JOB DESCRIPTION

Assistant Professor in Visual Arts Education
School of Arts Education and Movement
DCU Institute of Education
Permanent Contract

Dublin City University

Dublin City University (DCU) is a young, ambitious and vibrant university, with a mission ‘to transform lives and societies through education, research, innovation and engagement’. Known as Ireland’s ‘University of Enterprise’, DCU is a values-based institution, committed to the delivery of impact for the public good. DCU was named Sunday Times Irish University of the Year 2021.

DCU is based on three academic campuses in the Glasnevin-Drumcondra region of north Dublin. More than 18,000 students are enrolled across five faculties – Science and Health, DCU Business School, Computing and Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences and DCU Institute of Education.

DCU is committed to excellence across all its activities. This is demonstrated by its world-class research initiatives, its cutting-edge approach to teaching and learning, its focus on delivering a transformative student experience, and its positive social and economic impact. The university continues to develop innovative programmes in collaboration with industry, such as the DCU Futures suite of degrees, which are designed to equip graduates with the skills and knowledge required in a rapidly evolving economy.

DCU’s pursuit of excellence has led to its current ranking among the top 2% of universities globally. It is also one of the world’s Top Young Universities (QS Top 100 Under 50, Times Higher Top 150 Under 100). In the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2021, DCU ranked 23rd in the world for its approach to widening participation in higher education and its ongoing commitment to eradicating poverty, while it ranks 38th globally for its work in reducing inequality and 89th globally for gender equality.

The university is ranked 23rd in the world and first in Ireland for its graduate employment rate, according to the 2020 QS Graduate Employability Rankings. Over the past decade, DCU has been the leading Irish university in the area of technology transfer, as reflected by licensing of intellectual property.

Overview of the department

The DCU Institute of Education is the newest faculty of Dublin City University. It is based in a €70 million purpose built facility on the DCU St Patrick’s Campus in Drumcondra in Dublin. Established in 2016 as Ireland’s first University faculty of Education, it has a staff of more than 130 full-time academics and a student body in excess of 4,000.

The Institute brings together students of education across all sectors from early childhood, to primary and post-primary and further and higher education. As well as providing a range of undergraduate programmes in education, the Institute offers a rich menu of taught and research-based post-graduate programmes, at doctoral, masters, diploma and certificate levels.

As a centre of expertise and excellence in teacher education and education more generally, the Institute hosts a range of research centres in key areas of priority and has an ambitious and growing programme of research. With internationally-recognised experts in education policy, inclusive and special education, curriculum and pedagogy, assessment, literacy, evaluation and teacher education, the Institute provides a dynamic learning and working environment. Staff can expect to encounter opportunities for multi-disciplinary work, not just in the Institute, but across the University. As one of the world’s leading young Universities, DCU has established its fifth and newest faculty out of a conviction that studies and research in education and the preparation and support of teachers are central to the transformation of lives and communities.

Committed to academic excellence and innovation, the DCU Institute of Education is confident its students and staff, and its graduates can flourish and lead in the challenging and complex contexts of 21st century education.

The School of Arts Education and Movement is one of the six schools within the DCU Institute of Education. The School is made up of a dynamic and unique group of scholars, researchers and teacher educators working together in collaboration and whose academic interests span teacher education, visual arts education, physical education, music education, art education and arts education generally, as well as a range of other interdisciplinary dimensions including creativity, inclusion, wellbeing and technology.

Role Profile

The School of Arts Education and Movement is seeking to recruit an Assistant Professor in Visual Arts Education to join its visual arts education team in a permanent capacity with a start date of 1st January 2023.

Applicants for the position must hold postgraduate qualifications in visual arts education, preferably at doctoral level, and have at least 3 years teaching experience in visual arts education, in early childhood, first or second level, or university level. Knowledge of the field of teacher education in Ireland is also essential. The position is subject to the candidate being Garda Vetted.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not restricted to, the following:

Teaching and Learning

The successful candidate will be required to contribute significantly to the teaching, assessment, administration and development of existing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the School of Arts Education and Movement. In addition to teaching modules in visual arts Education, and research based modules, the teaching workload will include module review, design, delivery, coordination and assessment. The teaching load is significant given the large numbers of students enrolled in the undergraduate programmes.

The successful individual person appointed to this position will be expected to contribute to the teaching of other areas of Education (as requested by the Head of School) in addition to the specialist areas, and to contribute to the wider work of the DCU Institute of Education. School placement, including its attendant duties of assisting and evaluating students on school visits as well as writing reports, will be required. The position includes supervision of undergraduate action research projects, student reflection tutorials and supervision of postgraduate theses

Research and Scholarship

The successful candidate will be dedicated to high-quality research and publication in the field of visual arts education. The DCU Institute of Education is a centre of excellence in educational research. As such, the candidate will be expected to be research-active in the field of visual arts and in the general field of teacher education. Contributing to research initiatives within the School of Arts Education and Movement as well as the wider faculty may also form part of the candidate’s research activity. The candidate will also contribute to the scholarly and cultural life of the university, furthering the development of the DCU Institute of Education’s research agenda.

Service and Contribution to the University and Society

The successful candidate will undertake administrative functions related to the activities of the School of Arts Education and Movement. These activities, defined by the Head of School, include participating in School meetings, engaging in meetings related to programmes, representing the School in marketing and recruitment of students, developing relationships with stakeholders, participating in open days, engaging in arts and cultural events, and in the organisation of conferences and seminars etc.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Primary degree (NFQ Level 8) in a relevant area and a post-graduate qualification in areas related to Visual Arts Education, preferably at Doctoral level;
• Three years’ relevant experience.

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications and experience

• Postgraduate qualification in Visual Arts Education, preferably at Doctoral level;
• Previous experience of postgraduate teaching of visual arts education at university level would be an advantage;
• Knowledge of specialist as well generalist areas of visual arts practice;
• Strong social and team-work skills, excellent administrative and organisational skills.