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Job Description
C22-027
Assistant Professor of Design (Graphic / Information)
Department of Art & Design
Central Connecticut State University invites applications for a full-time, tenure track Assistant Professor of Design (Graphic / Information) in the newly emerged Department of Art & Design. The department seeks a highly qualified applicant in graphic design and digital media, with an emphasis on storytelling, web, and entrepreneurship design to join the department faculty beginning in August 2023.
The Department of Art & Design seeks a motivated, collaborative, and inclusive individual to teach in a dynamic design program and help extend the program's curriculum to respond to the innovative methods, inclusive approaches, and hybrid theories implemented in today’s industry and business for problem-solving. Candidates are expected to be narrative-oriented design thinkers and makers engaged in a combination of professional practice, research, and classroom innovation. Candidates must be familiar with the knowledge base and approaches in contemporary graphic design, web design, coding, game design, and interactive and online social media that address the trends in the industry.
The successful candidate must be well-versed in digital media and communication, HTML, CSS, responsive frameworks, and other computing and programming skills to engage and inform students with a user-centered design process through planning, organizing, and developing the design solutions with emphasizing on usability and user experience.
The candidate will teach undergraduates at all levels including web design, online social media design, online culture studies, capstone projects, and graduate courses. The candidate is expected to engage, inspire, and mentor students; develop innovative pedagogical and technological approaches, and inform students with design research appropriate in the field.
The candidate must demonstrate active scholarly activities appropriate to the design field and to be supportive of the future development of the design program, the department, and the university. The candidate is also expected to serve on university committees, participate in curriculum development and other departmental activities and projects, advise students, and contribute to the vibrant and intellectual culture of the university. The candidate is expected to be committed to multiculturalism and working with a diverse student body. CCSU recognizes diversity and inclusivity as fundamental to its mission and integral to design education.
CCSU is an inclusive and “student success-centered” institution with an increasingly diverse student body that represents the populations of the communities it serves. We are dedicated to enhancing our innovative practices to increase access, improve retention, engage students in campus life, incorporate high-impact practices, and promote educational achievement and career readiness.
Required Qualifications:
• Terminal Degree (MFA or Ph.D.) in Graphic Design, Visual Design, Digital Media or a closely related discipline
• Minimum two years of teaching experience at college/university level.
• Ability to teach three or more of the following: Web Design, On-line Media, Introductory Level Design, Graphic/Information Design, Media Theory, Design Practice/Practicum, Typography, Exhibition Design, and Multimedia Design.
• Experience and comprehensive understanding of digital technologies in contemporary design practice.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving culturally, ethnically, economically, and linguistically diverse communities.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Record of teaching web design, programming, and interactive storytelling.
• Evidence of scholarly contributions to the field of graphic and information design.
• Evidence of curatorial practice and design-related collaborations.
The University: The largest of Connecticut’s regional comprehensive universities, Central currently enrolls over 10,000 students. A third of its undergraduates are students of color, the largest group being Hispanic. Ninety-six (96%) percent of the students are from Connecticut. For more information about Central Connecticut State University, please visit www.ccsu.edu.
The Community: Located nine miles southwest of Hartford, New Britain is a city of approximately 72,000. Part of the Greater Hartford area of 1.2 million residents, New Britain is centrally located in the state and is within easy reach of much of Connecticut and several metropolitan areas. Nicknamed “the Hardware City” for its rich industrial heritage, it is home to Stanley Black & Decker. Important cultural institutions include the New Britain Museum of American Art and Walnut Hill Park, designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead. New Britain’s population is characterized by a high degree of racial and ethnic diversity. Currently, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates 70% of the population as White, 13% as Black or African American, 3% as Asian, and 0.2% as American Indian or Alaska Native. Currently 4.6% of New Britain’s population identify themselves in more than one racial category and 43% of New Britain’s population identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino. Fifty percent (50%) speak a language other than English in the home and 19% were born internationally. Significant portions of its population come from Puerto Rico and Poland or consider themselves to be from the African American, Italian, or Irish ethnic backgrounds. In addition to all that greater Hartford provides, New Britain is 40 minutes from Springfield, Massachusetts, two hours from Boston, and two hours from New York City. It is also part of the Hartford–Springfield “Knowledge Corridor” and, therefore, within easy driving distance of a host of private and public institutions of higher education and many cultural opportunities.
Application / Appointment: For full consideration, applications must be received by February 26, 2023.
To begin the application process please visit the CCSU HR Job Opportunities at https://www.ccsu.edu/hr/faculty-management-admin.html. Select job C22-027 Assistant Professor of Design (Graphic / Information) and click on the Apply button and submit the following documents:
• Letter of interest addressing qualifications for the position
• Current curriculum vitae
• Names of three professional references including their title, email address, and telephone numbers.
• A statement of teaching philosophy
• Links to 1) a professional/personal digital portfolio or a pdf of images with captions and 2) a portfolio of 15–20 student works appropriate in the Design field.
Note: Candidates uploading additional materials must combine all documents into one PDF file. For further assistance, please email gabriela.s.flores-erazo@ccsu.edu.
In accordance with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Collective Bargaining Union Contract, compensation for this position is at the rank of Assistant Professor for 2023-2024. Salary is commensurate with education and experience. For more information, please visit the 2021-2025 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Collective Bargaining Union Contract
The State of Connecticut and Central Connecticut State University are proud to offer its employees competitive wages and a wide range of fringe benefits including voluntary and supplemental benefits. Fringe benefits include personal and sick leave, paid holidays, medical, dental, and prescription plans, group life insurance, a choice of retirement plans, retirement health care, tuition waiver for employee and eligible dependents at any of the Connecticut State Universities (Central, Eastern, Southern or Western) as well as an array of voluntary and supplemental benefits such as Deferred Retirement Compensation plans, Dependent Care Assistance and Medical Flexible spending accounts, long term and short term disability plans.
For more detailed information, please visit CCSU Human Resources.
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Emailed and mailed applications will not be accepted. Please redact any personally identifiable information (i.e., Social Security number, date of birth, marital status, country of origin) from any documents submitted. Please ensure your Social Security Number is not listed on any documents submitted.
For more information, please contact Professor Wujun Wang, Search Committee Chair, wangwuj@ccsu.edu.
As an affirmative action employer, Central Connecticut State University actively seeks and encourages applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.