Head of the MFA in Collaborative Design / MA in Design Syste…

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Priority Deadline – February 1st, 2020. Open until filled

SALARY/BENEFITS: Competitive and commensurate with experience

ACADEMIC RANK: Commensurate with experience

START DATE: August 1, 2020

REPORTS TO: Director of the Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies / VP of Academic
Affairs

POSITION SUMMARY: The Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) seeks a Program Head for its MFA in Collaborative Design and MA in

Design Systems programs.

The Collaborative Design and Design Systems programs produce creative leaders who apply a systems mindset and a toolkit of design, analytical, and entrepreneurial skills to drive positive impact in private, public, and non-profit sectors.

The successful candidate will bring a compelling vision of how design thinking, facilitation skills, systems based thinking, a human-centered approach, and a background in interactive or experiential design can prepare students for a future in design. This candidate will also be able to show how these approaches can amplify a background in interactive or experiential design to inform and shape both the private and public sectors. The candidate will have strong connections to national and international creative communities, practice, and resources, and the desire to create an internationally competitive program. The Candidate will also be charged with the development of another graduate-level design program built off the current infrastructure of the

CD/DS programs.

The Program Head will organize and teach courses each semester, serve as the primary advisor to the students, and provide leadership and representation of the program. They will also co- author and collaborate with the Director of the HFSGS, as well as undergraduate and graduate program leaders to build curricular relationships and strengthen the program’s reach across the institution.

The Program Head will lead the program faculty and create opportunities for student learning and professional development. The Program Head participates in recruitment for the program alongside the Associate and Assistant Administrative Directors of the Graduate School, and will work to expand program visibility.

The Program Head and the other program faculty form the backbone of the academic experience, supplemented by PNCA’s extended community of visiting artists and designers, scholars, and other creative/intellectual leaders who bring added diversity, richness and intellectual depth to the students’ learning. PNCA and its Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies function as a laboratory where cross-pollination amongst artists, designers, and scholars fosters a lively and imaginative community of making and critical discussion

PRIMARY JOB FUNCTIONS:
*

• Work collaboratively with the staff and faculty in HFSGS in recruitment strategies to increase applicant quality
• Support recruitment and enrollment to meet designated annual targets
• Build new Design Program making use of the Collaborative Design curriculum and structure
• Maintain collegial program relationships with both internal and external constituencies
• Teach 4 classes per year, with at least 3 in the Collaborative Design program
• Work with faculty and the Graduate Curriculum Committee to develop, evaluate, and continually improve course content and syllabi and achieve learning outcomes
• Coordinate the assignment of faculty and professional mentors
• Help create and maintain a highly positive community of program faculty, students, and other stakeholders
• Work with Financial Aid and Student Services offices to communicate with and support MFA students
• Supervise safe and healthy studio practices amongst students
• Develop, propose, and help manage the MFA budget on an annual basis
• Participate on faculty committees
• Maintain relevant and effective processes to evaluate student outcomes, curriculum, faculty, and mentors in order to determine and implement productive improvement initiatives
• Work with the HFSGS Director and support team to position the CD/DS programs and PNCA to retain and successfully recruit students from a national and international reputation in arts education
• Help the Graduate School raise program visibility and use professional networks to support the visiting artist program and the program as a whole
• Support the HFSGS Director in the selection of Visiting Artists
• Grow graduate-level curricular offerings across PNCA graduate programs
• Support institutional values and vision of the Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies
• Serve as a professional mentor and academic advisor for all students in the AC+D Program
• Manage and facilitate a strong sense of community within the program and with other stakeholders
• Work with Director of Career Services, Bridgelab (the PNCA entrepreneurship resource center), and others to establish internships and other professional opportunities for graduate students
• Help organize and participate in successful Graduate orientation and other related programming
• Participate in accreditation evaluation process
• Create and maintain strategies to support CD+DS alumni *

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• MFA degree or higher in fine art, design, architecture, applied arts, or related degree
• Thorough understanding of contemporary and historical issues in design
• Understanding of core contemporary and historical models of ecological/sustainable art and design practice
• Knowledge of, and experience in, both studio and business practice of design.
• Hands-on experience with the processes of making and building
• Ability to build, implement and use evaluative measures to assess student outcomes and program success

TO APPLY

• Letter of interest
• Resume/CV with email contact information
• Examples of professional work in digital form or a website
• A selection of student work with project descriptions, URLs and/or portfolio
• Statement of teaching philosophy
• A list of 3-5 references with contact information description of relationship. References will not be contacted until the candidate is notified.
• The Priority Deadline is February 1st, 2020, and the position is open until filled.

ABOUT PNCA

Founded in 1909 and located in an award-winning campus in the heart of Portland, Oregon, PNCA is one of a handful of West Coast institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. It offers B.F.A., M.A., and M.F.A. degrees. Under the guidance of professional practicing artists, designers, and scholars, students can focus on Graphic Design, General Fine Arts, Illustration, Intermedia, Animated Arts, Video and Sound, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, or Sculpture.

A PNCA education is centered on the core values of professional practice, integrated knowledge, critical thinking, effective communication, and social responsibility. PNCA strives in all ways to prepare students for sustained creative achievement in the fine and design arts and throughout their lives to strengthen their ability to interpret the conditions and events shaping the world, and to prepare them to engage that world and its cultures with understanding, enthusiasm, and integrity.

PNCA recognizes that diverse classrooms and workplaces offer the richest learning opportunities. PNCA is therefore committed to a policy of equality in our admission and employment practices. All students and employees will be treated fairly at all times and without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, veteran or marital status, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or the presence of any sensory, physical, psychological or learning disability, and all other bases prohibited by local, state, or federal law. PNCA welcomes applications from candidates that expand the college’s diversity.

Job Type: Full-time

Education:

• Master’s (Preferred)

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off