Texas Tech University
J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts
School of Art
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN GRAPHIC DESIGN
Position Number: 26600BR
Appointment: Tenure track, beginning Fall 2022
Application Deadline: The review of applicants will begin on February 1st, 2022, and will continue until the position is filled
Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience

The Texas Tech University J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts, in collaboration with the School of Art, is accepting applications for a tenure-track faculty position in the area of graphic design.

Our comprehensive B.F.A. curriculum focuses on design thinking, concept development, social awareness, and preparation for entering the professional design practice. We seek a forward-thinking individual who will foster positive relationships and inspire students in a highly collaborative environment. An individual who is eager to contribute to a small but driven program with a solid track record of student success. The ideal candidate will prepare students for both traditional graphic design and emerging digital technologies, including but not limited to web and social media design. The candidate will continue professional research relevant to graphic design with a vision towards future advancements related to a curriculum that addresses students’ needs as they enter the professional field. The successful candidate will begin service in this full-time position at the beginning of the 2022 fall semester.

Diversity and Equity in education are broad concepts that encompass all the unique characteristics that students, staff, and faculty can bring to an institution.  At the School of Art, we are committed to inclusive excellence. Within the letter of application, we highly encourage applicants to explain how their previous and potential contributions enhance a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion through teaching, research, creative activity and/or service.

Required Qualifications:

• Academic degree as defined by the academic unit and as appropriate for the position held. Demonstrated record of effectiveness as a teacher, a record of peer reviewed publication and/or peer-reviewed creative activity which has contributed to the discipline or field of study, to the candidate’s intellectual and artistic development, and to the quality of the academic enterprise; a record of professional service appropriate to the discipline; promise of growth in teaching and research or artistic and creative activity.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design
• Professional work experience in the field of graphic design;
• Active and recognized professional practice of client-initiated, self-initiated, and/or academic research;
• Evidence of previous college-level teaching experience teaching print, interactive, and emerging media;
• Proficiency of industry-standard software and workflows such as Adobe Creative Suites (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, X.D.), HTML, and CSS
• Evidence of professional client-based design work, research-related or teaching experience, and an interest in citizenship and community engagement both in and outside the classroom.
• Ability to form partnerships within and outside the university (regionally, nationally, and internationally).
• Experience working with diverse student populations and first-generation students is highly desirable
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of Web and Social Media Design (UI/UX, Figma, etc)

Position Description:

• Contributes to the university’s mission through teaching, research and service, some variation by academic unit.

Major/Essential Functions: 

The successful candidate will:

• Practice and teach graphic design from a solid concept-driven perspective.
• Embrace the importance of citizenship, advocacy, and social responsibility related to teaching graphic design
• Proficiency of industry-standard software and workflows such as Adobe Creative Suites as well as superb analog skills
• Interest in working in collaboration with area faculty as it relates to graduate program development
• Maintain an active and recognized professional practice of client-initiated, self-initiated, and/or academic research.
• Actively participate in program reviews, student advising, program-related student organizations, program-building, and recruitment activities
• Service to the department, college, and the university is expected
• Pursuit of external grants in support of research or creative activity, when appropriate and available in the faculty member’s field, is encouraged.

The School of Art is NASAD accredited and offers the BA in Art History, BA in Art, the BFA in Studio Art, Graphic Design, and Visual Studies (teacher certification), the MAE, the MFA in Studio Art, MA in Art History, and the Ph.D. in Fine Arts with a major in Art. A faculty of 31 full-time professors serves approximately 250 undergraduate students and 60 students involved in graduate study. The school has many prominent alumni. Technical and administrative support includes a total of 10 staff positions. The School’s Visual Resource Center maintains art reference books, current art periodicals, instructional media, digital classrooms, and a legacy slide collection, as well as an expanding collection of digital images for teaching and research. Additional images are available through ARTStor and online at the university library. The program also supports the Landmark Arts Galleries and the Standing Room Only Photography Gallery (SRO). For more information visit: www.art.ttu.edu

The J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts is comprised of the School of Art, the School of Music, and the School of Theatre & Dance, accredited by NASAD, NASM, NAST, and NASD, respectively. TTU is the only public university in the state accredited in all four arts areas, and boasts many acclaimed alumni, including Susan Graham, Terry Cook, Ann Sanders, G.W. Bailey, Barry Corbin, Jennifer Smith, Scott Dadich, Susanne Klotz, Ken Little and D.J. Stout. With more than 120 faculty members and approximately 1,100 students, the College offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including the terminal M.F.A., D.M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. Our unique Ph.D. program in Fine Arts provides interdisciplinary education in the visual & performing arts combined with philosophical aesthetics. For more information, visit: www.vpa.ttu.edu

Texas Tech University, established in 1923, is a Carnegie Highest Research Activity university and the largest comprehensive institution of higher education in the western two-thirds of the state (a region larger than 46 of the nation’s 50 states). Texas Tech University is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The university’s 1,839-acre Spanish Renaissance style campus, which serves approximately 40,000 students, is the only one in Texas that is home to a major university, law school and medical school. Lubbock, the hub of the South Plains, has a multicultural area population of almost 300,000 and offers a quality living experience with a semi-arid climate and housing costs below the national average. Texas Tech University recently surpassed the Hispanic student population threshold necessary for designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The city supports a symphony orchestra; several museums; the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts; numerous galleries; and a variety of music, dance, and theatre performances. Lubbock’s airport offers direct flights to Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Denver, Las Vegas, and Phoenix.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy:

As an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, Texas Tech University is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse faculty committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. We actively encourage applications from all those who can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of the academic community at Texas Tech University. The university welcomes applications from minoritized candidates, women, protected veterans, persons with disabilities, and dual-career couples.

Apply online at http://www.texastech.edu/careers/

 Please provide the following with your application:

1. Letter of Application. Briefly address all qualifications related to research, teaching, and service for the position as well as your previous and potential contributions to enhance a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in these areas.

2. Professional work: please include a web address or link within the Letter of Application where design work can be viewed

3. Student work: please include a web address or link within the Letter of Application where design work can be viewed

4. One-page Research Statement

5. One-page Teaching Philosophy

6. Curriculum Vitae

5. List of three references (include name, title, relationship to applicant, email address and phone number)

6. College Transcripts

Contact: Associate Professor Carla Tedeschi, Chair of Graphic Design Search Committee carla.tedeschi@ttu.edu