Position Description

The Department of Fine Arts at Mars Hill University is seeking a full-time tenure-track assistant professor of Graphic Communications to begin August 2022.  Candidates should possess strong visual design skills, demonstrate a capacity for conducting original creative design and research, and have a background in a creative practice or industry.  The successful candidate will teach at all levels in the undergraduate graphic design sequence.  The salary for this ten-month position is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

The graphic design sequence challenges students to demonstrate strong typographic and methodological skills, innovative conceptual thinking, and design research across multiple platforms of 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, and interactive work.  Therefore, applicants should demonstrate excellent teaching and creative skills in traditional design, typography, image making, complex information design, experiential design, web design and coding, motion graphics and emerging digital media.  They should also demonstrate fluency with the Adobe Creative Suite.  The candidate will join the faculty prepared with innovative ideas to further integrate digital interactive tools and concepts into the design curriculum.  The candidate should be ready to design and implement a curriculum transition from the current Graphic Design to a more comprehensive Graphic Communications program 

The graphic design program is part of a comprehensive school of art, which also includes programs in Ceramics, Sculpture, Photography, and Painting and Drawing. Offering BA, and BFA degrees and a newly revised curriculum, faculty in the graphic design program enjoy small class sizes and close engagement with students to develop excellent work.

Responsibilities include teaching four courses per semester, actively participate in Departmental recruiting efforts, engage in meaningful advising of Art majors, Curriculum design and implementation, continued engagement in professional research activities, and university/college/school/area service. Requirements include a completed (by start date) MFA in Graphic Design/Visual Communications, Master of Graphic Design or closely related field, evidence of innovative professional activity and teaching experience.

The Department of Fine Art is committed to increasing the representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, women, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and those embodying any and all expressions of gender identity and sexuality.  Candidates who have experience working with a range of faculty, staff, and students, and who can contribute to the culture of openness, belonging, and mutual support are encouraged to apply.  Women, veterans, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, and people of color are encouraged to apply. Mars Hill University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Required Qualifications

1. MFA in Graphic Design/Visual Communications, or closely related field, completed by 8/22.
2. Evidence of innovative professional activity and teaching experience.
3. Candidates must be able to demonstrate written and oral proficiency in the English language.

Preferred Qualifications

1. MFA in graphic design specializing in Visual Communications, motion graphics, game design, or other specialty fields.
2. 3 years teaching experience beyond graduate school.
3. Current professional practice in the field of graphic design/motion graphics.
4. Depth of knowledge in the Adobe CC programs, primarily After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro.
5. Demonstrated skills applying the principles of design, composition and color, typography and the principles of animation.
6. Demonstrated skills integrating video and motion graphics.
7. 3D modeling/animation with Maya, virtual reality, augmented reality, projection mapping and mixed reality.
8. C++, 2D/3D graphics, and game architecture. The successful candidate should also have professional-level experience in at least one of the following: game networking, game AI, game physics, Unity3D, Unreal Engine, and Mobile apps. Proficiency in other programming languages used in the game industry (such as C#) is a plus.
9. A strong interest and/or experience in education/teaching are essential

Required Applicant Documents

A single PDF file that contains the following:

• Letter of application
• Curriculum vitae
• Statement of teaching philosophy
• Diversity statement
• List of 3 references with contact information
• 20 examples of personal work (interactive work can be shared through links)
• 10 examples of student work.

Proposed Starting Date

8/2022

Salary Rate / Pay Rate

Commensurate with experience and qualifications

Inquiries can be directed to:

Department of Fine Art
Shane Mickey, Chair dmickey@mhu.edu
828-467-1208

Important Information for Applicants

This position is subject to a criminal background investigation and any offer of employment is contingent upon you passing a satisfactory criminal background investigation. You may not begin work until the criminal background investigation results have been received and cleared by Human Resources.