Application Deadline: March 1, 2023
ACSA Faculty Fellowship to Advance Equity in Architecture
Fellowship Overview
Application Deadline: March 1, 2023
The ACSA invites applications for our inaugural one-year Faculty Fellowship to Advance Equity in Architecture. We seek a faculty member to help extend the impact of ACSA’s work on racial equity and climate action through public programming, outreach, and partnerships. The fellow will play a crucial role in helping ACSA empower member schools to create equitable and inclusive learning environments for students and to enable impactful research, collaborations, and public engagement around the roles that architects and designers can play in social justice and mitigating the effects of climate change on communities around the world. Please note that the fellowship is intended to enhance ACSA’s mission and programs. It is not intended to support independent scholarship tied only to a fellow’s research agenda.
Background
The fellowship emerged during ACSA’s recent strategic planning discussions. In assessing the organization’s progress from 2019 to 2022, we learned that although our many existing programs curate content related to equity, social justice, and climate action within architectural education, too often this work sat quietly within its own location (e.g., as a conference session that turns into a chapter in a proceedings). We realize that the work our members do within our programs would benefit from additional efforts to promote it or to build on it in ways that will make the content more impactful.
The position begins July 1, 2023 (or a date soon after). It is a non-residential fellowship; the recipient does not need to move to Washington, DC, where ACSA is located. The applicant does not need to be located in the United States to apply for or receive appointment to the position.
The fellowship includes up to $80,000 in funding that may be used as compensation, course buy-out with the fellow’s institution, and/or related expenses. Total funding amount, expectations for time commitment, and how the funding will be used will be discussed during the interview process and finalized in a written agreement. For U.S. tax purposes, the fellowship will be considered a 1099 contractor position. Included in this funding is travel to ACSA Board of Directors meetings, which occur in August 2023 and at the 2023 Administrators Conference and 2024 Annual Meeting.
Expectations
The faculty fellow is expected to
- Translate and extend content from ACSA’s existing journals, workshops, webinars, and conferences for audiences such as students, practitioners, policymakers, and other relevant audiences beyond our member school faculty.
- Connect and partner with groups that overlap or liaise with ACSA to advance disciplinary knowledge, action, and policies related to climate action and social justice (e.g., Dark Matter University, US Architects Declare, The Architecture Lobby, Society of Architectural Historians, among others).
- Create resources for members and enhance member connections to help schools navigate changes to higher education around institutional reorganization, assessment, tenure and promotion, scholarly production, and dissemination.
- Deliver resources and promote member connections to help schools navigate changes to higher education around institutional reorganization, assessment, tenure and promotion, scholarly production, and dissemination.
Desired Experience and Selection Criteria
- Faculty appointment (full- or part-time) at an ACSA full, candidate, or affiliate member school.
- Relevant teaching experience in architecture or closely related discipline. (We do not have a minimum or maximum length of teaching specified.)
- Demonstrated activity related to outreach and partnership.
- Demonstrated activity advocating for equity, justice, and/or climate action in the context of architectural education—including, but not limited to, teaching, publications, conference presentations, exhibitions, and grant-funded projects.
Application
To apply, candidates must download the cover sheet and submit the following items in a single PDF in the following order by the March 1, 2023, deadline:
- A cover letter (two pages maximum).
- Curriculum vitae.
- Optional: up to three samples (e.g., publications, images, or web links) of previous work related to outreach, partnership, or advocating for equity, justice, or climate action.
Submit your application PDF by email to Abel Chanyalew, ACSA membership coordinator, achanyalew@acsa-arch.org. Direct questions about the fellowship to Michael Monti, executive director, mmonti@acsa-arch.org.
The cover letter should briefly address the candidate’s experience advocating for equity, justice, and/or climate action and outline their prospects for working within ACSA to achieve the goals of the fellowship.
Later in the process, finalists for the position will be asked for a letter from an authorized administrator in the candidate’s department, program, college, etc., confirming the candidate’s teaching appointment and terms (e.g., full- or part-time), and support for the candidate’s acceptance of the fellowship, if offered. It is not part of the initial application.
Timeline
January 2023 | Announce position with press release and ACSA Update email |
March 1 | Deadline for applications |
March – early April | Review by ACSA board committee and scheduling of virtual interviews with candidates |
Mid-April | Selection of candidate and agreement completed |
May 15 | Announce fellowship recipient |