Tenured faculty position / AAP Associate Dean for Diversity and Equity

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, Cornell University

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) at Cornell University is seeking a tenured faculty member at the associate or full professor level to be appointed in one of the college’s three departments: architecture, art, or city and regional planning. The successful candidate will also serve as the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity and Equity and will be a key member in the college’s senior leadership team, charged with advancing the college’s vision and priorities around academic excellence and inclusion.

The successful candidate will have a distinguished record of experience in teaching with a demonstrated ability to engage in scholarship, research, and/or creative work. They must demonstrate academic excellence and leadership in their field of expertise and evidence of a deep commitment to engaging in diversity, equity, and belonging in the academy.

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning is one of Cornell University’s oldest colleges, and home to approximately 900 students, 100 visiting and full-time faculty, and about 60 staff members. We are committed to the belief that architecture, art, and planning are simultaneously intellectual, spatial, social, and material practices, and that leadership in the field demands both expertise in a specific discipline and broader knowledge across disciplines. Cornell’s Ithaca campus is the physical and academic center for AAP, but given the global nature of our interests, the college has extended its reach to include permanent programs in the historic center of Rome and New York City. In Ithaca, the college is located on the campus’ Arts Quad and spans five buildings, including the OMA-designed Milstein Hall, the historic Sibley Hall and Tjaden Hall, the Mui Ho Fine Arts Library within the recently renovated Rand Hall, and the landmarked Foundry building. For over a century, AAP has educated many influential theorists and practitioners in the United States, and it continues to build its strength in research and teaching.

AAP is committed to an inclusive and diverse community and an open learning environment that is free from bias. We embrace creative and analytic practices that challenge preconceptions and prejudice; encourage critical engagement with the many forms of built and creative culture; and defend the prerogative of our disciplines to ask difficult questions. These goals are the shared vision and responsibility of the college, departments, and AAP’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion that includes students, staff, and faculty members. In a year-long collaborative process, the Council has advanced a strategic action plan, Building a Just and Equitable AAP, to further the advancement of diversity and inclusion work in all facets of the college’s work. An Office of Diversity and Inclusion has been re-established, and a Director of Diversity and Inclusion staff position with a focus on student and staff services has been filled. The Associate Dean for Diversity and Equity faculty position is a termed leadership appointment, and the candidate will spend a portion of their teaching, research, and service effort during their three-year (extendable) term to advance college priorities around diversity and inclusion.

In their role as Associate Dean for Diversity and Equity, the candidate will lead and coordinate college-wide initiatives on diversity and equity, and help foster an inclusive climate for students, staff, and faculty. They will lead initiatives for the recruitment, retention, and career development of a diverse faculty including coordinating resources, mentoring, and facilitating peer support to all AAP faculty. The Associate Dean will co-chair the college Council for Diversity and Inclusion, and work with college leadership to inform, strategize, set, and advance the college’s D&I programs and initiatives. Along with the Director of Student Services, the Associate Dean will supervise and partner with the Director of Diversity and Inclusion in Student Services to support AAP students, who include undergraduates, master’s students (professional and research degrees) and doctoral students. As AAP’s academic diversity officer, the Associate Dean will also work closely and coordinate AAP D&I efforts with university-wide entities including among others, the Graduate School and the Office of Faculty Development and Diversity.

As a tenured faculty member, serving the AAP community as the Associate Dean for Diversity and Equity, the successful candidate joins a vibrant departmental and college community in encouraging design imagination, technical creativity, critical thinking, historical awareness, and the development of a social, ethical, and artistic perspective while advocating for the rights of all communities and individuals to pursue their futures with equal opportunity. 

Qualifications:

• A professional B.Arch or M.Arch degree or related Master’s degree in the field; an MFA; or a PhD in city and regional planning, or architectural history, theory and criticism or in a field closely related to architecture, art, or planning. Overall qualifications must be commensurate with the requirements for a tenured faculty position at Cornell University in the candidate’s respective field.
• Substantial experience in implementing D&I initiatives or other initiatives. Ability to be strategic, visionary, transformative, and tactical while paying close attention to delivering tangible results.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving diverse populations/communities representing a range of social, economic, cultural, ideological, racial, and/or ethnic backgrounds through research, teaching and outreach. Recognized for their reputation on diversity issues and initiatives.
• Ability to exercise a high degree of professionalism, integrity and ownership; must be results-oriented, innovative, creative, highly motivated, team-oriented and a self-starter.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Application Process:

Interested individuals should submit the following items through the university’s online application tool at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/19750.

1. Letter of interest specifying how the candidate’s skills and experiences align with the required qualifications and search objectives.
2. Curriculum Vitae that highlights notable achievements.
3. Names and contact information for five references. These will not be contacted until later in the process and only with the applicant’s permission.

4. Work samples: a selection of up to 10 (total) pieces of creative design work, and/or research and scholarly production, exhibitions, course/studio syllabi and documentation, etc.
5. Concise statement describing contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Visit the below website for more information on our required statement on contributions to diversity;

https://facultydevelopment.cornell.edu/department-resources/recruitment/contribution-to-diversity/

6. Short-listed candidates will be asked to provide additional statements on their scholarly expertise and pedagogical approach, and to review the AAP community action plan and discuss strategies for advancing the college’s commitments to diversity and inclusiveness.

Applications will be reviewed beginning November 22, 2021 and will be accepted until the position is filled. The Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion appointment will begin July 1, 2022. The successful candidate will undergo an expedited review process for indefinite tenure as a departmental faculty member at the associate or full professor level.

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented identities to apply.

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose, and contribute creative ideas to further the university’s mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.

Cornell requires that all faculty and staff members, regardless of their work location, disclose their vaccination status, and provide proof of vaccination if vaccinated, immediately upon hire.

For more information about the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, and Cornell University, please visit:

https://aap.cornell.edu/             https://www.cornell.edu/