Assistant or Associate Professor of Interactive Design
About the Position: The Department of Design invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor of Interactive Design beginning September 2013. The Department of Design and the College of Fine and Performing Arts strive to further Western’s identity as an institution that welcomes and embraces diversity, and encourage applications from diverse candidates.
About the Department: The College of Fine and Performing Arts is comprised of the departments of Theatre and Dance, Music, Design and Art, housed in six buildings with five performance spaces, including a Performing Arts Center overlooking Bellingham Bay. The College also is home to the Western Gallery, which manages one of the top ten outdoor sculpture collections in the country.
The Department of Design has over 190 declared undergraduate majors and graduates 48-54 students each spring. In addition to a comprehensive design foundation, the program consists of emphasis areas of design production, graphic design and new media/interactive design. The program is facilitated by 5 full-time Design tenured/tenure track faculty as well as accompanying adjuncts. In addition to classroom/studios, the facilities include two Mac labs, and a production lab with Epson inkjet printers, Vandercook letterpresses and a Heidelberg GTO offset press.
Position Responsibilities:
Teach lower and upper level interactive design courses
Student advisement
Collaborative curriculum development and participation in program activities
Maintain a creative, research and/or professional practice agenda
Participation in committee work, departmental and university governance activities
Required Qualifications:
MFA or equivalent terminal degree from an accredited college or university
Evidence of expertise in interactive design through professional experience or achievement in interactive design through peer review, as demonstrated through application materials
Expertise with the current Adobe Creative Suite and web development technologies and software such as HTML and CSS
Preferred Qualifications:
Degree emphasis in Interactive or Graphic Design
Professional experience in interactive design such as coding and programming for web and mobile (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and/or motion graphics and digital video
Teaching experience
Knowledge of issues of professional practice
Appreciation for working with diverse students, faculty and staff
Academic Emphasis: Interactive Design
Job Location: Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
Salary: Commensurate with experience and qualifications
Bargaining Union: United Faculty of Western Washington
Application Instructions and Requested Documents:
Please log in at www.acadweb.wwu.edu/hr/employment/index.shtml and submit your application via WWU’s Electronic Application System for Employment (EASE). Note: You will need to be using Internet Explorer to utilize our online application system.
Candidates must submit a cover letter addressing qualifications, current vita, statement of design teaching philosophy, course syllabi (if available), 20 samples of student work (if available), 20 samples of personal/ professional work, and contact information for five references. You must upload all the requested materials using the EASE application link provided. Official transcripts documenting degrees will be required prior to a contract being offered.
Other Information: Western Washington University is located in Bellingham WA, a city of approximately 80,000 located between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC and on the Pacific Ocean. It is near mountains, islands, lakes and rural areas with hundreds of miles of hiking trails and numerous other outdoor activities. The University enrolls approximately 15,000 students in six colleges. Bellingham is ranked in the top ten nationally in several desirable categories including: most artists per capita (2nd), outdoor adventures, most secure, air quality, best place to retire, quality of life and environmental awareness. The University has been listed as the number two rated Masters granting university in the western United States, and number one in the NW, for the past 11 years. 95% of the students at Western are undergraduate students and enjoy a strong liberal arts tradition with numerous interdisciplinary opportunities. More information can be found at:www.wwu.edu.
Job Posted: 11/9/2012
Closing Date Notes: Application review begins January 7, 2013; position is open until filled
Recruitment #: 120905
Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policy on Providing Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination. EO/AA inquiries may be directed to the Vice Provost for Equal Opportunity and Employment Diversity, Title IX Coordinator, Equal Opportunity Office, Western Washington University, Old Main 345 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); EOO.
WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3774 or 711 (Washington Relay).
All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires.
The Department of Design at Western Washington identifies design as the communication of ideas. The department utilizes a curriculum that emphasizes the process of problem solving and encourages the students to make connections between culture and design and their role as visual communicators. Students learn to combine personal expression and critical thinking as they create solutions that connect industry, individuals, and institutions to specific audiences and themselves to the world.
Career opportunities are found in all segments of industry, both in the private and public sector. Western design graduates go on to work in advertising agencies, design firms, in-house departments, paper companies, printing firms, as well as serving as private consultants in corporate identity, environmental graphic design, packaging, publications and web design. They work as designers, art directors, production managers, webmasters and digital image makers.