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UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design Position with qualifications to serve as Department Chair, Associate or Full Professor with tenure

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Position description

The UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design invites applications for a professor of design, a full-time, tenured faculty position, to serve as Department Chair with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2020.

Located in the nation’s art, architecture, and culture capital of Los Angeles, within the State of California that is not only the largest economy in the United States but is the fifth largest in the world by GDP, our department is surrounded by diverse cultures, creativity, challenge, and opportunity. One of the proudest achievements in the state’s history is the University of California system. As a collective of ten campuses, it is one of the premier educational institutions of any kind, public or private, in the world. As part of the West Coast innovation economy, our faculty, staff, and students are at the epicenter of social and political change and we seek a colleague who will embrace these forces both in the field of architecture and culture at large. The University of California is a land-grant institution with the responsibility to educate historically under-represented peoples of the state. Moreover, the University’s mandate to reflect the diversity of California’s population in its student body, staff, and faculty is at the heart of this educational mission.

UCLA is the nation’s number one ranked public university and our department is located within the School of the Arts and Architecture along with the Departments of Art, Design Media Arts, World Arts and Culture. All four departments include highly-ranked undergraduate and graduate programs in their respective fields, more of which can be learned from the school’s website https://www.arts.ucla.edu/. In 2019-20 the school includes approximately 1,000 full-time, enrolled students supported by more than 250 faculty and staff located at the Broad Art Center, Kaufman Hall and Perloff Hall on campus, as well as the Margo Leavin Graduate Art Studios and AUD’s Ideas Campus, both located in Culver City. In addition to the four academic departments, the school is unique in the United States today for operating three major public venues, including UCLA’s Hammer Museum; Fowler Museum; and the Center for the Art of Performance. During the past year the academic departments and public venues of the school organized 1,000 public events that attracted more than half a million visitors, and the school plays an important part of UCLA’s larger mission to engage the city and communities in which it is located.

The Architecture and Urban Design Department is highly recognized for its excellence in design, scholarship, and research as well as the synergies between these activities. Degree programs in the department include a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies (B.A.), a professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch.I), a post-professional Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design (M.S.AUD), and a Master of Arts/Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture (M.A./Ph.D.). At each stage of the curriculum, discourse in the department cuts productively across these programs, as students and faculty build innovative, relevant, and engaged practices in architecture. AUD students are equipped to not only lead the professional field and scholarly discipline, but also to construct new opportunities by positioning their critical design activities within a more inclusive and rapidly changing world.

In brief, the Chair is responsible for the management of departmental budget and finances, academic personnel actions, non-permanent, non-ladder-faculty and staff hiring, teaching and service assignments of faculty and the program needs of five academic programs, while ensuring department compliance with all university policies; provides leadership and vision for faculty and staff initiatives including public programs, curricular development, recruitment, marketing, student affairs, and external outreach; appoints and coordinates the activities of department administrators; is the primary liaison to the Dean, advocating for resources and support; and engages in alumni and donor cultivation in coordination with the School’s development team.

We seek candidates with demonstrated leadership experience, with preference for someone who has served as a Chair, Assistant Dean, or Director of an architecture program of any type. Since our department is composed of architects, urbanists, critical theorists, historians, and technologists, design expertise with a broad outlook is welcome. The successful candidate should be a person with vision and a collaborative spirit who can productively coordinate both administrative and cultural agendas across the department and who will be expected to teach in the Design Studio. The University is based on principles of faculty participation, resulting in vibrant collaborations to be fostered by departmental leadership. Moreover, we seek someone with an ability to interact with and take advantage of the wide array of resources and opportunities presented by a large research university as well as to connect with the community and city of Los Angeles.

In addition to prior leadership in an academic and/or professional setting, applicants must demonstrate a strong and ongoing contribution to the field, including a commitment to academic scholarship. An established body of built, published, and/or exhibited work of significant influence on the field is especially desired. Masters degree or equivalent degree is a requirement for this position.

We welcome candidates whose experience and history in teaching, research, or community service demonstrates their commitment to diversity and inclusion and has prepared them to further our pledge to diversity, inclusion and excellence. Diversity contributes to a rich and stimulating learning environment, one that best prepares leaders-in-the-making for the challenges and opportunities of Los Angeles, California, the nation, and beyond. Candidates should describe how they will specifically contribute in the required Diversity Statement.

Please apply using the university’s application tool at:
https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF05040

Job Location:
• Los Angeles, California

Required Documents:
• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of Intent with a statement of research and teaching
• Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity through research, teaching, and/or service
• Samples and/or portfolio of scholarly and/or creative work
• Pedagogical materials and teaching samples including descriptions
• Bibliography
• Recent syllabi (in which candidate is sole author)
• Samples of curricula, lecture series, events, programs and other examples of work products related to intellectual and academic leadership
References:
• Six references required. Include a telephone number, mailing address, and email contact. (Contact information only, letters of reference do not need to be sent at this time.)

Review of applications will begin on January 6, 2020, and continue until the position is filled..

The School of the Arts and Architecture is committed to building a more diverse faculty, staff, and student body in response to the changing population and educational needs of the City of Los Angeles, State of California, and the nation. The Department of Architecture and Urban Design values intellectual, cultural, and creative inquiry. Personal qualities such as originality and initiative are important assets that will contribute to a successful application. Applicants who would make meaningful and unique contributions to the intellectual and social interchanges within the profession are especially encouraged to apply.
UCLA welcomes and encourages diversity and seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the people of California, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer our students richly varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning. The department is seeking outstanding candidates with the potential for exceptional research, and excellence in teaching, and also a clear commitment to enhancing the diversity of the faculty, graduate student population, and of the majors in the School of Arts and Architecture.

The University of California 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, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Letter of Intent with a statement of research and teaching

  • Statement on Contributions to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - An EDI Statement describes a faculty candidate’s past, present, and future (planned) contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion. To learn more about how UCLA thinks about contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, please review our Sample Guidance for Candidates and related EDI Statement FAQ document.

  • Samples and/or portfolio of scholarly and/or creative work

  • Pedagogical materials and teaching samples including descriptions

  • Bibliography

  • Recent syllabi (in which candidate is sole author)

  • Samples of curricula, lecture series, events, programs and other examples of work products related to intellectual and academic leadership

  • Misc / Additional (Optional)

Reference requirements
  • 6-8 required (contact information only)