Search for New Illinois School of Architecture Director
The next Director will lead the School in advancing the theory, practice, and pedagogy of architecture, bringing an integrative view of the built environment to the support of innovative scholarship, research, and learning.
Strategically positioned within a globally ranked public research university, the School of Architecture prepares practitioners and scholars to address the most pressing social, cultural, and environmental issues of our time. As one of the seven academic units in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the School’s work is informed by multiple creative perspectives, including landscape architecture, urban and regional planning, design, visual arts, theatre, music, and dance. Moreover, students and faculty engage with people and resources from across the broad range of disciplines at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, from engineering and environmental sciences to applied health sciences, business, anthropology, and more. Faculty members in the School are internationally recognized for their expertise, accomplishments, and global perspectives, attracting students from diverse backgrounds. The School of Architecture is the second oldest school of architecture in the United States; as such, it stewards a worldwide legacy of educational innovation and distinguished alumni.
The School offers B.S. and M.S. degrees in Architectural Studies, a recently re-accredited two-year professional M.Arch degree, a variant master’s degree for students without a pre-professional B.S., and a Ph.D. in Architecture. In service of these degrees, the School is organized around four program areas that integrate research and design: Detail and Fabrication, Health and Well-Being, Performance, and Urbanism. Students also benefit from opportunities for design and study in a Chicago Studio and a study abroad program in Barcelona-El Vallès. At home in Urbana-Champaign, newly planned efforts include a facility expansion for the School and involvement in an interdisciplinary campus center for design education.
The Director reports to the Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts and is responsible for academic leadership, budgeting, and administrative policy in collaboration with School faculty. Responsibilities of this position also include stewardship of the School’s efforts to ensure diversity and inclusion across its mission and promotion of the School to potential students and partners within and without the university, including those in the architectural profession, alumni groups, and publics around the globe. Ideal candidates will bring a record of accomplishment related to design of the built environment, evidence of understanding and acting on opportunities unique to a school of architecture within a research-intensive university, and a strong commitment to the dynamic integration of design and research. The successful candidate must satisfy at least one of the following requirements: hold a professional degree in architecture with a license to practice architecture; hold an earned doctorate in architecture or in a related field; or have an equivalent record of achievement in architecture. Also required is a record of achievement and impact commensurate with appointment at the rank of full professor.
For more information about this search, please contact the search chair, Professor Alan Mette.
Appointment and Salary: This appointment will be a full-time, nine-month position with negotiated summer salary support and an administrative increment; the full compensation package is flexible and based on qualifications and experience. The preferred start date is August 16, 2017.
Application Procedures: To ensure full consideration, please create your candidate profile and upload a single PDF file consisting of a cover letter with a statement of leadership philosophy and vision as it relates to faculty research, teaching, and governance; a detailed cv; and the names/contact information of three academic references by October 30, 2016. Applicants may be interviewed before this date; however, no hiring decision will be made until after that date. For further information about application procedures, please contact Melissa Madsen, Associate Director of Human Resources in the College of Fine and Applied Arts.
The University of Illinois conducts criminal background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.
Illinois is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or criminal conviction history. Illinois welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity.