Assistant Professor of Indigenous Arts

Position Description: The Department of American Indian Studies (AIS) at the University of Washington invites applications for a full-time Assistant Professor (tenure-track) of Indigenous Arts to start in Fall 2025. This faculty member will teach four courses per year and engage in research-based arts practice across a multidisciplinary range, including (but not limited to) the visual arts, drama/performance, dance, and/or film/media. While we will consider all applications, we are particularly interested in applicants whose practice is rooted in the North Pacific/Northwest Coast/ Columbia River Basin/Plateau regions and whose work builds and expands AIS’s concentrations in Indigenous governance, environment and health, and culture and history. Applicants are expected to incorporate Indigenous theories and methodologies within their research, teaching, service, mentorship, and community engagement, as well as engage with Indigenous communities in their work. Participation in department and university service as well as professional development in American Indian and Indigenous studies are also expected. This position is part of a multiyear cluster hire in American Indian and Indigenous studies across the College of Arts and Sciences. We are excited to welcome a new colleague whose work complements and expands existing AIS faculty expertise and who is eager to connect with Indigenous studies faculty in other units across the College and UW.

Located on the lands and waters of Coast Salish peoples and serving a region with a diverse array of reservation, rural, and urban Indigenous communities, both the College of Arts and Sciences and the University of Washington have made significant investments in American Indian and Indigenous studies. As the home of American Indian and Indigenous knowledges at UW since 1970, AIS is a multidisciplinary academic unit that offers an undergraduate major and minor, an Oceania and Pacific Islander Studies minor, as well as a graduate certificate. The department’s faculty members represent a range of disciplines and approach their teaching and research from decolonizing, community-based, tribally specific, and global perspectives. AIS is the hub of a robust and connected community of Indigenous peoples at the University of Washington, which we have built through campus-wide efforts including the UW wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House, Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies (CAIIS), Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI), Burke Museum, Office of Tribal Relations, and Native American Advisory Board, as well as a yearly Tribal Leadership Summit and extensive campus conferences and symposia. AIS faculty are campus leaders in facilitating the recruitment and retention of American Indian, Alaska Native, First Nations, and Indigenous faculty and students, making UW a vibrant community for an Indigenous scholar.

University of Washington faculty engage in teaching, research, and service. This position has an anticipated start date of September 2025 and will have a 9-month service period.

Salary Range: Washington State Law requires that this ad list a binding salary range. The base salary range for the Assistant Professor (tenure-track) position will be $9,500- $13,500 per month on a 9-month basis ($85,500-$121,500 annually). This salary range is commensurate with experience and qualifications, or as mandated by a U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage determination.

Qualifications: Competitive candidates will demonstrate a strong professional record of creative research and arts practice(s) rooted in American Indian and Indigenous studies, as well as a record of innovative and effective teaching and student mentoring. Applicants must have professional training that includes either completion of a terminal degree (PHD, MFA, or foreign equivalent) or experience sufficient to indicate a similar level of professional accomplishment. While terminal degree is preferred, minimally, a BA degree is required for all applicants.

Application Instructions: Please submit: a letter of application, curriculum vitae or resume, a PDF portfolio containing a maximum of 20 images and/or link to website, an artist statement that includes future plans/general agenda for artistic practice/research going forward, a statement of teaching philosophy, and a diversity statement that also addresses Indigenous community engagement.

All materials must be submitted via Interfolio: http://apply.interfolio.com/153415

Review of applications will begin on October 30, 2024. Questions about this position may be addressed to the Indigenous Arts Search Chair: Dr. Dian Million at [email protected].

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.