thoughtfulWhen I am writing I like to read thoughts by writers on writing. I have a book called Ernest Hemingway on Writing, a collection of quotes from letters and books:
Eased off on the book...in May because Dr. said I worked too hard in April, and May fine month to fish and make love to Miss Mary. I have to ease off on making love when writing hard as the two things are run by the same motor. [from a 1948 letter to Charles Scribner]
I am applying to be the Assistant Dean of Students in the College of Fine Art. It seems like a good fit for my combination of skills and experience.
thanks!
application letter
Job Title Assistant Dean for Student Affairs (Assistant Dean)
I am writing to apply for the position of Assistant Dean for Student Affairs in the College of Fine Arts. I graduated from The University of Texas College of Fine Arts with a B.A. in 1995. I went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology in the College of Education and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in education, management, communications, and art. I have taken courses in the School of Business such as Non-Profit Management, Systems Thinking, and Consulting Skills that have prepared me to effectively serve as coordinator of the Student Affairs unit in the College of Fine Arts to facilitate recruitment, advising, student programs, curriculum development, and to solve problems. I first used the management techniques with faculty and students to plan and implement the popular 1999 Convergent Media Lecture Series in the College of Communication. I am now an advisor on the Advanced Communication Technologies (ACTLab) Steering Committee to guide Dr.Sandy Stone on future directions for the ACTLab’s curriculum. I am currently working with IC2 (Innovation, Creativity & Capital) Institute on a report recommending curriculum innovation to educate an interdisciplinary workforce for the interactive game industry. I am also a part of the Austin Wireless Network task force to envision the future of the wireless technology industry in Austin.
I took a course in the College of Fine Arts called Virtual Reality, Cyberspace and the Arts taught by Diane Gromala. The class introduced me to the converging paths of art and technology and I responded by creating the first Internet opera. The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Austin Chronicle have featured stories about the cyberopera. The opera has been awarded recognition by the Global Bangemann Challenge in Stockholm in 1999 and received the Texas Interactive Multimedia Outstanding Achievement Award in 1998. I continued down the path of art and technology in my dissertation research by conducting a grounded theory study on the effects of the Internet on the Correspondence Art Network, a 40-year old international network that has flourished through several generations of technology innovation. I am currently developing a session on Networked Art to present at the 2005 College Art Association conference.
Since I have recently been a student, I am very close to the issues that students face. I am in frequent contact with students and alumni who are my friends and colleagues. At the same time, I have held administrative assistant, event coordinator, and development researcher positions in The University. In these positions I learned the organizational needs of areas, departments, institutes, and disciplines. In fact, I have 100 months of employment at UT and am familiar with many university policies and procedures. I feel that my unique combination of administrative expertise and student experience is a perfect fit for the role of Assistant Dean of Students in the College of Fine Arts. I am a proactive and creative team player with a positive, can-do attitude and work well with students, faculty, and staff.