented in the Kinetic Imaging program;
• Knowledge of the higher educational landscape, research and professional practices in time-based and/or interactive media;
• University-level teaching experience beyond the TA level is preferred;
• A well-established research agenda and a clear potential for dissemination, external funding, and contributing to scholarship or creative practice that enhances and extends current school/department expertise.
• Excellent time management, writing and communication skills;
• Entrepreneurial, innovative, globally oriented;
• Significant experience with digital and emerging technologies relevant to disciplines incorporated into the Kinetic Imaging program;
• Knowledge of critical theory and contemporary discourse in new media arts is required.
• Demonstrated experience and commitment to fostering a culturally diverse work environment necessary to support the VCUarts Qatar’s emphasis on global sensibility and a focus on teaching methods, practices, and theories with a historical relevance to the Gulf region.

Application Instructions:

Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to organizational diversity, equity and inclusion - an environment where all can thrive in their pursuit of excellence. VCU strongly encourages applications from all racial, ethnic, gender, and social identities.

Applicants are requested to submit a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (typically between 150-300 words) providing your career aspirations and contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through this statement, you can share how your lived experiences, and academic and professional activities will impact your contribution to VCU’s mission of promoting equity and inclusion.

Note: Examples include working with others to further the goals of equity and inclusion; leading in any capacity that tangibly promotes an environment where diversity is welcomed, fostered, and celebrated; creative activity, research and scholarship that promotes equity and parity; teaching and mentoring students, and/or engaging with faculty and/or staff from traditionally underrepresented groups to create a positive and successful organizational experience. For additional guidance on writing a Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: https://provost.vcu.edu/media/provost-2018/documents/VCUGuidelinesforWritingaStatementofContributionstoDiversity-Revised2021.pdf

To apply, please submit application materials via VCU Jobs Website at https://vcu.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home?c=vcu. Only electronic applications will be accepted.

The following documents should be submitted:

• A Letter of Interest, which conveys relevant academic and professional experience and describes experiences and/or professional service that inform a collaborative and community-engaged approach to teaching
• Statement of Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (see above for details)
  
• Current CV/Resume
• A list of three current references including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses (references will not be contacted prior to applicant’s approval)
• Portfolio of work- a link to appropriate selections of documentation of the applicant's experience in their area(s) of expertise. This could include traditional and/or non-traditional examples of one's work from a broad cross-section and/or combination of experience from a variety of roles.

Review of applications continues until position is filled. For best consideration, applications are due February 17, 2024.

Benefits:

• Competitive international salary
• Tax protection for U.S. Taxpayers
• 30% Off-shore supplement
• Medical Insurance (100% employer-funded premium and employer cost shared options available)
• Fully furnished villa or apartment including wireless internet
• Annual travel allowance to home of record (to include a spouse and dependents relocated to Qatar)
• Monthly transportation allowance
• Educational reimbursement for up to 4 dependent children enrolled in an accredited K-12 program
• International Professional Development and Research Opportunities

VCUarts Qatar:

VCUarts Qatar is the international branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts (VCUarts). Located in Richmond, Virginia, VCUarts (www.arts.vcu.edu) is the top-ranked public art school in the U.S. VCUarts Qatar was established in 1998 through a partnership with the Qatar Foundation and offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design, graphic design, interior design and painting & printmaking; a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history; and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design. Located in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, VCUarts Qatar is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The current student body represents a diverse range of nationalities with students coming from 34 countries.

VCUarts Qatar is dedicated to global outreach and education and provides students with an environment for cross-cultural exchange that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation. Examples of this mission are the two significant international conferences hosted by VCUarts Qatar-the biennial design conference, Tasmeem and the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art. VCUarts Qatar attracts globally recognized designers, artists and scholars while fostering partnerships within the region, and beyond, that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of Qatar. Having established itself as a center of excellence for education and research, VCUarts Qatar has substantial involvement with the influential art and design world of the Middle East, and is a catalyst for the growth and development of these fields in the region. VCUarts Qatar has over 120 full-time faculty and staff and a student body of over 300 students. VCUarts Qatar was the first campus established in Education City, a unique 2500-acre multiversity campus. VCUarts Qatar was joined by Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Carnegie-Mellon University, Texas A&M University, Weill Cornell Medical College, Northwestern University, and HEC Paris.

Qatar, with English as the standard second language, is a progressive country in the Arabian Gulf and remains one of the healthiest economies in the Gulf region. Doha offers all the conveniences found in a contemporary and cosmopolitan city, while honoring a rich tradition that is evident in the old markets and the city’s Islamic Arab architecture. Al-Wakrah Stadium, a venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, designed by the defunct deconstructivist architect Zaha Hadid was inaugurated in 2021. The National Museum of Qatar, designed by Jean Nouvel, opened in March 2019 while the Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M.Pei opened in November 2008 and the Arab Museum of Modern Art (Mathaf) opened in 2010. The U.S. Embassy considers Qatar among the safest countries in the world for Americans.

VCUarts:

Ranked by US News & World Report as a top-five arts and design school, VCUarts (arts.vcu.edu) includes over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students with nationally recognized programs in design, visual and performing arts, and has an annual budget of $38 million and an endowment of more than $13.5 million. Students are taught by over 175 full-time teaching and research faculty members and over 70 staff members that assist in daily processes support the school. The School includes two campuses; one in Richmond and one in Doha, Qatar. The Richmond campus is located on the university’s 75-acre Monroe Park campus situated in the city’s historic Fan District. Ultimately, the work of the School of the Arts extends globally with partnerships throughout the world and across fields as diverse as the humanities, health care and business.

Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to providing accessible and equitable living, learning and working environments free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or disability.