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Assistant Professor - Historic Preservation, Charleston, SC at InsideHigherEd

InsideHigherEd Clemson, South Carolina

Job Description



Assistant Professor - Historic Preservation, Charleston, SC
Clemson University: College of Architecture, Art and Construction: School of Architecture

Location: Clemson Design Center Charleston, 701 East Bay Street, Suite 202, Charleston, SC 29403 Room 211
Open Date: Oct 14, 2025

Description
Clemson University College of Architecture, Art and Construction (CAAC) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Historic Preservation, based at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, SC (CDCC). This position will be jointly appointed between the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture and the Nieri Department of Construction and Real Estate Development.

The faculty appointment is assigned to the CDCC in Charleston, South Carolina, with an anticipated start date of January 1, 2026. The position will have the obligation of teaching, research, and service in the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation (MSHP).

We seek a collaborative, dedicated candidate interested in applied work in this role's teaching, research, and/or service capacities. The graduate program in Historic Preservation has an established record of developing students' practical knowledge and skills as taught through real-world projects focused on documenting, interpreting, and planning preservation interventions in the built environment. We seek a candidate who will establish themselves in Charleston and become a respected partner for local and regional organizations, communities, and individual stewards of historic places. A candidate joining the faculty will maintain and expand upon the profile of our program as a resource and collaborator on preservation issues with skill sets and projects that provide value to community partners and students. Enhancing and expanding the program's current curricular posture is an asset. We seek a motivated candidate with an established record of projects that made a positive educational and community impact, possibly including successful grant writing and management of grant-funded work. With the breadth of incredible historic places, unique history and culture of the Lowcountry, and an ambitious and motivated established faculty, we seek a candidate who will join and help shape the program's momentum.

About the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation

The Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, launched in 2005, leverages student course projects and faculty research to work with community partners on understanding, interpreting, and preserving important places in Charleston, regionally and state-wide. The mission of the program is to educate future leaders in the documentation, evaluation, interpretation, and conservation of historic structures, sites, objects, and landscapes with the goal of developing appropriate preservation strategies for a sustainable future. The program offers a Master of Science in Historic Preservation and a Minor in Historic Preservation. The 60-credit MSHP curriculum is structured in layers, beginning with an initial core semester devoted to the acquisition of skills in the analysis and documentation of historic buildings, landscapes, and sites, and the final semester concludes with a thesis. Coursework throughout the four semesters emphasizes engaged community learning as students work in a 'hands-on' or experiential learning mode to cultivate preservation skills and gain experience while contributing to real projects at historic places. For more information about the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, see our website.

http://www.clemson.edu/caah/departments/architecture/programs/historic-preservation/index.html

About the Clemson Design Center in Charleston and the Location

The Graduate Program in Historic Preservation is based at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, which is currently located in the "Cigar Factory" building- a rehabilitated historic building with great significance to labor history, including being known as the first location where the song 'we shall overcome' was sung outside of a religious context, and became an anthem for labor and civil rights protests. The CDCC is also home to a graduate program in Resilient Urban Design and graduate and undergraduate architecture and landscape architecture courses, including a Community Build (design-build) certificate. A common theme among the CDCC programs is our alignment with the tradition of a land-grant university, seeing engaged community projects as central to how students learn, and how the Center is an active participant in shaping and preserving the local built environment.

With its unique combination of history, culture, tourism, and expanding economic base, the city of Charleston and the Lowcountry provide a rich learning laboratory. Charleston's long preservation history has created a robust network of industry-leading professionals and organizations in the field of historic preservation, and these professionals work collaboratively with the program on an incredible range of historic places and communities, providing our students with an abundance of timely preservation opportunities.

About Clemson University, CAAC (College of Architecture, Art, and Construction), the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture and the Nieri Department of Construction and Real Estate Development.

Clemson University, founded in 1889, is a top-ranked public research institution located in Clemson, South Carolina. As a Carnegie R1 University, it is recognized for its strong programs in architecture, engineering, business, agriculture, and the sciences. With more than 27,000 students, Clemson combines a commitment to academic excellence, hands-on learning, and community engagement, fostering innovation through partnerships with industry and government.

