University of San Diego, Art, Architecture and Art History

Tenure-track Assistant Professor, History of Art and Visual Culture

The Department of Art, Architecture + Art History (AA+AH) at the University of San Diego invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position in the History of Art and Visual Culture at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in late August 2024.  

AA+AH is searching for a candidate with a track record of scholarly work and teaching. The specializations might include (but are not limited to) the history and theory of image-cultures, arts and moving images across Africa, Latin America, Oceania or Asia; the arts of the Black Atlantic and African Diasporas; or trans-Asian cinema. Candidates might focus on indigenous epistemologies; archipelagos and relational ways of knowing arts and cultures; and/or alternative ways of mapping arts, spaces and flows. Scholars whose work transcends Western-imposed cartographies and who advance decolonial and postcolonial approaches to art, aesthetics and politics are encouraged to apply. 

The successful candidate will help expand the curriculum in Art History and will teach in a multidisciplinary department. Art History majors at USD choose one of three emphases: History of Art and Architecture; Museum and Curatorial Practice; History and Theory of the Moving Image and Media Art.  The DAA+AH (https://www.sandiego.edu/cas/art-architecture-art-history/) is home to the interdisciplinary major Film, Performance + Media Art, and both Visual Arts and Art History contribute substantially to the College of Arts and Sciences’ interdisciplinary Film Studies minor. AA+AH promotes academic excellence with small-size classes, seminar-style teaching, faculty-student collaboration and close mentoring. Faculty are expected to sustain a clear agenda in research and publications.

The work of applicants for this position in Art History will resonate with one or more of the thematic clusters  in the College of Arts and Sciences (https://www.sandiego.edu/cas/about/diversity-equity-inclusion/hiring.php): Climate Change & Environmental Justice; Technology & the Human Experience; Borders & Social Justice. There will be robust possibilities for interdisciplinary collaboration and a college-wide mentoring program to support new faculty throughout the tenure process. The DAA+AH encourages applicants whose scholarship and teaching demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice.

Application Process: Candidates are asked to submit the following materials by October 5, 2023 on the USD Jobs portal: https://jobs.sandiego.edu/cw/en-us/job/496409/assistant-professor-of-history-of-art-and-visual-culture

Please note that most positions will be hired at the Assistant Professor level.

1. Letter of application, delineating research and teaching interests, and including reference to the cluster(s) of interest 
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Teaching Statement and sample syllabi of two courses you would like to teach at the University of San Diego (one introductory course, and one advanced undergraduate seminar)
4. Research Statement and samples of scholarly or creative work
5. Diversity Statement, in which you address A) your values with respect to diversity, equity, and inclusion; B) your experience working with minoritized populations and/or on issues that disproportionately affect diverse populations; and C) your plans related to diversity and inclusion in your teaching and research
6. Contact information for three references who will be sent a link to upload letters. 

The successful candidates will

• Hold an advanced degree, preferably a doctorate or other terminal degree. ABD candidates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Have demonstrated a commitment to teaching and research, mentoring undergraduates, and fostering a climate of inclusion and diversity.

The College of Arts and Sciences and University of San Diego

The College of Arts and Sciences is at the heart of the University of San Diego, a contemporary and engaged Roman Catholic institution that serves more than 5,500 undergraduate students. The University of San Diego sits on the Indigenous homeland of the Kumeyaay people. The San Diego region is the third most populated area for American Indians in California and is surrounded by four autonomous Indigenous nations: the Kumeyaay, Luiseño, Cupeño, and Cahuilla. These four nations, represented by 19 tribes, make San Diego County home to the largest concentration of individual tribes in the United States. San Diego is the second largest city in the state, near the busiest port of entry on an international border, and hosts significant ethnic, immigrant, and refugee communities from around the globe, including Central America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Africa. 

The University of San Diego is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, age, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, covered veteran status, genetic information, or other characteristic protected by federal or state law. USD offers same sex domestic partner benefits. Final candidates will complete a pre-employment background check.