What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Professor of Art and Art History position at Rhodes College?
Job Title: Assistant Professor of Art and Art History Department: Art Job Description: Rhodes College invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professorship in Modern and Contemporary Art History. The person holding this professorship is expected to enhance the Department of Art and Art History while also contributing expertise to interdisciplinary studies in at least one related department or program. The successful candidate’s research must carry significance within the field of Art History while resonating across other disciplines. Applications are especially welcome from individuals able to contribute to at least one of the College’s many interdisciplinary programs, including (but not limited to) Africana Studies; Asian and Asian American Studies; Environmental Studies and Sciences; Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern Studies; Latin American and Latinx Studies; Media Studies; Gender and Sexuality Studies; and Urban Studies. There is the possibility of making this a joint appointment. The position carries a 3-2 undergraduate teaching load, and the College places a strong commitment on excellence in teaching. Candidates would be expected to offer courses that contribute to multiple departments or programs. A Ph.D. is required and may be awarded through an Art History or interdisciplinary program, but the focus of the dissertation must be primarily on modern and contemporary visual culture, globally defined. At least two courses each year must count towards the Art History major and at least two courses towards an interdisciplinary department or program. It is hoped some courses will count towards both simultaneously. At least one course each year will be a survey of global contemporary art to complement offerings in the studio program. Additional responsibilities include departmental and college committee work, and student advising. Rhodes is a nationally ranked residential college committed to the liberal arts and sciences. Our highest priorities are intellectual engagement, community excellence, service to others, and honor among ourselves. Our students live and learn on one of the country’s most beautiful campuses, located in the heart of Memphis, an economic, medical, and culturally diverse center, making Rhodes one of a handful of prominent liberal arts colleges in a major metropolitan area. Rhodes College prides itself on providing a welcoming environment for employees of all backgrounds, viewpoints, and life experiences. We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, age, disability, genetic information, or other protected characteristics. A complete application will include 1) a cover letter that addresses the strengths the candidate will bring as a teacher and scholar to a liberal arts college environment; 2) a curriculum vitae; 3) a separate statement that addresses how the candidate will foster an inclusive learning environment where students from a wide variety of perspectives, beliefs, and backgrounds learn how to engage in civil and respectful dialogue. Also, you must include the following under Additional Documents: 4) publication sample or chapter from dissertation; 5) sample syllabus for an interdisciplinary course. All application materials should be uploaded to the online application portal. Review of completed applications will begin November 7, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Letters of recommendation will only be solicited for short-listed applicants, at which time you will be prompted for the names and contact information for three (3) references. Background checks are required before candidates can be brought to campus for interviews. Rhodes College is an international, four-year, private, co-educational, residential college committed to the liberal arts and sciences, located in Memphis, Tennessee. We aspire to graduate students with a lifelong passion for learning, a compassion for others, and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership in their communities and the world. We encourage applications from qualified individuals interested in helping us achieve this vision. Rhodes is profiled in The Princeton Review’s popular college guide, The Best 384 Colleges: 2019 Edition, and ranks No. 10 for Most Accessible Professors and No. 16 for Most Engaged in Community Service. Rhodes is also one of fifty colleges included in both editions of The Princeton Review’s list of “Colleges That Create Futures” and continues to be included in each new edition of Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Buck. For two years in a row, Rhodes was named America’s #1 Service-Oriented College by Newsweek magazine.