Art Professor of Ceramics at Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, WA
Posted on February 17, 2022
Closing date: April 3, 2022
Position Description
An award winning and respected college in the Pacific Northwest region, Tacoma Community College invites you to apply for the position of Full-Time Professor of Art, tenure track. We seek an innovative visionary to serve our students equitably and improve their success. Reporting to the Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS), this Full-Time Art Professor serves students, helps provide department vision, and leads the department as a specialist in ceramics.
As the ideal candidate, you have proven experience teaching studio (applied) and classroom art courses. You are committed to advancing the first theme of the TCC 2020-2025 Strategic Plan: “Advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” and to helping lead the TCC Art Department in removing barriers to equitable access and dismantling systems of oppression. You inspire students and colleagues with a focus on social justice and engage in meaningful dialogue and active listening . You lead efforts to increase equity, diversity , and inclusion in curriculum, class activities, and service to the college.
As a successful candidate, you have the privilege of leading and organizing our ceramics curriculum, ceramics studio, and other art classes. You are a strong collaborator in supporting student success and our guided pathways model for degree completion. In addition to leading the department as a specialist in ceramics, you manage the ceramics studio: Ceramics Studio (2,180 square feet) and Kiln Yard (1,344 square feet).
As a successful candidate for this position, you prepare and teach predominantly in all levels of Ceramics, and other Art Foundation classes as needed (Art Appreciation, 2D Design, and/or Drawing). You serve TCC’s Art department, the AA Degree with a Specialization in Art, and prepare students to transfer (major-ready) into bachelors’ programs at 4-year institutions. Your position complements the existing specialties in the department and reports to the Art Department Chair, and Dean for Arts , Humanities and Social Sciences.
Art Department
• Prepare and teach Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Ceramics as a group
• Prepare and teach additional courses in Art according to department needs and candidate specialty; possibly Art Appreciation, and other studio foundation classes
• Advise and support students in developing their educational goals and monitoring their progress toward complet ion
• Manage and maintain the ceramics studio space, related equipment, and supplies
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Division
• Work with faculty on department, program, and interdisciplinary curriculum development
• Serve on co mmittees
• Participate in department, division, and college activities normally assigned to full-time faculty (e .g., assessment, professio nal development)
• Participate in college-wide efforts and priorities to support TCC’s mission such as: Guided Pathways, the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, and Accreditation
Required Education and Experience
• Master’s degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Ceramics, from an accredited college or university
• College teaching experience at the freshman/sophomore level, or at a 2-year college
Successful teaching experience in a diverse environment
• Knowledge and experience working in a ceramic studio with a variety of firing methods and clay construction, such as: wheel work, slab construction, advanced glaze techniques, and high (cone 10) and low firing procedures including reduction, oxidation, raku firing
Tacoma Community College is seeking candidates for the Full-Time Art Professor (Tenure-Track) who demonstrate the following qualities, knowledge, skills, and abilities
- Expertise in ceramics, ceramics pedagogy, and ceramics traditions and histories
- Knowledge of ceramics traditions from a variety of cultures
- Teaching methods flexible to different circumstances and varied learners
- Experience with classroom technology and online learning management systems (e .g., Canvas)
- Commitment to engage students in research/service/applied learning opportunities
- Dedication to remaining current in the discipline
- Continuous professional activity, possibly including national/international exhibition record
- Strong interpersonal skills, exceptional written and oral communication skills
- Experience reviewing and developing curriculum
- Enthusiasm for cultural diversity and cultural responsiveness in the curriculum and the classroom
- A commitment to identifying, challenging, and disrupting instances of institutional racism and discrimination that disadvantage Black, Indigenous , and people of color as well other marginalized populations within our educational community
- Ability to work successfully in a collegial environment
- Possess ethics, integrity and sound professional judgment
Conditions of Employment
Successful completion of a criminal history background check.
Proof of completed COVID-19 Vaccination is required upon hiring and employment at TCC.
WHO WE ARE
Located in the scenic Puget Sound area with Mount Rainier in the distance, Tacoma is the third largest city in Washington State with a thriving and diverse community of over 200,000 residents. Tacoma Community College (TCC) was built on the ancestral territory of Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Puyallup. The 1854 Medicine Creek Treaty forcibly removed them to the Puyallup Reservation to make way for settler s; we recognize the privilege of utilizing this land has come at great cost. We honor the resilience of the Puyallup people, who still live here, defend their rights, and contribute greatly to the well-being of this community. Our institution aims to increase partnerships and community ties with the local indigenous populations. TCC is committed to increasing Native visibility by developing more culturally responsive curriculum. Moreover, TCC stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and the Black community by further strengthening collaboration with the Black Student Union as well as community entities such as the Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective, the Tacoma Urban League, and local black-owned businesses. We are committed to infusing and incorporating more educational content focused on the lives and experiences of the Black community into our curriculum. We continually strive to become an anti-racist institution.
The Art Department at TCC has a strong and positive reputation in our community. TCC college art courses, continuing education offerings, and gallery exhibits are valuable resources for Tacoma. TCC art faculty create, teach, advise, participate in professional development, and facilitate scholarship. They also serve as stewards of the art discipline for our degree-seeking students. Many students taking art classes seek the Associate of Arts with an Art Specialization.
Other students may participate in art classes as part of the general studies curriculum for the Associate of Arts degree. The TCC Art Department offers a wide range of studio art classes, including painting, drawing, 2D, 3D, sculpture, printmaking, photography, graphic design, and ceramics.
Tacoma Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator.
