Assistant Professor in Art & Art History - Photography

San José State University • San Jose, CA

1d • $90,000 - $94,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Art and Art History at San José State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Photography with a focus on emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital imaging, computational photography, and related tools shaping contemporary lens-based practice. We seek an artist-scholar whose work critically and creatively engages new and evolving imaging technologies within interdisciplinary contemporary art practice. At a moment when AI and machine learning are often construed as technological threats to the independence of artistic labor, we are particularly interested in candidates who approach these emerging technologies as tools within a broader, conceptually rigorous set of processes, integrating digital technologies, including AI, with material, embodied, and socially engaged forms of production. We are especially interested in artists whose practices move fluidly between digital and physical forms, and who explore how emerging technologies intersect with material processes, installation, performance, sculpture, print, or other expanded media. Collaborative and cross-disciplinary approaches are highly valued. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, SJSU offers a unique context for examining the aesthetic, cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of AI and technological innovation. The College of Humanities and the Arts hosts an Advanced Institute for Ethical Technologies (AI-ET) and a Digital Humanities Center, the latter in collaboration with the SJSU King Library. The ideal candidate will help students develop critical, adaptive, and responsible creative practices that prepare them to navigate and shape a rapidly evolving visual landscape. San José State University is committed to excellence through diversity and to fostering an inclusive academic community. We encourage applications from candidates who will contribute to the cultural and intellectual diversity of our campus. The Department of Art and Art History and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve. We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Requirements

• Terminal Degree in Relevant Field: MFA, PhD, or equivalent terminal degree in Photography, Fine Art, Media Art, or a closely related field by the time of appointment.
• An active exhibition record and a clearly articulated research agenda in photography and lens-based media.
• A strong grounding in the history, theory, and philosophy of photography and image culture.
• The ability to teach across undergraduate (BFA) and graduate (MFA) levels in digital photography, studio lighting, and/or related areas.
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Nice To Haves

• Two or more years of university teaching experience.
• Experience working in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Technical Aptitude for and Critical engagement with emerging technologies such as AI/ML, generative imaging, computational or expanded photography, digital video, and hybrid analog/digital processes.
• Commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration within a department that includes robust programs in Digital Media Art, Studio Practice, and Art History; and within a college that includes an Advanced Institute for Ethical Technologies and a Digital Humanities Center.
• Experience in mentorship and student-centered learning: Preference will be given to applicants with a strong background in mentorship and a commitment to student-centered learning approaches.

Responsibilities

• Teach graduate and undergraduate courses in Photography and appropriate areas of interdisciplinary art.
• Advise BFA and MFA students in Photography
• Conduct research and creative activity related to areas of expertise
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.
• Contribute to the development and evolution of the Photography curriculum, incorporating contemporary methods and practices in lens-based practices.

Benefits

• Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule.
• Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $90,000 - $94,000.
• Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level