The University of Texas at Arlington
Department of Art and Art History
Assistant Professor – Cinematic Arts (tenure-track) and Area Coordinator for Cinematic Arts
Position #: F00600P
Link to Apply: https://uta.peopleadmin.com/postings/30243
Job Summary
The Department of Art and Art History in the College of Liberal Arts, at the University of Texas at Arlington, invites applications for a full-time, Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track appointment, in Cinematic Arts who also will serve as the Area Coordinator for the Cinematic Arts area.
Research specializations: Candidate must be well trained in Cinematic Arts production understanding a range of techniques and approaches relevant to the field today. The successful applicant will be someone who is an active filmmaker, making original contributions to narrative filmmaking, presenting contemporary storytelling from an individual perspective, with a record of success at film festivals. Candidates must be artists demonstrating the potential to establish a significant track record of creative activity including exhibitions and professional involvement in the field at the national and international levels.
Teaching specializations: Candidates need to be qualified to teach across the Cinematic Arts area’s curriculum, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Successful applicants will be someone who brings the ability to teach filmmaking in context to global practices, who is able to offer students insights into not only the films of the AFI Top 100, but with reference to significant films from around the world as well. The successful applicant will have demonstrable skill within the core technical aspects of filmmaking at all its stages. Together with this it is expected that they will master the principles of cinematic storytelling and be able to mentor student as they form their own unique creative voice.
The successful applicant will teach in at least two of the following areas: directing, producing, cinematography, sound recording and design, and / or postproduction. They also will need to work with MFA Cinematic Arts students either in coursework, or through serving on their committees, which could include having the ability to serve as the student’s Committee Chair.
Excellent communication with other faculty members, as well as with students, is paramount to success in this role. Candidates must be capable of effective critique of student film work in both formative and summative feedback activities and performing dedicated teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The successful applicant also will serve as Cinematic Arts Area Coordinator, and to lead in student advising and mentoring activities for students concentrating in the Cinematic Arts area. Additional duties include coordinating and overseeing the Concentration Portfolio Review process for Cinematic Arts students, providing faculty mentoring and supervision in the Cinematic Arts area, leading faculty in area meetings, representing the area at the departmental level, working with area faculty to schedule courses offered and assigning instructors to courses for review by the department, facilities management for Cinematic Arts, and managing the budget of the area.
The Area Coordinator role also holds responsibility for overseeing safety instruction in the area, ensuring full compliance with all the relevant health and safety procedures and policies. This includes managing equipment use and safety, faculty and work study training, equipment maintenance, and other related duties. Additionally, they will be expected to serve on other university, college, and departmental committees as assigned.
Candidates should be aware of the UTA 2030 strategic plan: https://www.uta.edu/administration/president/strategic-plan
and consider how we can develop cultural initiatives that will maximize our geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural presence to enhance our worldwide community partnerships as we pursue the goals of UTA 2030.
In accordance with USCIS regulations, successful applicants must be legally able to accept work in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.
Benefits at UTA
We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees at the University.
To help you understand the full value of these benefits, we have created a tool that calculates the total worth of your compensation package. This tool takes into account all of the benefits that you are eligible for, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. To access this tool and learn more about the total value of your benefits, please click on the following link:
https://resources.uta.edu/hr/services/records/compensation-tools.php
CBC Requirement
It is the practice of The University of Texas at Arlington to conduct a criminal background check on any applicant who is under final consideration for employment with the University.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Demonstrating strong training in the field of filmmaking, with an excellent understanding of audio-visual storytelling, the roles or practices of screenwriting, cinematography, sound, the range of post-production techniques and processes, and an understanding of film theory and history.
- Practicing as an active, exhibiting film maker, with regional and / or national exhibitions track record, demonstrating the potential to establish a significant track record of creative activity, including presentations, screenings, exhibitions and professional involvement in the field at the national and international levels, including at film festivals and in competitions.
- Working as a film maker actively engaged with the future of image making and new directions in the field, experienced with a wide array of approaches, and techniques in Cinematic Arts today, also familiar with relevant historical and contemporary discourse.
- Qualified to teach relevant curriculum in Cinematic Arts at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with the ability to teach in at least two of the following areas: directing, producing, cinematography, sound recording and design, and / or postproduction.
- Demonstrating current relevant understanding of best industry practices such as use of intimacy coordination, how to foster supportive working environments on set and in pre- and post-production settings, set etiquette and hierarchy of roles and responsibilities from production assistants up to Director and Producer roles, and knowledge of relevant fair working practices.
- Ability to teach students how to prepare for production assistant roles on film production crews on set and in the production office setting.
- Excellent communication skills in writing and verbally.
- Effective communication with other faculty and with students.
- Ability to serve as the Cinematic Arts Area Coordinator.
- Capable of leading student advising and mentoring activities for Cinematic Arts students.
- Ability to coordinate and oversee the Concentration Portfolio Review process for area students.
- Capable of providing faculty mentoring and supervision in the Cinematic Arts area.
- Ability to manage the area’s budget.
- Ability to lead facilities management for the area, including maintaining the area’s equipment.
- Ability to ensure all health and safety compliance for the Cinematic Arts area and training of all area faculty and students on the relevant protocols, policies, and procedures for same.
Required Qualifications
- A terminal degree (MFA) in Film and Video, Cinematic Arts or related Film Production program from an accredited (recognized equivalent) university.
- Professional filmmaking experience.
- University-level teaching experience.
- Demonstrated knowledge of relevant filmmaking principles, standards, and concepts, and of pertinent pedagogical approaches for teaching the range of aspects of filmmaking and Cinematic Arts.
- Expertise in Mac OS and Adobe Suite particularly in: Premier Pro, Audition, and After Effects.
