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Josh DeWeese - josh.deweese@montana.edu
Ashley Fuchs – ashley.fuchs@montana.edu

School of Art – Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Brief Description:
The School of Art at Montana State University is accepting applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position as an Assistant Professor in Graphic Design. The BFA degree in Graphic Design option is a four-year undergraduate professional degree that is nationally accredited by NASAD with an emphasis on the development of critical thinking and the skills necessary for successful employment within the creative industries.

Salary: Salary range of $67,000 to $70,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications

Position Details: The School of Art at Montana State University seeks to appoint an innovative and versatile educator in the Graphic Design program. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to client based professional practice or scholarly research for a tenure-track appointment at the rank of either Assistant Professor.  The preferred candidate will demonstrate skills within areas, from foundational through advanced levels: design foundations, typography and layout, ideation, and design thinking. Including specific skills in one or more of the following: user experience, user interface, social design, digital marketing, identity systems, social media, and visual storytelling. Additional desirable areas of expertise could include motion graphics, digital imaging, digital illustration, and animation. An ideal candidate will demonstrate the ability to work within multiple platforms, current and emerging digital platforms, and or related disciplines that combine digital with analog learning experiences. In addition, having either industry experience working as a designer or university teaching experience.

The successful candidate will teach within the Graphic Design schedule of classes at all undergraduate levels; perform committee duties at department, college, and university levels; continue their professional and/or research work in their area of specialization; and broaden connections to local, regional, and national communities within their area of expertise.

Duties and Responsibilities: In addition, the candidate will collaborate on curriculum development and assessment. Provide classroom instruction, classroom management like attendance, grading, student communication, integration of learning management software, preparation of course material including class syllabi, project/assignments, and exams, guiding classroom critique, consulting with students, replying to students’ inquiries, facilitating course evaluations, and mentoring students beyond the classroom.

Required Qualifications:
1. MFA or MDes or MGD in graphic design or appropriately related field.
2. Demonstrate design skills within areas from foundational through advanced levels.
3. Experience in design foundations, typography and layout, ideation, and design thinking.
4. Expertise in Adobe Creative Suite and Mac OS.
5. Excellent communication skills, including verbal and written.

Preferred Qualifications:
1. Previous teaching experience at the college or university level.
2. Client-based practice and/or a record of scholarly creative work.
3. Experience in ONE or more of the following areas:
• User Experience
• User Interface
• Social Design
• Digital Marketing
• Identity Systems
• Social Media
• Visual Storytelling
• Motion Graphics
• Digital Imaging
• Digital Illustration
• Animation

The Successful Candidate:
• Teach courses from foundational through advanced levels.
• Have interest and rotate through teaching History of Graphic Design.
• Pursue an active research-based and/or professional design practice.
• Collaborate on curriculum development and assessment.
• Contribute service to the university, the community, and the profession.

Special Requirements/Additional Information: The job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing herein restricts Montana State University’s right to assign or reassign duties and requirements to this job at any time.

Physical Demands: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

The Program: Students come from all over the country to study at the School of Art, particularly in our graphic design program. Our art students and our curriculum are inclined toward creative problem solving and entrepreneurial thinking. The School of Art faculty comprise a group of enthusiastic practitioners and thinkers, with expertise in publication design letterpress, typography, screen printing, web design, illustration, digital imaging, advertising, and design history. The program emphasizes critical thinking skills and practical
experience in both traditional and digital media.

The Department: Within the School of Art, there are approximately 350 students majoring in studio art, design (BFA), art education and art history (BA), as well as graduate programs in Fine Arts (MFA) and Art History (MA). All programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD). For more information visit our website at: www.montana.edu/art.

The College of Arts and Architecture is home to distinctive academic programs housed in the Schools of Art, Architecture, Music and Film & Photography. Students enjoy close mentoring relationships with faculty through a curriculum that is rich in studio- and lab-based pedagogy. The College offers international and cultural travel opportunities for students in all majors and encourages internship experiences for many of its programs. The College hosts the only accredited Architecture program in Montana and supports a unique, world-class graduate film program in science and natural history filmmaking. Graduates from the college enjoy successful careers in art, design, media production, photography, architecture, education and music, or choose to apply the discipline, creative problem solving skills and work ethic embedded in their programs to other careers. The College is home to the internationally recognized Montana Shakespeare in the Parks theater company and supports the Black Box Theatre as well as innovation and design spaces such as the Design Sandbox for Engaged Learning and the Community Design Center. For more information about the College of Arts and Architecture, go to www.montana.edu/caa.

Screening of applications will begin on February 9, 2024; however, applications will continue to be accepted
until and adequate applicant pool has been established.

FLSA Status Exempt

Required Documents
1. Teaching Statement (max 2 pages)
2. Philosophy Statement (max 2 pages)
3. Resume OR Curriculum Vitae
4. Sample Creative Work
5. Sample Student Work
6. Letter of Interest