Tenure-track Opportunities in Digital Culture and Video Game Design & Development, University of Lethbridge

University of Lethbridge – Assistant Professor Positions in Digital Culture and Video Game Design & Development

The Department of New Media, Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lethbridge, invites applications for two academic positions. Start date for both positions could be as early as July 1, 2023, subject to budgetary and Board approval. Joining a dynamic team of artists and scholars, the successful candidates will build on existing strengths in New Media by contributing to the decolonization of curriculum through the lens of digital culture studies and video game design & development.

Tenure-track appointment in Digital Culture at the rank of Assistant Professor

Qualified candidates will have a PhD in Digital Culture or cognate area. Ideally, the candidate’s research trajectory will intersect with issues of reconciliation, decolonization, equity, accessibility. Applicants will be well-versed in the historical contingencies and contemporary complexities of social and cultural phenomena surrounding current and emergent digital technologies (for example: social media, Artificial Intelligence, cryptocurrency, data collection and data-driven decision making, the attention economy) and their ramifications on cultures, the environment, economies, politics, art and design, and everyday life. While not a prerequisite, we are particularly interested in applicants who have a parallel creative practice. Evidence of successful teaching at the post-secondary level is preferred, though not essential. Application and full details here.

Tenure-track appointment in Video Game Design & Development at the rank of Assistant Professor

Qualified candidates will have a terminal degree (MFA or PhD) in Video Game Design and Development or cognate area. We are particularly interested in applicants whose research-creation engages with such areas as: games for social change; educational games; indie games; experimental approaches to game design and development; exploration of open-source software. Candidates should also have a solid understanding of current game industry practices and trends, accompanied by an awareness of the historical and contemporary social and cultural forces that shape technologies. Ideally, the candidate will possess a strong record of research and creation which intersects with issues of reconciliation, decolonization, equity, and accessibility. Evidence of successful teaching at the post-secondary level is preferred, though not essential. Application and full details here.

The successful candidates will teach introductory and advanced level courses, as well as develop future course offerings, in their respective fields, to students in New Media programs, as well as to students from other disciplines fulfilling the Liberal Education requirements of their degrees. Teaching responsibilities will be determined to align with the candidates’ areas of research expertise. These new faculty members will bring theoretical, material, and cultural knowledge to their teaching. They will join a vibrant department which delivers a broad new media curriculum to students from diverse backgrounds. They will also contribute to graduate programs, student supervision, and mentorship.

In addition to teaching, the successful candidate will conduct research/creative work in their areas of expertise. Faculty are responsible for teaching, research, and service and play an integral role in the current and future curricular direction of programs. They are expected to participate in collegial governance at the department, faculty, and university levels and to actively engage with broader communities.

Compensation:
Annual salary for either position to be negotiated, but shall begin at $77,963 as per current Academic Staff Collective agreement.

Applications for either position must be submitted electronically via the University of Lethbridge PeopleAdmin site.

Review of applications will begin May 19, 2023. Applications will be accepted until positions are filled.

About the Academic Unit:

The Department of New Media offers a New Media major degree (BFA), combined BFA degrees in New Media / Education, New Media / Computer Science, and New Media / Management, as well as Minors in New Media, and New Media Studies.

A generalist program, New Media emphasizes experiential learning, technical and creative innovation, critical thought, cross-disciplinarity, and collaboration. Supported by three computer labs equipped with high-end work stations, three specialized video editing and finishing facilities, as well as the Cove Studio (contains a green screen cyclorama, photographic backdrops, and specialized lighting), the department offers core courses in a range of areas including, new media history and theory, web design, programming, game design and development, interaction, animation, and video production, as well as a rotating selection of upper-level electives.

The Faculty of Fine Arts includes two Canada Research Chairs in Indigenous fields of study (one in Art and one in Music) and supports collaborative, community-oriented scholarship.

About the University:

Oki, and welcome to the University of Lethbridge. Our University’s Blackfoot name is Iniskim, meaning Sacred Buffalo Stone. The University is located in traditional Blackfoot Confederacy territory. We honour the Blackfoot people and their traditional ways of knowing in caring for this land, as well as all Aboriginal peoples who have helped shape and continue to strengthen our University community.

The University of Lethbridge, a comprehensive university with approximately 8,700 students from 37 countries, aims to support the spirit of free inquiry and the critical interpretation of ideas. Our University’s work also focuses on fostering an inclusive, equitable, and diverse campus grounded in the principles of truth and reconciliation. Many world-class researchers, visual, sound, and performing artists have made their home here, contributing to a thriving arts community supported by numerous galleries, including the SAAG (Southern Alberta Art Gallery Maansiksikaitsitapiitsinikssin), CASA Community Arts Centre, the Trianon Gallery, the University’s Dr. Margaret (Marmie) Perkins Hess Gallery, as well as theatre and music venues. The University is a vital part of Lethbridge, a community of over 100,000 people, located near the Oldman River, close to the Rocky Mountains, and within easy driving distance to Calgary’s International Airport. The many recreational and cultural amenities of the Lethbridge area offer a wonderful quality of life, reflected in its 2022 recognition as one of Canada’s best small cities.

University of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts
4401 University Drive W
Lethbridge, Alberta
T1K 3M4
403-329-2126
finearts.dean@uleth.ca
Facebook: @ULethbridgeFineArts
Instagram: @ulethbridge_finearts