- Ability to teach at all levels of the area’s undergraduate and graduate curriculum.
- Demonstration of ability to contribute to the excellence of the academic community through creative activity / research, teaching, advising, and service.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Actively researching at a national and/or international level.
- An effective mentor and advisor of students.
- Demonstrating an awareness of the UTA 2030 Strategic Plan and show consideration of how we can develop cultural initiatives that make effective use of our resources while helping us contribute to the reaching of the UTA 2030 goals.
Preferred Qualifications
- Minimum two (2) years of teaching experience in Cinematic Arts, or Film and Video courses at the university level.
- Developing or sustained record of national and / or international presentations and competitions.
- Demonstrating relevant and recent industry experience.
- Demonstrating a sound knowledge of current and emerging technologies (such as virtual production)
- Expertise in other post-production NLE systems (Avid, DaVinci Resolve).
- Capable of delivering effective critique of student work in both formative and summative feedback activities.
- Ability to teach screenwriting, and / or cinematic animation.
- Capable of supporting curriculum around feminist filmmaking histories and practices.
- Ability to develop and nurture a competitive curriculum, including proposals for special topics courses that would enhance the academic goals of the Cinematic Arts area.
- Ability to create and advance multi-disciplinary courses that would enhance strategic goals for the department and university.
- Graduate-level research/thesis supervision and advising experience.
- Experience conducting portfolio reviews.
- Familiarity with NASAD standards on delivering competencies to students in film and video / cinematic arts.
Department and College Information
The Department of Art and Art History at The University of Texas at Arlington is located among excellent cultural facilities. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex is home to several major internationally recognized museums and galleries (e.g., Kimbell Museum of Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, the Modern Art Museum-Fort Worth, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art). In addition, Dallas-Fort Worth is home to over 20 corporate headquarters, including Toyota, Chase, Kimberly-Clark, AT&T, Exxon Mobil, McKesson, American Airline Group, and more.
The department serves over 800 students at the undergraduate and graduate level across our BFA, BA, and MFA degree programs. Areas of study in which students can concentrate include Art Education, Art History, Cinematic Arts, Clay, Drawing, Glass, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Visual Communication Design. The MFA Program offers four pathways of study: Cinematic Arts, Design, Glass, and Intermedia.
With more than 30 full-time faculty The Department of Art and Art History at UTA is a vibrant creative community. Our mission is to educate a wide range of students, cultivating their artistic, design, and critical thinking skills. Our welcoming environment encourages imaginative inquiry and experimentation. Our faculty develop innovative curriculum, creative practice, and research across art and design disciplines, bringing unique creative, art historical, and art education perspectives and expertise to our students, fellow cultural producers, and the wider communities with which we engage.
The Department of Art and Art History is the largest department in the university’s College of Liberal Arts, which itself serves over 4,000 students across its 12 departments serving the fine and performing arts, humanities, and social sciences disciplines. The department is nationally and regionally accredited by NASAD and SACSCOC, respectively. To find out more about us, please visit: http://uta.edu/art
University Information
The University of Texas at Arlington is located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex, a vibrant and diverse metropolitan area that is home to over 7 million people, one of the fastest-growing tech economies in the United States, and a wide array of arts, entertainment, and cultural activities. UTA is a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work. The University is committed to providing access and ensuring student success, and to a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization of discoveries by our community of scholars. With an enrollment of more than 40,000 students, UTA is the second largest in the University of Texas System. As a result of its combination of rigorous academics and innovative research, UTA is designated as a Carnegie R-1 “Very High Research Activity” institution. UTA ranks No. 4 nationally in Military Times’ annual “Best for Vets: Colleges” list and is among the top 30 performers nationwide for promoting social mobility of its graduates (U.S. News & World Report, 2023). UTA is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and it has one of the top 5 most ethnically diverse undergraduate student bodies in the United States (U.S. News & World Report, 2023). Its approximately 270,000 alumni, including some who occupy leadership positions at many of the 24 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in North Texas, contribute to UTA’s $22.2 billion annual economic impact on Texas.
Furthermore, UTA is poised to experience widespread growth in the near future. The university recently launched the first phase of its RISE 100 initiative aimed at recruiting 100 new tenure-system faculty to amplify research standing and position UTA as a leader in key scholarly areas; more details are available at https://www.uta.edu/administration/president/strategic-plan/rise100. The successful candidate for this position will have the opportunity to join UTA during an exciting period of growth and contribute as the university broadens its impact.
EEO Statement
It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or The University) to provide an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. In accordance with federal and state law, the University prohibits unlawful discrimination, including harassment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, and/or veteran status. The University also prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and gender expression. Retaliation against persons who oppose a discriminatory practice, file a charge of discrimination, or testify for, assist in, or participate in an investigative proceeding relating to discrimination is prohibited. Constitutionally-protected expression will not be considered discrimination or harassment under this policy. It is the responsibility of all departments, employees, and students to ensure the University’s compliance with this policy.
ADA Accommodations
The University of Texas at Arlington is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to 817-272-5554 or email ADADocs@uta.edu.
Special Instructions to Applicants
To apply applicants should go to https://uta.peopleadmin.com/postings/30223 and submit the following materials:
Required Documents:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Cover Letter
- Links to examples of at least 3 of your works
- Research Statement
- Statement of Teaching Philosophy
- Unofficial Transcripts (required only for candidates for whom their degree is not in the same discipline as the one in which they will teach)
- Contact information for 3 references
Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
Questions may be addressed to Associate Professor Daniel Garcia at daniel.garcia@uta.edu.
For more information about UTA, please visit: http://www.uta.edu/uta.
