Position: Art History Faculty
Position Number: F28080
Position Location: Doha, Qatar
Position Begins: August 1, 2012
Review of Applications begin: February 9, 2012 and continues until position is filled.
VCUQatar (www.qatar.vcu.edu) is the Qatar campus of the prestigious Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia. Established in 1998 through a partnership with the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, VCUQatar offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design and Painting & Printmaking and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Design Studies. Located in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, VCUQatar is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. The current student body represents a diverse range of nationalities with students coming from more than 40 different countries.
VCUQatar strives to provide an engaged, learner-centered environment that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation in a global setting. The university hosts the biennial international design conference Tasmeem Doha and supports the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Islamic Art Symposium, attracting globally recognized designers, academics and thinkers while fostering sustainable, university-community partnerships that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of Qatar. The university has substantial involvement with the emerging design industries in Qatar and is a significant catalyst for that growth. It has established itself as a center of excellence for education and research in art and design.
VCUQatar has 131 full-time faculty and staff and a student body of 249. VCUQatar was the first campus established in Education City, a unique 2500-acre campus community. The university has since been joined by Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Carnegie-Mellon University, Texas A&M University, Weill Cornell Medical College, Northwestern University, and HEC Paris.
Qatar is a liberal, hospitable and progressive country in the Arabian Gulf and remains one of the healthiest economies in the Gulf region. English is the standard second language and the population of Qatar is approximately 1.65 million and growing – 350,000 Qatari, the remainder expatriates. Doha offers all the conveniences found in a contemporary and cosmopolitan city, and also maintains a traditional Arab flavor, evident in the old markets and the city’s Islamic Arab architecture. The Museum of Islamic Art, designed by I.M.Pei opened in November 2008 and the Arab Museum of Modern Art (MATHAF) opened in 2010. The US Embassy considers Qatar among the safest countries in the world for Americans.
Position Description
The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching art history at the undergraduate level in the Art History Program. In addition to offering electives for design majors, the Program also offers a minor that consists of 18 credits. Students are required to study in four additional period courses that include one course each from the following categories: (1) Classical, (2) Medieval, (3) Renaissance, (4) Baroque/18th century, (5) 19th and 20th century and (6) Non-Western. Candidates with an interest in and knowledge of Islamic art are strongly encouraged to apply; however, the successful candidate must be prepared to teach in a variety of the aforementioned areas.
Class sizes are small (typically 10-15:1 ratio) and art history faculty work very closely with students. As teaching faculty, successful candidates are required to maintain office hours to meet with students, serve as academic advisers to students, contribute to the function and educational objectives of the program, provide service to the university, the community in Qatar and the profession, and perform all other duties as assigned. Faculty members teach 12 credit hours per year, typically on a 2/2 split across fall and spring semesters. Candidates are required to engage in the development and delivery of significant research, seek publication, and present at international conferences. Art history faculty members are also encouraged to liaise with museums within the Gulf area and facilitate exhibitions.
Successful candidates will join a team of highly collaborative and dynamic faculty members in the Art History Program. Courses offered within this program are consistent with those offered at the Virginia Commonwealth University – Monroe Park Campus in Richmond, Virginia, with the added benefit of a multicultural sensitivity consistent with living and teaching in Doha, Qatar. Our students come from many countries and cultures, as do the faculty and employees members of Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar, so it is imperative successful candidates are able to interact and thrive in such an environment. The successful candidate will be committed to engaging collaboratively with colleagues in this multicultural learning environment.
Successful candidates must demonstrate scholarly and creative activity that makes a contribution to a body of knowledge within the arts, and reflect a high standard of quality and competence. Research is evidenced by exhibitions, inclusion in public or private collections, presented papers or seminars, performances, publications, consulting, commissions, prizes, and significant awards recognizing scholarly or creative activity.
Qualifications
- Must possess verbal and written fluency in English as all courses are taught in English.
- Doctoral degree in art history or related field is required.
- Minimum of three (3) years experience teaching at the post secondary level in English-language university settings strongly desired.
- Must have strong collaborative skills and communication skills and demonstrate an enthusiasm toward teaching and interacting within in a multicultural environment.
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU and VCUQatar.
Benefits
- Competitive international salary
- Tax protection for U.S. Taxpayers
- 30% Off-shore supplement to base salary
- Medical Insurance (100% employer funded premium and employer cost shared options available)
- Fully furnished villa or apartment including wireless internet
- Annual travel allowance to home of record (to include a spouse and dependents relocated to Qatar)
- Monthly transportation allowance
- Educational reimbursement for up to 4 dependent children enrolled in an accredited K-12 program
- International Professional Development and Research Opportunities
Application Process: Qualified applicants who have a record of achievement appropriate to VCUQatar should submit a letter of interest with a curriculum vitae, teaching philosophy, unofficial transcripts, and the names of five references including email and telephone contact information to Tomaree L. Porter (tlporter@vcu.edu), Human Resources Administrator. Only Electronic submissions will be accepted.
Virginia Commonwealth University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Women, minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
For more information on VCUQatar and this unique international opportunity, please visit
www.vcu.edu/arts/employment/qatar
