WHAT IS AICAD?

AICAD – the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design – is a non-profit consortium of the leading art schools in the US and Canada. It was founded in 1991 by a group of 25 presidents who felt a need for the similarly structured art schools to come together so as to mutually develop their schools and programs. Our mission is to help strengthen the member colleges individually and collectively, and to inform the public about these colleges and the value of studying art and design.

FELLOWSHIP HISTORY

The AICAD Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship program placed its first Fellows in fall 2015. The Fellowship was founded by a group of Chief Academic Officers who all wanted to contribute to the goal of increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of AICAD faculty by offering significant professional development to our excellent graduating students.

The concept is simple:

• Any AICAD institution may nominate graduating Master’s level students (and recent alumni) to apply. Applicants must be nominated by their home institution, and must meet all eligibility criteria (see below).
• AICAD institutions self select to place Fellows. Placement involves an agreed-upon set of minimum parameters (see below).

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

• The AICAD Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship provides significant professional practice opportunities to high-achieving Graduate alumni. In contributing to the goal of increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of our faculty, we aspire to create a climate that recognizes and values diversity as central to excellence.
• The Fellowship is aimed specifically at recent alumni from participating AICAD schools. Alumni of up to 3 years post-graduation are eligible, if not currently employed in a full-time teaching position in higher education.
• Provide significant professional development to high achieving graduate students within our association as they enter the professoriate, and who will contribute to the diversification of our communities and our curricula.

CRITERIA

The Fellowship is aimed specifically at recent alumni from participating AICAD schools.

• Candidates must be nominated to apply by the institution from which they earn their graduate degree. See information below about the nomination process.
• Nominees are those who have the potential to contribute to arts and design higher education through their understanding of the barriers facing those from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in our faculty and curricula, as evidenced by life experiences and disciplinary expertise.
• Earning a graduate degree from a current member AICAD institution. Nominees must be graduating in May of the current academic year (2025), or be an alum of the classes 2022, 2023, and 2024.
• Alumni may be adjunct or part-time faculty, but may not be in a current full-time higher education level teaching position.
• Candidates who have not been placed in a given year are eligible to be nominated again in subsequent years, provided they still meet the graduation year eligibility window. They do, however, need to be nominated each year to apply.
• Candidates may not be placed at the institution from which they graduated or intend to graduate (Master's level alma mater)

NOMINATION PROCESS

Students are nominated to apply to the Fellowship by faculty or chief academic officers at their graduating institution. Institutions nominate applicants based on the eligibility criteria detailed above, the candidate’s demonstrated excellence in their practice, and their ability to grow as an instructor. Once a student or alum is nominated, it is then up to them to complete an application. More information is found below on the application process.

PLACING INSTITUTIONS

AICAD institutions self select to place Fellows. Participating institutions (see below) nominate candidates, accept Fellows, or both. A list of placing institutions will be made available to applicants via the Slideroom application portal.

• A near full-time or full-time teaching load, with some reduction for professional development and/or focus on creative practice.
• Fixed Duration: Placement guaranteed for one year, with potential for renewal for a second year. Please note that the Fellowship does have a strict cap of two years.
• Assignment of a faculty mentor.
• Compensation commensurate with the institution’s starting salaries for full-time faculty, including health benefits.
• Travel and lodging to annual Fellows’ Gathering (Dates and location will be announced and communicated to Fellows at the start of their first semester in the fellowship.)
• Some details, such as exact teaching load, salary, and additional funds will vary based on institutional hiring and teaching guidelines.

This timeline offers general and tentative dates in order to give candidates a general sense of the application cycle.

Participating institutions may contact applicants for an interview either by phone, Zoom, or in person. Placing institutions are asked to follow the timeline below, but actual dates of placement will vary by institution. There are a variety of reasons timelines may differ, and it is not a reflection on their commitment to the program or the quality of applicants.

NOVEMBER 17th
List of nominees is submitted to AICAD office

DECEMBER 1st
Nominees are contacted via email with SlideRoom application link and webinar info

JANUARY 19tht
Applications due via Slideroom

JANUARY 30th through April 25th
Applications to be reviewed by placing institutions, interviews are conducted, Finalists are notified*

APRIL 26th
Final list of placed Fellows sent to AICAD office

*Note - Not all placing schools will adhere to the above timeline, and placements may be made at a later date.

Nominees should complete an application via Slideroom. Eligible candidates will receive an invitation to apply via email, which will include the link for submission. Applicants will have the opportunity to state their preference for placement at participating institutions, as well as the option to be considered for any available position.

Similar to the application for a full-time teaching position, nominees will be expected to submit the following:

LETTER OF INTEREST
This letter should include your teaching philosophy, a personal statement about your research/practice, exhibition/publication record, any relevant institutional experience outside of universities, and indication of service to the institution. The letter should also address how your teaching and practice will contribute to the diversity of the curriculum at AICAD schools. Letters of interest should not exceed 2 pages.

CURRICULUM VITAE
Applicants are required to upload a curriculum vitae (CV). CVs should include all relevant academic experience, including degrees, exhibitions, teaching experience, publications, presentations, fellowships/grants, and contact information for three references.

PORTFOLIO OF WORK
Applicants are required to upload a portfolio of work for review.

Note that selection committees will usually review a number of applications in a very short amount of time. Be sure your materials are well organized, captioned, and include all relevant information that will ensure your materials are reviewed to the committee’s utmost capacity. Partial files, lengthy video works, and incomplete captions will likely not position your application for success.

TWO LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
This is not an application for a specific teaching position, rather it is an application to be considered for various openings across AICAD schools. Think of it like the Common App but for a post-graduate opportunity. Your letters of recommendation can address your studio or scholarly work, your research, experience you have in teaching, how your work will contribute to the diversity of curriculum at AICAD schools, and anything else that is relevant. Letters can be addressed to ‘AICAD Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship Committee’.