Career Center

The Department of Visual Art at the University of Kansas invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Visual Art Education (VAE) to begin on 8/18/2024. Qualified candidates must have the background to teach the full range of art education coursework including methods, supervision of field placements and fluency with the art education licensure process. We seek an art educator with a strong research agenda, as well as experience and knowledge of art education pedagogy, history, and philosophies.

The successful candidate will

• have a developing record of scholarship and achievement centered in art education.
• hold a broad familiarity with traditional and current studio media as well as proficiency in at least one studio area.
• have experience teaching art in K-12 schools and at the university level.
• develop and teach all levels of undergraduate courses in art education including methods, community arts, art in K-12 schools, and be able to supervise and assess students' teaching performance in a variety of settings including public school internships.
• collect students' performance data and report findings as part of licensure and accreditation processes.
• advise art education students, work with the art education student organization, and participate in developing new certificates and graduate degrees.
• serve on Department, College, and University committees.

The ideal candidate's scholarly practice will be grounded in rigorous inquiry and research focused on ideas, issues, and concerns in the field of art education. Furthermore, the ideal colleague will participate in our continuous goals to promote and encourage diversity of thought; address issues concerning sustainable, best practices in the field; strengthen the culture of rigorous inquiry; and include contemporary art, from local to international contexts, in our pedagogies.

As the flagship research institution in the state, students come from diverse regional, national, and international communities. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are an important part of our culture in the Department of Visual Art and part of the Kansas University strategic plan. Applications from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply noting the value that differences bring to our organization, students, staff, faculty, and community. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the effective date of the appointment.

The University of Kansas has an overall student population of 29,355, welcoming 5,259 new students to the Lawrence campus this fall. The KU Spencer Museum of Art, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, sustains a culturally diverse, comprehensive collection of more than 47,000 objects. The KU Commons and the Hall Center for the Humanities invite scholars, practitioners, and students into interdisciplinary dialogue through projects, programs, and opportunities that address issues of global and local relevance. The city of Lawrence has a historic downtown brimming with local business, restaurants, an independent music scene, and a thriving arts culture including the Lawrence Art Center. Lawrence is also home to Haskell Indian Nations University, which has close ties with the University of Kansas.

Kansas City, located forty miles east of Lawrence, has a prospering artist community with galleries, museums (The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, The Nelson Atkins Museum) and excellent nonprofit arts organizations such as The Charlotte Street Foundation, Mid-America Arts Alliance, and Studios Inc. In addition, The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and American Jazz Museum are located in the nationally famous 18th and Vine District.