Assistant Professor and Curator

Working Title Assistant Professor and Curator
Position Location Fort Collins, CO
Posting Number 202100317F
Proposed Annual Salary Range $92,000-$102,000
Employee Benefits
Colorado State University ( CSU ) is committed to providing employees with a strong and competitive benefits package that supports you, your health, and your family. Visit CSU's Human Resources website for detailed benefit plan information for permanent full-time and part-time faculty and administrative professional employees in the following University benefit areas: https://hr.colostate.edu/hr-community-and-supervisors/benefits/benefits-eligibility/ (https://hr.colostate.edu/hr-community-and-supervisors/benefits/benefits-eligibility/%20) and https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-perks/.
Position Type Faculty
Work Hours/Week 40
Description of Work Unit
One of eight academic units in the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Department of Design and Merchandising offers B.S. degrees in Apparel and Merchandising (AM) and in Interior Architecture and Design ( IAD ) and a Master of Science degree in Design and Merchandising. Both undergraduate programs are nationally accredited. In 2019, the AM program became the 'first-in-the-nation' program accredited by the Textile and Apparel Program Accreditation Commission. The IAD program has been accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation since 1990, and it is one of two accredited programs in the state. The department's mission is to achieve excellence in education and scholarship through community engagement, industry collaboration, creative exploration, and scientific inquiry. We are committed to advancing and fostering understanding of socially responsible conceptualization, design, adoption, and evaluation of processes, products, and environments that responsively enhance the human experience. As a research-one (R1), public land-grant university, Colorado State University holds an expectation of scholarship in creative, engaged, scientific work.
The department includes over 20 faculty as well as administrative professionals and staff who support approximately 700 undergraduate students and 20 graduate students. The department is housed in three buildings. The Nancy Richardson Design Center is home to the DM main office, design labs, computer labs, a design library, classrooms equipped with virtual reality, lecture capture, and video conferencing technologies, exhibition areas, and the RDC fabrication labs (prototyping, woods, metals) that support experiential learning. The neighboring Gifford Building features classrooms, computer labs, apparel construction labs, an exhibition gallery, and textile science labs. The Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising, located in the University Center for the Arts, is a designated University Center that features exhibition galleries, a textile conservation lab, a classroom, and a library/conference room. The facility also is a repository for 25,000 historically and culturally significant items of dress, textiles, and interior artifacts representing regional, national, and international cultures. The Department and the Avenir Museum recently received a transformational gift from an anonymous donor, which will allow for exciting staffing and programmatic growth in the coming months and years through new significant endowments. The successful candidate will collaborate in the museum's visioning for the new positions and programming opportunities for digitalizing the collection, offering increased educational outreach, and new collaborations through textile conservation/testing resources. To learn more about the Department of Design and Merchandising (DM), visit: https://www.chhs.colostate.edu/dm.
Tenure/Tenure Track? Yes
% Research 25%
% Teaching 30%
% Service 45%
% Administration 0%
To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 11/29/2021
Number of Vacancies 1
Desired Start Date 08/16/2022
Position End Date
Position Summary
Applications and nominations are invited for the Assistant Professor tenure-track position of Curator of the Avenir Museum in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University. This is a 12-month position, salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. The position is expected to teach and advise graduate students (30%), conduct scholarship in historic/cultural textiles and clothing (25%), and curate collections and exhibitions (45%). We are especially interested in attracting candidates with a background and expertise in western dress and a commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Conditions of Employment Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires)
Required Job Qualifications
- Earned Ph.D. in historic costume and textiles, with a specialization in an area of the museum collection (e.g., 19th and 20th century garments, ethnographic textiles); or, in a related discipline such as anthropology, art history, history, material culture studies, or museum studies;
- Record of research and scholarship;
- Curatorial experience in a professional or university museum setting;
- Demonstrated potential for grantsmanship in support of scholarship and/or curatorial work; and
- Demonstrated ability to advance the department's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through research, teaching and outreach with relevant programs, goals, and activities.
Preferred Job Qualifications
- Post-secondary teaching experience;
- Evidence of contributions in areas of service and outreach within the University setting and/or to the external community;
- Evidence of excellent written communication skills;
- Evidence of expertise in western dress;
- Demonstrated experience with basic textile conservation methodologies; and
- Evidence of success in advancement activities/donor relations.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Interested applicants must submit a cover letter, a current CV, and the names and email addresses and phone numbers of three (3) professional references. Also please include official transcripts and a portfolio. References will not be contacted without prior notification of candidates. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Jennifer Ogle at Jennifer.Ogle@colostate.edu.
Background Check Policy Statement
Colorado State University strives to provide a safe study, work, and living environment for its faculty, staff, volunteers and students. To support this environment and comply with applicable laws and regulations, CSU conducts background checks. The type of background check conducted varies by position and can include, but is not limited to, criminal history, sex offender registry, motor vehicle history, financial history, and/or education verification. Background checks will also be conducted when required by law or contract and when, in the discretion of the University, it is reasonable and prudent to do so.
EEO Statement
Colorado State University is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based on race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or pregnancy in its employment, programs, services and activities, and admissions, and, in certain circumstances, marriage to a co-worker. The University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity and equal access institution and affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity (https://oeo.colostate.edu/) is located in 101 Student Services.
The Title IX Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Title IX Programs and Gender Equity, 123 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-1715, titleix@colostate.edu.
The Section 504 and ADA Coordinator is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, oeo@colostate.edu.
The Coordinator for any other forms of misconduct prohibited by the University's Policy on Discrimination and Harassment is the Vice President for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX, 101 Student Services Building, Fort Collins, Co. 80523-0160, (970) 491-5836, oeo@colostate.edu.
Any person may report sex discrimination under Title IX to the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education (https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/howto.html) .
Diversity Statement
Ability to advance the department's commitment to diversity and inclusion through research, teaching and outreach with relevant programs, goals and activities.
Search Contact Dr. Jennifer Ogle; Jennifer.Ogle@colostate.edu
Essential Duties
Job Duty Category Research
Duty/Responsibility
- Conduct and disseminate scholarly research in support of the museum exhibitions and programming;
- Secure external funding in support of exhibition development, research/creative activity, teaching, and/or outreach; and
- Direct graduate student research.
Percentage Of Time 25%
Job Duty Category Teaching and Advising
Duty/Responsibility
- Teach two to three courses per year related to historic costume and textiles or care and exhibit of museum collections; and
- Collaborate with faculty to support teaching from the collections.
Percentage Of Time 30%
Job Duty Category Service
Duty/Responsibility
- Curate academic exhibitions across Avenir Museum galleries annually;
- Provide collaborative coordination of faculty-, student-, and shared-authority curated exhibits;
- Direct and participate in the physical work required to install exhibitions;
- Promote collections through outreach programs;
- Develop and maintain donor relations (in conjunction with College Development Officers);
- Collaborate with the museum's Director of Operations and Engagement and with the Assistant Curator/Collections Manager to set priorities, policies, and procedures for cataloguing, preservation, and security of the collections;
- Serve as a resource for curatorial-related inquiries;
- Collaborate with faculty on curriculum development, program accreditation, industry outreach, community engagement, and program sponsored activities; and
- Represent Colorado State University at professional and scholarly meetings.
Percentage Of Time 45%
References Requested
Minimum Requested 3
Maximum Requested 3
Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
- Cover Letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Official Transcripts
- Portfolio
Optional Documents