associate dean for research and development
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar)
Qatar
Valid from 17.01.2020 to 01.07.2020
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) Office of Research and Development.
POSITION FA8090: This full-time, 12-month position is at the rank of Assistant/Associate Professor, is non-tenure-eligible, and begins July 1, 2020.
Application Deadline: 29 February 2020
POSITION
VCUarts Qatar is seeking an Associate Dean for Research and Development to advance the quality and integrity of its research programs, providing strategic vision, developing processes and procedures to support grant management and compliance processes, and providing consultation and mentorship to faculty, staff, students, and partners in the development of research proposals to advance the school’s mission. The Associate Dean is responsible for providing overall leadership and oversight for matters related to research innovation, compliance, and development.
VCUarts Qatar seeks an Associate Dean for Research and Development who will be responsible for the college research and creative activities, including undergraduate and graduate programs. This 12-month position, with an Academic Administrator appointment, requires expertise in empirical research and creative practices in art and design. The Associate Dean for Research and Development will have to embrace and enforce the VCUarts Qatar’s vision that underscores the necessity “to contribute to the vitality of human, social, economic and environmental development in Qatar and the region through creative innovation, expression and collaboration”. This is accomplished through the institution’s mission that states: “VCUarts Qatar cultivates a dynamic intercultural environment of diverse research, learning and community engagement that propels the holistic development of exemplary artists, designers and scholars to build vibrant communities and diversified economies.”
The diversity of students and faculty origin pervades the school’s pedagogic and research engagements. The student demographics represent a diverse range of nationalities, originating from more than 35 countries, including 61.3% Qatari citizens. VCUarts Qatar is located in Qatar Foundation Education City; a campus that encompasses Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M University, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Carnegie-Mellon University, Northwestern University, and HEC Paris—a composition very suggestive for collaborative research undertakings. Similarly, VCUarts Qatar benefits from a generous funding resource, the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). The fund is to advance knowledge & education by supporting original, competitively selected research in all fields of sciences, by providing opportunities for researchers across all disciplines and at all levels, from students to professionals, in the private, public, and academic sectors.
This program aims at supporting multi-institutional and inter/multi-disciplinary research to solve significant and complex problems in a holistic way that are resistant to conventional approaches. For greater collaborative activities, the School of the Arts in Richmond offers opportunities for pedagogic and research engagements that include the Institute for Contemporary Art (provides an open forum for dialogue and collaboration), the Arts Research Institute (supports faculty with research development and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration), the Center for the Creative Economy (promotes the creative activity to drive innovation and new business models around the world), and the Da Vinci Center (a center that fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration).
ABOUT 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 35 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 154 full-time faculty and staff and a student body of 324 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, HEC Paris and University College of London.
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. 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
VCUarts offers a variety of graduate and undergraduate degrees in art history, art education, design, fine and performing arts, with a unique emphasis on creative immersion. Far more than receiving simply an education or preparation for a career; students leave VCUarts with the practical, professional and personal skills needed to make a life in the arts, no matter how they define it. That’s why VCUarts’ programs emphasise both doing and knowing: why the majority of its faculty are working artists and scholars; and why they encourage students to take advantage of the many academic and intellectual opportunities that come with being part of a research university. Today, VCUarts graduates can be found throughout the academic and professional fields and have been recognised with everything from Emmys to MacArthur Fellowships.
VCUarts is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the National Association of Schools of Dance, the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Association of Schools of Theatre, the Virginia Department of Education, the Council for Interior Design Accreditation and the National Council for Accreditation for Teacher Education.
VCUarts is ranked as the #1 public university arts and design graduate school in the country by US News and World Report. The school is comprised of sixteen programs, has 166 full-time faculty, includes more than 3,000 students, and has become known as a pillar of artistic creation, expression, and scholarly research. Its emerging artists and scholars explore their potential and strive for high standards set by faculty members acknowledged for their inspiration and achievement.
Major Responsibilities:
Responsibilities include overall management of research activities, creative practices in art and design, as well as research partnerships with Education City partner universities, VCU School of the Arts in Richmond, local institutions/industries, and other potential stakeholders. This leadership position subsumes active contribution to VCUarts Qatar strategic research goals; development of appropriate strategies and polices to enable VCUarts Qatar to recruit and retain excellent researchers and creative practitioners; implementation of University-wide strategies and policies to maximise the impact of research performed within VCUarts Qatar; assurance that research activities are undertaken in accordance with the governance, policy and regulatory frameworks of VCUarts Qatar and VCU main campus; as well as contribution to the management and operations of the Center for Research in Art and Design (CRIAD) by undertaking specific responsibilities as agreed with the Dean. Likewise, this position requires collaboration with the Dean, Associate Deans, and Academic Chairs and Directors to generate information regarding research undertaken at VCUarts Qatar and identifies funding, partnerships, and dissemination opportunities; and provision of leadership on building and nurturing work practices, collaborations, capacity and individual projects to generate impact commensurate with VCUarts Qatar’s strategic research goals.
The Associate Dean’s research activities and creative practices in art/design should constitute a role model for faculty and students, make a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in his/her respective discipline, and reflect high quality standards. These may include, but are not limited, to exhibitions, curated work, performances, commissions/professional practice/consultantship, conference presentations, abstracts, articles, book chapters, and books. The Associate Dean must demonstrate an active professional career and scholarly activities and should be consistent with and support the broader mission and initiatives of the School and University strategic outreach and engagement activities.
As a member of a community-oriented tight-knit environment, the Associate Dean will provide college, professional and community service activities. These may include serving as a peer reviewer, organizing conferences and/or conference sessions, providing professional service, school-wide related activities; facilitating undergraduate and graduate student activities; serving on School/University committees; and other duties as per the discretion of the Dean.
Qualifications:
• Terminal degree (PhD, MFA, or equivalent) in the arts, design, or related disciplines.
• Experience in securing and successfully managing externally funded activities.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and experience in communicating effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Effective management and leadership skills appropriate to a higher education environment.
• Understanding of the issues involved in successfully integrating high-quality teaching, research, and external engagement activities within an academic setting.
• Demonstrated experience in building collaborative relationships with external stakeholders.
• Experience of working effectively with external agencies, as appropriate to the role.
• The ability to chair formal and informal meetings.
• Demonstrated record of significant academic achievements, relevant experience at an academic senior level and knowledge of Art, Design, and related disciplines;
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCUarts Qatar.
Application Instructions:
VCUarts Qatar is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty committed to teaching and working in a multicultural and inclusive environment and strongly encourages applications from all racial/ethnic, gender and social identities.
Submit the following application materials via VCU eJobs at vcujobs.com:
• Letter of Interest that conveys relevant academic and professional experience and describes experiences and/or professional service that inform world views and/or perspectives about minority group status, to include race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, and disability;
• Current CV/Resume;
• Portfolio of work—appropriate selections of documentation of the applicant's experience in their area 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 within the design field. Due to file size limitations, the portfolio of work can be submitted as an accessible link in a PDF that points to a website or cloud storage (with access instructions) to view all visual work and/or time-based samples.
• List of five professional references including names with titles and contact information (references will not be checked prior to candidates’ approval).
Only electronic applications submitted via VCU eJobs will be accepted.
The Letter of Interest + Teaching Philosophy + Research Statement should be submitted as a PDF in the “Cover Letter/Letter of Application” section in eJobs; the CV/Resume and documentation of scholarly work, or referral to a web page, should be submitted as a PDF in the “Curriculum Vitae (CV)” section of eJobs; and the list of References should be submitted as a PDF in the “Other Document” section of eJobs.
For full consideration, applications are due by 29 February 2020.
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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.