Animation Insider

Faculty
Description

University of Colorado – College of Arts and Media

Assistant or Associate Professor of 3D and Digital Animation

The Visual Arts Department in the College of Arts & Media at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) seeks a qualified individual to fill a full-time ranked faculty position as an Assistant / Associate Professor in Digital Animation who will also serve as area head. This position is a 40/40/20 split between research, teaching and service. While serving as area head, the teaching portion will be reduced to a 2/2 teaching load. The start date for this position is August, 2017.

Qualified candidates will be expected to teach courses in 3D modeling, animation, texturing and lighting, and rigging with an emphasis in Maya. The ideal candidate will have expertise using software commonly used in the industry (Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Unity, Unreal, ZBrush, Substance Designer).

To achieve tenure, the candidate will be expected to develop and maintain an active national and/or international record of exhibition and professional accomplishments. To facilitate creative research activities the successful candidate will have an option to obtain an additional course release during their first year.

In addition to research, teaching and service the hired candidate will be the area head for the Digital Animation Center (DAC). As area head a successful candidate will provide vision and leadership for the animation emphasis, supervise budgets in coordination with CAM staff, review technology investments and develop class schedules and faculty teaching assignments, advise students, review curriculum and provide oversight to maintain a high quality of instruction for students.

THE DIGITAL ANIMATION CENTER

Ranked by Animation CareerReview as #19 of the top 50 Public Animation Schools and Colleges in the U.S the Digital Animation Center program provides an uncompromising level of university-level undergraduate instruction in the theory, practice and application of digital 3D media. DAC faculty are experienced professionals with many years of real, practical work experience in a wide variety of animation expertise from broadcast, film, museum, scientific visualization, simulation and the gaming industries. The goal of the Digital Animation Center is to bring together diverse scholars and practitioners to provide optimal learning experiences for students in creative imaging and visualization solutions for the evolving areas of research, production and entertainment.

The University of Colorado Denver and the College of Arts and Media

The University of Colorado Denver is comprised of the recently consolidated Denver Campus and the Anschutz Medical Campus. The consolidated university confers more graduate degrees each year than any other higher education institution in Colorado, offers over 130 degree programs in 13 schools and colleges, and brings in nearly $400 million annually in sponsored research.

The Denver Campus is located downtown next to a vibrant commercial and cultural district, three major professional sports venues, the Denver Convention Center, and city and state government offices. The Denver Campus alone has an enrollment of over 15,000 learners, and has a highly diverse student population.

The College of Arts & Media, located on the Downtown Denver campus, offers B.F.A. and B.A. degrees in Studio Arts, Art History, Film and Television and B.S. and M.S. degrees in Music with studies in the rapidly growing field of audio forensics. Visual Arts majors select programs in Art History, Drawing, Illustration, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Digital Design and Digital Animation.

Area Heads receive a course release and have the following Responsibilities:

• Program outreach
• Industry relations
• Coordinating with CAM marketing staff
• Curriculum oversight
• Budget oversight, working with CAM budget officer
• Student advising
• Course and faculty scheduling
• Portfolio review organization and notification
• Set curriculum outcomes/assessment

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• MFA or PhD degree or its equivalent in art/animation/computer graphics/gaming or a related field
• A body of creative work that reflects a high degree of knowledge in 3D animation
• Ability and willingness to discern and meet the needs of students
• Ability to work with others in a collegial and productive manner
• College-level teaching experience teaching 3D animation and/or modeling. Specifically, course in 3D modeling, animation, texturing and lighting, and rigging with an emphasis in Maya.
• Experience in supporting faculty attainment and working within a university environment
• Ability to maintain a climate that is collegial, that respects and values diversity, that treats faculty, staff and learners fairly and that is hospitable to creativity and innovation

Preferred Qualifications:

• An active national or international record of exhibitions and/or professional accomplishments
• Expertise in using software commonly used in the industry (Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Unity, Unreal, ZBrush, Substance Designer).
• Proven leadership skillS
• Curriculum development experience
• Active industry/internship or education connections

Salary and Benefits:

Salary is commensurate with skills and experience. The University of Colorado offers a full benefits package. Information on University benefits programs, including eligibility, is located at Employee Services.

The University of Colorado Denver is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.

The University of Colorado strongly supports the principle of diversity. We encourage applications from women, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and all veterans. The University of Colorado is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of the third day of work. Alternative formats of this ad are available upon request for persons with disabilities.

Special Instructions to Applicants: Review of applications will begin in April 1, 2017 and continue until the position is filled. For more information on the College of Arts & Media, or the University of Colorado Denver in the downtown Denver campus, visit our websites at www.ucdenver.edu or cam.ucdenver.edu.     Application Materials Required: Cover Letter, Resume/CV, List of References Application Materials Instructions:

Applications are accepted electronically at CU Careers, refer to requisition ID: 07359

When applying, applicants must include:

1. A letter of application which specifically addresses the job requirements and outlines qualifications
2. A current Resume/CV
3. The names, addresses, daytime telephone numbers and e-mail addresses for three professional references, either attached to your resume/CV or uploaded as a separate documen Semi-finalists will be asked to provide supporting materials (e.g., links to creative work, sample syllabi and a teaching statement). The interview process will include a pre-scheduled phone interview. On-campus interviews for finalists will be selected from the phone interviews.

Job Category

: Faculty

Primary Location

: Denver

Department: D0001 — Denver Campus - 30120 – CAM-Visual Arts

Schedule

: Full-time

Posting Date

: Mar 2, 2017

Closing Date

: Ongoing

Posting Contact Name: Stephanie Kelly

Posting Contact Email: stephanie.l.kelly@ucdenver.edu

Position Number: 00725740