Assistant Professor – Graphic Design

Assistant Professor – Graphic Design

Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts)
Department of Graphic Design

This 9-month position is a one-year appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor, is non-tenure eligible, and is only for the period beginning  August 16, 2022 through May 15, 2023.

The Opportunity

 
The Department of Graphic Design (https://arts.vcu.edu/academics/departments/graphic-design/) invites applications from collaboration-minded colleagues with qualifications, experience, and demonstrated strengths across design theory, criticism, and research. Strong candidates will be informed by enthusiastic studio practice and well versed in concepts driving graphic design research, critique, and speculative production.
This is a non-tenure eligible (term) faculty position. Term faculty are eligible for promotion in academic rank, and are valued for their academic, professional, and creative practice/scholarly contributions in their specific area of expertise. The primary responsibilities of this opportunity are teaching so we seek to hire faculty who stand out with respect to effectiveness in teaching and engagement with students. 

Major Responsibilities:

 
This position is a 9-month non-tenure eligible (term) faculty position in the VCUarts Department of Graphic Design with an academic rank of Assistant Professor. The faculty member’s responsibilities will be heavily weighted towards teaching. Instructional responsibilities comprise development and teaching of undergraduate and graduate courses in design methodologies and theories of making and thinking. The ability to relate contemporary tendencies in design practice to historical, theoretical, and critical issues is essential. Additional courses could be taught in the faculty member’s area(s) of expertise. Course assignments will change based on demand and will be at the discretion of the Chair.

The faculty member is expected to mentor students; have a fully-engaged pedagogical framework that addresses current trends including collaborative and multi/interdisciplinary engagement; integrate innovative pedagogical and technological approaches, and multicultural perspectives into instructional methods; be a passionate educator who models curiosity and rigorous optimistic engagement to students and fellow faculty; foster collaborative teaching, educational and community engagement opportunities through diverse and innovative projects and curriculum; promote the efforts of the department in the school and throughout the community. In support of the department’s strong commitment to diversity, the faculty member is expected to foster a welcoming, equitable, and accessible learning environment for all students.

Creative research is not a primary expectation for this non-tenure eligible position. It is expected that the faculty member will demonstrate excellence through teaching and will maintain a scholarly body of knowledge within the discipline. The department will support the faculty member’s professional development, as appropriate and within available resources, to ensure ongoing mastery of the discipline as it relates to design and the program’s curriculum. Professional development activities will be consistent with and support the mission and initiatives of the department, school and university. The department will also support creative research at an appropriate annual level, though teaching will constitute the majority of the faculty member’s responsibilities.

As a member of a community-oriented, tight-knit department and School, the faculty member will provide service such as directing and assisting with student, department, and school-wide initiatives; supporting recruitment activities; fostering community engagement opportunities; and serving on department/School/University committees. Other responsibilities may be assigned by the Chair or university administration. 

Qualifications:
Required
- Terminal degree in design or design related field
- Strong record of teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level
- Well-versed in the concepts driving graphic design research, critique, and speculative production
- Evidence of community engagement and collaborative practices
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment and commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU
- Demonstrable interest in developing productive connections across creative disciplines
- Strong collaboration skills, and demonstrate enthusiasm toward teaching and working with faculty, staff and students within the university; and to building and maintaining professional relationships outside of the university on the program’s behalf
-  Background in the areas of race, decolonization, post-coloniality, and cultural literacy, as well as in the praxis of design justice. We are looking for someone who has an interest in expanding pedagogy to address the systemic structures of power that continue to shape our society

Preferred
- Academic, research and/or professional experiences at urban research universities, Minority
- Serving Institutions (MSIs) or Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs)

Application Instructions:

The following documents should submitted online via the VCU Jobs Website (https://vcu.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home?c=vcu): 

- Current CV

VCUarts:
Ranked by US News & World Report as a top-five arts and design school, VCUarts (arts.vcu.edu) includes over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students with nationally recognized programs in design, visual and performing arts, and has an annual budget of $38 million and an endowment of more than $13.5 million. Students are taught by over 175 full-time teaching and research faculty members and the school is supported by over 50 staff members that assist in daily processes. The School includes two campuses; one in Richmond and one in Doha, Qatar. The Richmond campus is located on the university’s 75-acre Monroe Park campus situated in the city’s historic Fan District.  Ultimately, the work of the School of the Arts extends globally with partnerships throughout the world and across fields as diverse as the humanities, health care and business. 

Virginia Commonwealth University is committed to providing accessible and equitable living, learning and working environments free from discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or disability.

Salary : $38