Director and Associate/Full Professor, School of Art, College of DAAP

The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) at the University of Cincinnati invites applications for the position of Director of the School of Art (SOA) for appointment at the Associate or Full Professor level. The position is intended to commence on August 15, 2027.

The College of DAAP has as its primary mission the improvement of visual and design environments. Led by Dean Stephanie Pilat, DAAP includes the Myron E. Ullman Jr. School of Design, the School of Architecture and Interior Design, the School of Art, and the School of Planning. DAAP is a dynamic hub for research and creative practice addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time, from artificial intelligence, technological change, and design in the public interest to human well-being and the building of a sustainable planetary future.The college serves 2,300 students in over 40 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral programs, with numerous opportunities for research, community engagement, and study abroad.

The School of Art's (SOA) role in advancing the college mission is to prepare undergraduate and graduate students to be responsible art practitioners, historians, and educators in a complex and evolving world. SOA achieves this through a distinctive, rigorous, carefully sequenced curriculum that includes a substantial cooperative education program (co-op) program established by the university more than a century ago. SOA continually strives to innovate and transform the scholarship, practice, and teaching of art in a globalizing age.

Our passionate faculty and rigorous curriculum prepare students for careers in the fine arts, art history, art education, games and animation, creative industries, and engagement with education institutions, museums, galleries, auction houses, libraries, and civic placemaking. This curricular model, conveyed in classrooms, research labs, and professional spaces across the U.S. and abroad, integrates practice and theory. It inspires interdisciplinary projects, builds solid community partnerships, and underpins our strength as a leading art institution. SOA contributes to international dialogue on the core issues affecting the evolution of its constituent fields, and it is at the forefront of campus-wide programs such as the Urban Futures initiative.

Cincinnati is an excellent city for research, teaching, and creative practice in the arts, especially in an urban context. In addition to one of the largest ensembles of outdoor public murals in the country, it features renowned institutions such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Contemporary Arts Center, the Taft Museum of Art, the Aronoff Center for the Arts, the Cincinnati Music Hall, the Tony Award-winning Playhouse in the Park, the American Sign Museum, and the Cincinnati Museum Center. The city is home to many annual art and music festivals, and has an established network of galleries, artists, and community art programs. With a metropolitan population of 2.3 million people, the urban region incorporates the mighty Ohio River, the historic Roebling Bridge, and one of the nation's great park systems.

The School Director is the administrative and academic leader of the School of Art, charged with the supervision of all its interests and activities, and reporting to the Dean of the College. The Director will bring their own areas of expertise, which may include, but not be limited to, art history, art education, games and animation, curatorial studies, or contemporary art theory and practice.

As academic leader, the School Director:

• Leads academic development in all the School's disciplines, and in their collaborative interactions with other disciplines across the College, the University, and the globe.
• Collaborates with faculty, staff, students and alumni to build a strategic vision that promotes excellence in teaching, research, and creative practice, with an eye towards increasing the school's regional and national visibility.
• Leads efforts to attract and retain outstanding faculty members.
• Leads the development and mentoring of faculty, including annual performance reviews and the provision of adequate resources for professional growth.
• Ensures that students receive relevant instruction of high quality and establish a high standard of professionalism.
• Engages in teaching (at least two courses per academic year) in area of expertise.
• Engages in research and/or scholarship and/or creative work in area of expertise.
• Participates in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of the curricula and related matters.
• Partners with the Dean and the Dean's office to develop a collegial environment.

As administrative head, the School Director:

• Represents and advocates the views of the School faculty, staff, and students to the Dean and others and, in turn, communicates administrative policies and decisions to the School.
• Manages, develops, and organizes the School's administrative structure.
• Encourages a spirit of mutual respect among all faculty, staff, and students in the School.
• Is responsible for daily managerial matters in the operation of the School; supervises and helps to develop School staff.
• Pursues short- and long-term objectives and academic planning.
• Assumes fiscal responsibility for School budget oversight and sound judgment in managing funds.
• Represents the views of the School beyond the University; strengthens ties with academic networks, professional organizations, and communities.
• Encourages faculty to seek external funding through grants, fellowships, and awards
• Collaborates with UC Foundation through DAAP's Director of Development to build and maintain outside support of the School.
• Serves on the Executive Committee of the College and advises the Dean on planning, policy, and affairs of the College.

Prior to the effective date of appointment, the candidate must have the following, depending on the area of expertise:

Fine Arts or Games and Animation

• Master's in Fine Arts, Games and Animation or a related field
• Three (3) years of relevant administration or project leadership experience such as service as a program coordinator, assistant or associate chair or director, with research or professional project leadership.

Art Education or Art History

• PhD in Art Education, Art History or a related field
• Three (3) years of relevant administration or project leadership experience such as service as a program coordinator, assistant or associate chair or director, with research or professional project leadership.

Interested applicants must apply online. Review of applications will begin on October 1, 2026 and the position will remain open until filled. To be considered for this position, please complete the application and upload the required documents below:

• CV/resume
• Cover letter
• Names, affiliations, and contact information of three (3) references, and relationship to them