Assistant/Associate Professor, Graphic Design
About The Position
Radford University’s Department of Art invites applications for two full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor of Graphic Design positions beginning August 2027. Rank will be based on qualifications and years of service. The successful candidates will join a collaborative faculty and help shape the future of the graphic design curriculum. The program grounds students in drawing, design theory, two- and three-dimensional design, and typography, then extends those skills through upper-level study in areas including interactive design, user experience design, motion graphics, brand identity systems, publication design, packaging, illustration, and image-making. The department seeks broadly trained designer-educators with strong foundations in graphic design and proficiency in one or more emergent areas. Candidates should balance innovation with attention to design history, theory, craft, accessibility, and ethical practice; practices spanning media, disciplines, communities, or technologies are welcome. The faculty member will teach undergraduate and graduate graphic design courses, participate in critiques and portfolio reviews, mentor and advise students, and support internships, professional practices, and career preparation. The role also contributes to curriculum development and assessment, shared oversight of design labs and resources, recruitment and retention, program visibility, and professional, campus, and community partnerships. Tenure-track faculty are evaluated in teaching, scholarship, and service and are expected to contribute to a collegial, ambitious, student-centered department culture. The Department of Art is NASAD-accredited and offers BFA, BS, BA, and MFA degrees. Its areas include graphic design, digital arts and illustration, studio art, art education, and art history and museum studies. The department serves more than 200 majors and contributes to university and regional cultural life through exhibitions, an artist-in-residence program, and a visiting artist series. The Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity is a 178,000-square-foot interdisciplinary facility with design and digital labs, studios, makerspaces, performance venues, training suites, and classrooms. Radford University serves approximately 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The campus is in Radford, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains region.
Requirements
- Terminal degree, such as an MFA, in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution, completed by the start date.
- College-level teaching experience in graphic design, visual communication, or a closely related discipline.
- Portfolio demonstrating strong design foundations and engagement with contemporary practices across digital and/or physical media.
Nice To Haves
- Record of effective college-level teaching and mentoring, supported by examples of student work and achievement.
- Ability to teach graphic design to students with varied backgrounds and preparation levels, from beginner to graduate.
- Professional industry experience in graphic design, visual communication design, or a related discipline.
- Evidence of creative scholarship, professional practice, and/or research.
- Expertise in an emergent design area, such as interaction and UX/UI design, motion and time-based media, information and data visualization, web design, computational or generative design, immersive media, environmental or experiential graphics, or illustration.
- Ability to integrate new technologies, including AI-enabled tools, critically and ethically into design pedagogy.
- Experience with curriculum development, program assessment, accreditation, and/or program building.
- Experience supporting internships, portfolio development, client- or community-engaged projects, and students’ transition into professional practice or graduate study.
- Evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration and ability to build partnerships across the university, profession, and community.
- Evidence of university and/or professional service.
Responsibilities
- Teach graphic design courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
- Contribute to programmatic critiques and portfolio reviews.
- Mentor and advise students.
- Support internships, professional practices, and career preparation.
- Contribute to curricular assessment and development.
- Share oversight of design labs and resources.
- Support recruitment and retention and increase program visibility.
- Cultivate professional, campus, and community partnerships.
- Contribute to the future direction of the graphic design program and the digital arts and illustration curriculum.
- Contribute to teaching, scholarship, and service and to the department’s collegial, ambitious, student-centered culture.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
