Full-Time Faculty, Social Design

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Position:         

Full-time appointment in the MA in Social Design (MASD) program, a graduate program integrated into the Center for Social Design, invites applications for a full-time faculty position with a one-year non-renewable contract in a non-tenure institution beginning Fall 2021. 

Job Description:

The faculty position will teach eighteen credits per year at an art school nationally known for valuing the arts as an avenue for social change, a dedication to teaching excellence, and a rigorous liberal arts curriculum. MASD seeks a candidate with solid teaching experience and a distinguished professional career in the space of design and social impact, social innovation or a related field. The first degree-bearing program of its kind in the United States, MASD is an intensive, practice-based graduate program that prepares students with the tools and methods to advance equity and social justice and become pioneers and leaders in the practice. The 1-year, 30-credit, interdisciplinary program consists of seminar, studio, and elective courses as well as a variety of other immersive and practice-based experiences that take students outside of the institution to learn. Examples include:

●      Visiting Faculty—In addition to core faculty and staff, MASD students learn from visiting faculty across a variety of disciplines and backgrounds.

●      Practice-based Studio—MASD students are eligible to enroll in semester-long courses that bring students from a variety of disciplines together with outside partners from government, nonprofit and business sectors to learn and apply the human-centered design process.

●      Human-centered Design Intensive—MASD students learn and experience the human-centered design process in a multi-day, immersive project with a local partner facilitated by a leading practitioner in the field.

●      Graduate Fellowships—MASD students put their skills into practice in professional contexts through paid, part-time fellowships with a variety of institutions during the academic year.

●      Capstone— MASD students undertake an immersive, design-driven project that focuses on a specific social problem and applies the methods, tools, and frameworks learned in the curriculum.

●      Post-graduate Associates— MASD graduates are eligible for associate positions within the Center for Social Design to build a professional practice and deepen their work in Baltimore after they graduate.

Throughout the 1-year program, students will:

●      Increase Social Literacy—Develop a deeper understanding of the issues of equity, power, race and privilege that exist at the heart of the social problems we aim to address.

●      Deepen Design Literacy—Establish an ethical framework to guide personal practice and learn human-centered design methods to build empathy with and engage people in making and doing.

●      Create Professional Pathways—MASD alumni are pioneering and innovative leaders in the public, private, non-profit, entrepreneurial and academic sectors.

The MASD curriculum is built around a set of core competencies with corresponding learning outcomes, each with elements of theory, practice and reflection:

●      theory: students are exposed to theoretical frameworks & definitions through a combination of readings, critical discussion, writing and critique;

●      practice: students are exposed to a variety of contexts and design challenges in order to put theory and models into practice in and outside of the classroom, as well as through a self-directed capstone project; 

●      reflection: students critically reflect on the work of others, of their peers, and of themselves in order to develop their own unique voice, perspective and practice in social design.

Qualified candidates should be engaged in both theoretical/experimental explorations of social design practice and experienced in the processes and practical applications to real-world problems. Candidates should have experience leading and managing multidisciplinary teams, establishing collaborative projects, and engaging multiple stakeholders and communities. Additionally, candidates should possess a solid understanding of various methods of design practice and research, including human-centered design. The candidate is expected to provide students with inspiration, leadership, mentorship, and technical guidance.

The faculty position will lead both MASD Seminar (3 credits per semester) and Studio (6 credits per semester) in collaboration with the interim program director. Students in the MASD program are encouraged to work towards tangible solutions in collaboration with other institutions, organizations, and community members and with visiting faculty and scholars from different disciplines and backgrounds. The faculty position will be responsible for guiding the curricular experience, coordinating partners and stakeholders outside the institution, hosting visiting faculty and scholars, and serving as capstone project advisor and mentor to the students. 

Working closely with the MASD Interim Director, this faculty member will be expected to be an advocate for the Program and a partner in program support and recruitment of community partners and future students through graduate admissions, curriculum and facility management, committee work, and office hours. 

Requirements:

●      Mix of academic and professional experience in both design and/or a relevant field of art, social innovation, social entrepreneurship, social sciences, public policy, and/or community/economic development;

●      Graduate degree in design or a relevant social field(s);

●      Experience working collaboratively with people of diverse disciplines, races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, nationalities, ages, and abilities;

Valued, but not required:

●      At least 7 years of professional experience working on social problems at local, national and/or international levels in design for social impact, social innovation, community engagement or a relevant field;

●      At least 3 years of college-level teaching experience. 

The online application should include:

●      Current CV;

●      Brief statement on social design education and practice;

●      Brief statement of teaching philosophy;

●      Portfolio of recent work and process;

●      Names and contact information of three references. 

Additional Information:

Salary: Commensurate with experience and college policy; excellent benefits package. 

Apply:  The College will review applications as received. This position will remain open until filled. All inquiries, nominations and applications will be held in the strictest confidence.

MICA, Graduate Studies, and the Center for Social Design are committed to advancing equity and social justice, and encourage applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been historically underrepresented in design and higher education, including (but not limited to) racial and ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.

Application Instructions:
*Applications MUST be initiated via the MICA website. If you have not initiated the application on the MICA website, please use the link above to do so. You will be redirected back to Slideroom to upload supporting materials as directed below.

Visit https://www.micahr.slideroom.com. You will be asked to login or create a login. Once you have logged in, please follow these instructions.  Instructions will also be posted in Slide Room as you are applying.

(subject to change per specific department requirements such as listed below)

Submit online: Two multi-page PDF documents. 

The first multi-page PDF document should include letter of application, comprehensive CV, statement of teaching philosophy, artist statement, and names and contact information including address, phone and email for three references. 

The second multi-page PDF document should include a portfolio of 20-25 images of professional creative work and 15-20 images of student work, to include descriptions. Links to live URLs may be submitted as well, but will be considered as a secondary source. Any additional media (MOV, MP3, etc.) should be formatted for Apple computers and have representative still image and description information in PDF portfolio document.

Please format PDF documents for screen resolution and viewing.  No physical media are requested nor will be returned. 

Maryland Institute College of Art is committed to its policy of providing equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or veteran status (disabled, Vietnam-era, or otherwise). Furthermore, the College does not tolerate any form of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment or sexual violence. This policy applies to all programs, facilities, and activities provided by Maryland Institute College of Art, including but not limited to admission, educational programs, and employment.

Applicants must apply online for each job in which they are interested. You will not be considered for any job for which you have not specifically applied. We do not accept applications via email, U.S. mail, or fax. Successful candidates for any staff or faculty positions will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

MICA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Human Resources at 410-225-2363.