Job: Chair, Department of Graphic Design

Jobing Description

Description: Our diverse and eclectic faculty seeks a visionary leader who possesses compelling ideas concerning the nature and future of design education and practice, while adhering to the highest standards of design excellence.

We promote collaboration, encourage an interdisciplinary culture of practice, and believe in designs potential to shape culture and enhance human experience. We believe design can affect quality of life. Our department is well known and respected for its long history of publishing, teaching methods, graphic-design research, scholarship, and practice. Faculty are actively involved with local and regional communities, as well as various national and international design organizations and venues.

The Department of Graphic Design offers two degrees: the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design (BFA) and the Master of Fine Arts in Design: Visual Communications (MFA). Rigorous theoretical investigation, an historical perspective, and an awareness of contemporary issues are emphasized in the BFA program as the basis for addressing present and future communication problems. This vital curriculum includes a thorough investigation of ethical and environmental responsibilities, and it stresses the contextual significance and influence of visual communication on society.

Our MFA program prepares graduate students to assume leadership roles in our complex and evolving profession. Students enrolled in this program conduct intensive visual and/or theoretical research, and alumni enjoy successful careers in professional firms, private practice, and as faculty in national and international academic institutions.

The School of the Arts is one of the leading visual arts and design schools in the U.S., with an enrollment of more than 3,100 students and over 100 full-time faculty serving 15 departments in the fine, design, and performing arts. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, including the PhD in Art History and the interdisciplinary PhD in Media, Art, and Text. VCUs international campus in Doha, Qatar (VCUQ), offers professional design and art degree programs, including the MFA in Design Studies, to over 200 students in the region. The School has substantial resources for supporting innovative ideas.

Virginia Commonwealth University, a Carnegie Research University (Very High Research), is located in an urban environment and enrolls approximately 33,000 students annually.

The ideal candidate for Department Chair will serve as an advocate for the department at the school and university levels, actively represent and promote the department to its various constituencies and external audiences, and maintain a positive relationship with associated professional organizations. He or she will serve as the primary contact for students and faculty by maintaining a high level of visibility and actively promoting student success in a positive learning environment. The Chair will work with the faculty to define and implement new directions for inquiry and practice.

Responsibilities include:
--Lead and nurture the department and its evolution
--Oversee curriculum development, implementation, instruction, and assessment
--Recruit, mentor, and evaluate Faculty
--Manage department facilities and equipment
--Oversee department budget
--Teach appropriate courses in the curriculum
--Other duties as assignedQualifications: --MFA, PhD, or equivalent graduate degree in Visual Communications or Graphic Design or equivalent professional experience
--A strong record of academic and/or professional practice
--Administrative experience
--Entrepreneurial, innovative, globally oriented, kind
--Articulate, energetic, organized
--Established research agenda with potential for external funding where appropriate and potential for scholarship or creative expression to complement and expand the department's expertise
--Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU

Additional preferred qualifications:
--Teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate level
--Record of external funding or proposal submissions to obtain funding

Application Process: Qualified candidates should send a letter of application addressing the applicants strengths relative to the responsibilities and qualifications cited above; current curriculum vitae; twenty examples of professional and student work; and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three individuals who are familiar with the candidates record as a faculty member, practitioner, and administrator. For consideration, complete applications must be received by February 1, 2012. Materials should be sent to Susan Roth, Senior Associate Dean (skroth@vcu.edu). Only electronic submissions accepted. Virginia Commonwealth University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Women, minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
For Additional Information: Susan Roth, Senior Associate Dean and Search Committee Chair Phone:804-828-2787 Fax:804-828-6469 Web:http://arts.vcu.edu