The College of Architecture, Art and Construction (CAAC) unites design, building, and creative disciplines under one collaborative umbrella. It includes programs in architecture, landscape architecture, art, construction science and management, and real estate development, emphasizing hands-on learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and sustainable design. Through innovative studios, research initiatives, and community partnerships, the college prepares students to shape the built environment responsibly and creatively. With facilities on Clemson's main campus and in Charleston and Greenville, the CAAC fosters a dynamic blend of design thinking, technical expertise, and real-world engagement.

The program's academic home is the Richard A. McMahan School of Architecture. The School of Architecture offers degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, Resilient Urban Design, and Architecture and Health, with total enrollments of over 500 students, supported by over 70 faculty and staff. The Graduate Program in Historic Preservation is located full-time at one of Clemson's FluidCampus© sites in Charleston, SC. The School of Architecture's Fluid Campuses offer a unique global education in world-class facilities in four locations (Clemson, SC; Charleston, SC; Genoa, Italy; and Barcelona, Spain).

The Nieri Department of Construction and Real Estate Development (NCRED) at Clemson University is also housed within the College of Architecture, Art and Construction and offers a comprehensive suite of degree programs that bridge theory, research, and professional practice in the built environment. The department oversees undergraduate and graduate programs in Construction Science and Management (accredited by the American Council for Construction Education), a Master of Real Estate Development (MRED), and a Ph.D. in Construction Science and Management. Its programs emphasize experiential learning through initiatives such as the Experiential Learning (XL) Yard, internships, practicums, and strong partnerships with more than 100 industry organizations.


Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Historic Preservation or one of the allied disciplines, which establishes academic credentials appropriate for national leadership in the field of historic preservation.

• An emerging trajectory for, or established record of, excellence in teaching, scholarship, and/or professional work in preservation practice.

• Background in research/use of technology associated with design, documentation, evaluation, interpretation, conservation, and coordination of historic structures.

• Proficiency in written and oral communication in the English language.

The MSHP program especially welcomes candidates with any of the following:

• A Ph.D. in Historic Preservation or an allied field or professional licensure in an allied field.

• Expertise in researching, teaching, or professional work centering on people in preservation of the built environment, possibly including emphasis on the social context of the built environment, material culture and materiality, and/or cultural landscapes.

• Evidence of excellence teaching in 'applied learning,' 'experiential learning,' or 'engaged community project' mode.

• Ability to teach a broad range of historic preservation topics from foundational classes to specialized knowledge and skills.

• Experience advising students in their thesis research and writing or guiding student research in general.

• Preservation perspectives that explore material innovation, problem solving, and cultural memory are encouraged.

• A record of nationally recognized professional work and/or scholarship, and funded research.

• A record of collaborative professional practice experience.

• The documented ability to communicate, innovate, and build partnerships.


Application Instructions
Interested candidates should submit the following application materials to Interfolio:

https://apply.interfolio.com/175832

• Curriculum Vitae

• Letter of Interest (maximum three pages) outlining the candidate's accomplishments in the following areas:

1. Teaching

2. Research, Scholarship, and/or Professional work.

3. Service, Mentorship, and Outreach

• Names and Contact information of three professional references

• A work sample, set of work samples, or portfolio of research/scholarship/creative activities, professional work, and teaching as applicable, with a maximum of 30 pages and 30 MB file size

For full consideration, applications must be received by October 29, 2025, but will continue to be accepted until a suitable candidate is identified for the position. Salary is commensurate with experience and competitive with Clemson's national peer institutions in architecture.

The committee anticipates conducting brief video conference (Zoom) interviews the week of November 3. We anticipate campus visits to be held the weeks November 17, December 1, and December 08.

For inquiries regarding this appointment, please contact search chair David Pastre ([email protected])


For more information and to apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/175832

Clemson University is an EEO/AA employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to characteristics protected by applicable law including disability and protected veteran status.






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