Visiting Assistant Professor - Critical Theory and Photography

The Department of Art at the University of California, Riverside, seeks applications for two Visiting Assistant Professor (VAP) positions in Critical Theory and Photography for the Winter quarter of the 2025-2026 academic year. Alongside Senate Faculty and Lecturers, the Department of Art aims to hire VAPs on a temporary rotating basis to expose students to the widest possible range of practices and discourse. VAPs are expected to contribute to graduate education and the research needs of the department.

About the Department: UCR's Department of Art offers a wide range of courses across both traditional disciplines-such as painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture-and contemporary practices, including intermedia, video, digital art, and theory. With flexible curricular paths and individualized advising, students develop technical proficiency alongside conceptual and critical skills. Through hands-on practice and historical analysis, they move from mastering media to articulating a distinct artistic position.

The Department of Art at UC Riverside is committed to fostering and manifesting the ideals of true diversity, equal opportunity, and inclusion. We also commit to the telos of the University, which is to strive to better understand the world and discover its great truths, while exposing and correcting injustices that may arise. We celebrate all the forms diversity takes intellectually, socioeconomically, and culturally, and we will continue to be fundamentally inclusive, encouraging our students to use their minds and actions in the most productive and empowering ways.

Starting Date(s): Winter Quarter: January 6, - March 20, 2026

Salary: Approximately based on 100% annual salary of $74,598. Approximately $12,433 per course (pending final budget approval). This position is contingent on funding and enrollment per course with additional research and service responsibilities. (Please note: All appointments are contingent upon the appointee being able to provide evidence of authorization to work in the United States in accordance with Federal law. Appointment is contingent on funding and enrollment.)

We welcome candidates who can engage with students in UCR's diverse practice-based arts environment. We welcome applicants with expertise in:

Critical Theory: The selected candidate will teach a graduate-level seminar, ART 240: Current Topics in Critical Theory, designed around their own research interests and expertise.

Photography: We seek candidates with a strong background in photography, ideally with a focus on technology and AI. Teaching responsibilities may include ART 003: Introduction to Photography and/or ART 131: Intermediate Photography.

Additional responsibilities for both roles include:

Graduate advising and mentorship

Participation in graduate reviews and thesis committees

Departmental service

A presentation of current research or artistic work

Candidates should have a comprehensive engagement with contemporary art practices as evidenced by exhibitions, publications, and teaching experience.

Application procedure to include: Cover letter, CV, Statement of research and/or creative practice, Statement of teaching philosophy, A single PDF that includes examples of the applicant's work (e.g., writing samples, published articles, lecture documentation, images, or video links, as applicable), One sample syllabus, Recent teaching evaluations (if available) an Names and contact information for three references Please note: The Department will solicit letters of reference through APRecruit only for shortlisted candidates at a later stage in the process. Materials should be uploaded using UCR's on-line application system: https://aprecruit.ucr.edu/apply/JPF02118.

Applicants who use Interfolio should use the feature that allows letters to be uploaded directly into AP Recruit. Applicants can input an Interfolio-generated email address in place of their letter writer's email address. Interfolio refers to this as "Online Application Deliveries." The following link at Interfolio shows how to set up the feature: http://help.interfolio.com/entries/xxx-Uploading-Letters-to-an-Online-Application-System.

Review of applications will begin September 1, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, applications, and supporting material should be received by September 1, 2025.

For further information, please contact the Art Department Administration at artdept@ucr.edu or the Search Committee Chair at azaki@ucr.edu

Department: https://art.ucr.edu/

Minimum requirements are an MFA or equivalent degree and one year of teaching experience or equivalent at the college or university level.

Priority will be given to candidate with experience in teaching and research in Critical Theory and Photography.

The University of California, Riverside is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. UCR is a member institution of the American Association of Universities (AAU) as well as the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU). A commitment to the UCR mission (https://apro.ucr.edu/mission-statement) is a preferred qualification.

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

Three names and contact information of references

The University of California, Riverside is a world-class research university with an exceptionally diverse undergraduate student body. UCR is a member institution of the American Association of Universities (AAU) as well as the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU). A commitment to the UCR mission (https://apro.ucr.edu/mission-statement) is a preferred qualification.

We seek to hire scholars who will both advance our research directions and effectively educate our undergraduate and graduate students, while also engaging with University and Professional service activities. Research and teaching statements that are included with application materials are opportunities for candidates to share knowledge, experience, and goals that support the mission of UCR. For more information on UC's criteria for successful faculty, refer to the Academic Personnel Manual (APM) 210 - Criteria for Appointment, Promotion, and Appraisal (https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-210.pdf).

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under state or federal law. It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, State, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer. A Misconduct Disclosure Survey will be completed through Truescreen, which is the vendor that administers this process for the campus.

For the University of California's Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy please visit:

https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000385/SVSH.

For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students, and Third Parties, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination.

For the University of California's Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy, please visit: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/apm/apm-035.pdf.