Assistant Professor - Sculpture - #000617

Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes 'Best Employers' lists each year. Including:
* 2024 - Ranking in the top 8.5% on Forbes 'America's Best Midsize Employers' list, WCU was ranked 34 out of the top 400 employers across all industries.
* 2023 - Ranked in the top 20% on Forbes 'America's Best Midsize Employers' list, WCU was ranked 97 out of the top 500 employers across all industries.
* 2022 - Ranked 14th in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes 'America's Best Employers by State' list.
Western Carolina University is the UNC system's westernmost campus and has been consistently ranked as one of the top 15 public regional institutions in the South.
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Eligible employees have access to tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year; employee may enroll at any of the constituent UNC System campuses. Also offered are free group exercise classes multiple times per week, a discounted membership to the campus recreation center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year. Leave earning employees (staff and 12-month faculty) who work at least half of the working days of their first month of employment will begin accruing vacation and sick leave immediately. Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.
WCU offers an abundance of training and development programs, certifications, workshops and conferences - many of which are offered free of charge.

The primary location of this position is the main Cullowhee, NC campus.

The School of Art and Design invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in sculpture and 3-D Design to begin August 2025.

We seek applicants with an active artistic practice and exhibition record, who demonstrate a commitment to, and experience in undergraduate and graduate teaching. Evidence of teaching students with interdisciplinary perspectives, as they explore a broad range of approaches to spatial, material, and social practice, is expected. Expertise and experience on working with the variety of tools available in our sculpture studios is desirable.
https://www.wcu.edu/learn/departments-schools-colleges/fpa/artdesign/undergraduate-programs/studioart/sculpture.aspx

The faculty member will oversee the department's sculpture concentration, 3-D design foundations, and manage its facilities, including wood and metal shops, mixed/plaster studio, and design studio, in coordination with other studio faculty and student assistants.

The candidate will aid undergraduate and graduate students in exploring contemporary conversations about artistic practice, familiarizing them with a wide range of three-dimensional materials and examining the interdisciplinary potential of the field. The ideal candidate will aid students in addressing diverse and inclusive cultural contexts

The candidate will teach sculptural practices from the introductory to advanced levels and contribute to undergraduate and graduate studio art programs. The candidate will also collaborate with studio art faculty on 3D curriculum development, and support delivery of the curriculum across courses in 3-dimensional design.

The successful candidate will be appointed to a full-time tenure-track position with benefits, and they will teach three courses per semester, and contribute to the governance of the department. Service to college and university is expected following the first year in the position.

WCU embraces its role as a regionally engaged university and is designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a community engaged university. Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a commitment to public engagement through their teaching, service, and scholarship

The ideal candidate will contribute to our department by bringing a perspective and/or unique set of experiences that expand the conversations and practices in the medium and the field.

We seek candidates with the knowledge and aptitude to teach and mentor students from diverse backgrounds.

Application materials must be submitted online. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected for hire.

Please include cover letter, curriculum vitae, unofficial transcripts from highest degree earned*, a list references with full contact information and a portfolio with links to 20 examples of your work and 20 examples of student work.

For questions or additional information please contact Seth McCormick at sjmccormick@email.wcu.edu

*All applicants are required to submit an unofficial transcript of their highest attained degree, showing all completed coursework and the date the degree was conferred. The transcript must state "Degree Awarded," "Degree Conferred," or a similar phrase. For candidates who are ABD, please submit your most recent doctoral program transcript along with your master's degree transcript, if you hold such a degree. The master's degree transcript must have a notation such as "Degree Awarded," "Degree Conferred," or similar phrase, to verify it as your highest completed degree.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks.

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All new employees are required to have listed credentials/degrees verified within 30 days of employment. All new employees who will be teaching are required to provide official transcripts within 30 days of employment. Transcripts should be provided for the highest earned degree and/or the degree which is being used to satisfy credential/qualification requirements.

Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; religion; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; political affiliation; National Guard or veteran status, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and policies, and the policies of The University of North Carolina. Additionally, the University promotes the realization of equal employment opportunity for minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and veterans through its affirmative action program.
Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process please call (828) 227-7218 or email at jobs@email.wcu.edu.

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