About the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) at the University of Cincinnati invites applications for the position of Director of the Myron E. Ullman Jr. School of Design at the rank of Professor or Associate Professor. The position is intended to commence on August 15, 2025.

The University of Cincinnati is a culturally diverse urban campus and has the distinction of being 1 of 3 recognized Research 1 institutions (top tier research intensive) in Ohio and one of 115 in the nation. It is in the top 6% of public universities according to the NSF HERD rankings. The University has embarked on a new strategic direction, “NEXT Lives Here”, with the goal of leading urban public universities like UC into a new era of innovation and impact: https://www.uc.edu/strategicdirection.html.

The College of DAAP has as its primary mission the creation of a better visual and design environment. The School of Design’s role in advancing that mission is to prepare 1,000+ undergraduate and graduate students to be responsible design professionals and citizens in a complex and evolving world. The School of Design achieves this through a distinctive, rigorous, carefully sequenced curriculum that includes a substantial cooperative education program (co-op) program dating back more than a century. Our students are prepared for careers in fashion, communication design, and industrial design by a passionate faculty and rigorous academic endeavors. This curricular model, conveyed in classrooms, research labs, and professional offices in the country and abroad, integrates practice and theory. It inspires interdisciplinary projects, builds solid corporate partnerships, and contributes to our strength as a leading design institution. The School contributes to the international dialogue on the core issues affecting the evolution of the fields and is at the forefront of campus-wide programs such as the Urban Futures initiative.

The School of Design continually strives to innovate in teaching and transforming the design disciplines by infusing learning with the newest design thinking methods and technologies. The School is one of the most highly regarded and rated design schools in the world.

Job Overview

The School Director is the administrative and academic leader of the school charged with the supervision of all its interests and activities and reports to the Dean of the College. Within a university model of shared governance, where various administrative and faculty bodies govern interdependently, the School Director has a personal voice in shaping the way the following responsibilities are implemented.

Essential Functions

As academic leader, the School Director:

• Leads academic development in all the School's disciplines, graduate and undergraduate, and in their collaborative interactions with other disciplines across the College, the University and the globe.
• Leads efforts to attract and retain outstanding and diverse faculty members.
• Leads the development and mentoring of faculty, including annual performance reviews and the provision of adequate resources for professional growth.
• Responsible to the students of the School, ensuring that they receive relevant instruction of high quality and setting a high standard of professionalism.
• Engages in teaching (at least two (2) courses per academic year) in their area of expertise.
• Engages in research and/or scholarship and/or creative work in their area of expertise.
• Participates in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of the curricula and related matters.
• Works with the Dean and the Dean’s office to develop a collegial environment.

Essential Functions (Cont'd)

 As administrative head, the School Director:

• Represents and articulates the views of the School faculty, staff, and students to the Dean and others and, in turn, communicates administrative policies and decisions to the School.
• Manages, develops, and organizes the School’s administrative structure and encourages a spirit of mutual respect and diversity in the character of the School in recruiting practices for faculty, staff, and students.
• Responsible for day-to-day managerial matters and the operation of the School, supervises and helps to develop School staff.
• Pursues short- and long-term objectives and academic planning.
• Fiscally responsible for the School budget oversight and sound judgment in managing funds.
• Represents the views of the School and strengthens ties with the immediate community and beyond the University to both academic and professional groups and organizations.
• Expected to generate external funds – excellence grants, research proposals, etc. – for individual faculty and the School as a whole and works with UC Foundation through DAAP’s Director of Development to build and maintain outside support of the School.
• Serves on the Executive Committee of the College and advises the Dean on planning, policy, and affairs of the College.

Minimum Requirements

Prior to the effective date of the appointment, candidate must have all of the following:

• Master’s degree in Design or a related field
• Two years of relevant administration experience in a higher education or professional context as evidenced by directing/managing an academic program/unit or directing/managing projects for a design firm or company.

Application Process

Interested applicants must apply online. Review of applications will begin on January 15, 2025 and the position will remain open until filled. In order to be considered for this position, please complete the application and upload the required documents below:

• CV/Resume
• Cover Letter
• Three References

Please use the ‘Additional Documents’ option as needed for these documents.