Description
Assistant Professor in Digital Film/Video Production (Tenure Track)
The University of Connecticut
(UConn) is pleased to invite applications for a tenure-track faculty position
in the Department of Digital Media & Design (DMD) in the School of Fine
Arts specializing in Digital Film/Video Production at the rank of Assistant
Professor.
Our ideal candidate has significant
professional experience in media production, with a preferred focus in
documentary form and an interest in emerging, time-based storytelling practice,
including mobile and social media, immersive and emergent technologies,
installation art, and/or distribution platforms. Additional experience in sound
design, color grading, distribution, and/or client-based video production are a
plus. The department values non-fiction from a variety of perspectives,
including human rights / social justice, anthropological, environmental, and
cinema verité through short, feature, and episodic approaches. Acknowledging a
lack of diversity in the film industry, DMD embraces an inclusive environment
and is particularly interested in receiving applications from members of
under-represented groups and strongly encourages women, persons of color, LGBTQ
and gender-nonconforming individuals to apply.
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 such as honorific awards. In the area of
teaching, the successful candidate will share a deep commitment to effective
instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels, innovative courses and
instruction methods, 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
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. Candidates will also be expected to participate in
departmental and university service to support curricular and program
development and advise undergraduate and graduate students in the department.
Founded in 1881, the UConn is a Land
Grant and Sea Grant institution and member of the Space Grant Consortium. It is
the state’s flagship institution of higher education and includes a main campus
in Storrs, CT, four regional campuses throughout the state, and 13 Schools and
Colleges, including a Law School in Hartford, and Medical and Dental Schools at
the UConn Health campus in Farmington. The University has approximately 10,000
faculty and staff and 32,000 students, including nearly 24,000 undergraduates
and over 8,000 graduate and professional students. UConn is a Carnegie
Foundation R1 (highest research activity) institution, among the top 25 public
universities in the nation. Through research, teaching, service, and outreach,
UConn embraces diversity and cultivates leadership, integrity, and engaged
citizenship in its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. UConn promotes the
health and well-being of citizens by enhancing the social, economic, cultural,
and natural environments of the state and beyond. The University serves as a
beacon of academic and research excellence as well as a center for innovation
and social service to communities. UConn is a leader in many scholarly,
research, and innovation areas. Today, the path forward includes exciting
opportunities and notable challenges. Record numbers of undergraduate
applications and support for student success have enabled the University to
become extraordinarily selective.
The
Digital Media & Design (DMD) department is a uniquely interdisciplinary
academic unit led by faculty from the fine arts, business, STEM, and humanities
fields. Established in 2013, this innovative and evolving department currently
has 20 full-time faculty members, 320 undergraduate and 14 graduate students
(MFA and MA) and offers BFA and BA degrees in the following concentrations:
Digital Film/Video Production (BFA), 3D Animation (BFA), Motion Design
& Animation (BFA), Game Design (BFA), Web / Interactive Media Design (BFA),
Digital Culture, Learning, & Advocacy (BA), and Digital Media Business
Strategies (BA)
All of
our concentrations place a strong emphasis on collaboration and experiential
learning, best preparing our students for the challenges they may face when
working in industry. The department has established strong working partnerships
with large and small companies, start-ups, public institutions and charitable nonprofits,
giving students hands-on, real-world opportunities that benefit the creative
economy of the state.
DUTIES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The successful candidate will teach existing and
create new documentary-oriented courses including courses in non-fiction
storytelling, production, editing, and new forms of digital media. They will
also have a role in developing curriculum, facilities, and outreach initiatives
for our new Digital Film/Video Production concentration, which was established
this fall. The successful candidate will be expected to maintain an active
creative research agenda that indicates high likelihood of future success at
the national and international levels consistent with a tenure-track position.
The position has a 2/3 teaching load, comprised of
five 3-credit courses per year - at all levels of Film/Video Production, from
freshman to senior capstone to graduate courses - as well as additional
independent studies, supervised internships, and student advising. The
candidate is also expected to participate in service activities for the
department, college, and university. Other duties as assigned.
MINIMUM
QUALIFICATIONS
- Terminal Degree (MFA or Ph.D.) in Film, Video, Art,
Digital Media, New Media, Communications, or other appropriate fields. Equivalent
foreign degrees are acceptable.
- At least 3 years of professional short and/or feature
documentary film / video production experience (broadcast, theatrical,
exhibition, and/or film festivals).
- Demonstrated teaching experience (may include TA, guest
lecture, master classes, etc.)
- A strong artistic portfolio.
- Expertise in NLE video editing software such as
Premiere Pro, Avid, DaVinci Resolve and experience with other Adobe
Creative Cloud software (After Effects, Photoshop, Audition, etc.)
- Ability to contribute to the diversity and excellence
of the learning experience through innovative research, teaching, and
public engagement.
PREFERRED
QUALIFICATIONS
- At least 3 years of university teaching experience,
with demonstrated ability to teach at various levels of curriculum from
foundation to advanced.
- Demonstrated leadership in curriculum / course
development in documentary film production.
- Demonstrated proficiency in a variety of production
processes, including producing, planning, research methods, scheduling,
lighting, sound recording, supervising, and delivery.
- Knowledge of other forms of time-based media (e.g.,
animation, motion graphics, etc.) and an interest in social media and how
it challenges the traditional way that an audience engages with visual
content.
APPOINTMENT
TERMS
This
is a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track position with an anticipated start date
of August 23, 2020. The successful candidate’s primary academic appointment
will be at the Storrs campus with the possibility of travel to regional
campuses on occasion. Faculty may also be asked to teach at one of UConn’s
regional campuses as part of their ordinary workload.
TO
APPLY
Please
apply online to Academic Jobs Online (https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/15789) and submit the following application materials.
- A cover
letter specifically addressing your credentials relative to the
minimum and preferred qualifications listed above,
- A
complete Curriculum vitae,
- A digital portfolio of personal artwork with 3-5
films highlighted; and 3-5 student work samples, if available;
- A one to two-page research
and scholarship statement
(innovative concepts that will form the basis of academic career,
experience in proposal development, mentorship of graduate students,
etc.);
- A statement of teaching philosophy (including
teaching philosophy, teaching experience, commitment to effective
learning, concepts for new course development, etc.);
- A one-page commitment to
diversity statement (including
broadening participation, integrating multicultural experiences in
instruction and research and pedagogical techniques to meet the needs of
diverse learning styles, etc.);
- Names and contact information for three references.
Evaluation of applicants will begin
January 15, 2020 and will continue until filled. If you have questions related
to the search, please send a detailed inquiry to Stacy Webb, Administrative
Assistant for the Department of Digital Media & Design, at stacy.webb@uconn.edu,, with #494185 DIGITAL FILM/VIDEO FACULTY SEARCH in
the subject line. For more information regarding the Department of Digital
Media & Design, visit http://dmd.uconn.edu. At the University of
Connecticut, our commitment to excellence is complemented by our commitment to
building a culturally diverse community.
Employment of the successful
candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment
criminal background check.
This position will be filled subject
the budgetary approval.
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.
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.