Assistant Teaching Professor IU/UX, Interaction Design/Game Design

School of Art

Assistant Teaching Professor IU/UX, Interaction Design/Game Design

Ball State University

The School of Art at Ball State University welcomes applications for an Assistant Teaching Professor to begin in August 2022. This is a full-time non-tenure-track one-year position for the 2022-23 academic year.

Ball State University is bringing Game Design to our program with the addition of a BFA track in its current Animation Program that will begin in 2023. This hire will have the opportunity to work on this broadly collaborative concentration major that will include students from Computer Science, Music Production, and Animation.

This hire presents an opportunity to bring in UI and UX into and beyond what is thought of as traditional Graphic Design. We are looking for someone who is interested in bridging and leveraging the gap between disciplinary tracks, opening new opportunities for our students and the broader field.

At Ball State University, Inclusiveness and freedom of expression are a part of our enduring values and inform all of our efforts. We encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with our Inclusive Excellence Plan to learn more about our commitment and to identify how you might contribute to these efforts.

Position Function:

Primary teaching responsibilities in Visual Communication with courses related to typography, branding, cross-media editorial design, User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) design, digital design, motion graphics, and Design Thinking.

Course development support and mentoring will be offered, as will opportunities for Committee Service and community engagement.

The Visual Communication program at Ball State is the home of the award-winning Studio 165+ a student-centric design firm that supplements core courses and gives students the opportunity to gain professional experience. We are also piloting deep cross-collaborative programming between Visual Communication, the design side of Graphics, with Graphics Arts Management, the production side of Graphics. There are many possibilities for new collaborations.

Ball State University has ample Faculty/Graduate housing, both furnished and unfurnished, for a reasonable fee.

Faculty members are also expected to function as collaborative, innovative, inclusive and adaptive members of the College of Fine Arts community, both within and beyond one’s home unit. All College of Fine Arts faculty are expected to be quality teachers, productive in creative and/or scholarly work, engaged in public service activities, and contributors to the Ball State and Muncie communities and beyond.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s in Visual Communication, Graphic Design, or other relevant terminal degree in a design discipline from an accredited institution by date of appointment.
• Proficiency in industry standard graphic design and UI/UX tools: Adobe CC (Ps, Ai, Id, Ae, Xd), Figma, and/or Sketch.
• Strong understanding of typography, design fundamentals, and design processes.
• Experience in branding, editorial design, UI, UX, motion graphics, web design, and digital design
• Experience/Interest in using a course management system such as CANVAS to convey course information to students, including documentation of student success.
• Interest and/or expertise in bridging the gap between traditional Graphic Design and interactivity.

Candidates for searches must have current authorization to be employed in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications: Practicing designer with a record of increasing exhibition/scholarly activities or Industry experience. College level teaching experience.

Apply online at: https://bsu.peopleadmin.com/postings/30706. Include the following documents with your application: curriculum vitae, cover letter, portfolio, and Inclusive excellence statement addressed to search committee chair, Andy Beane.

In the Applicant Documents section of this application, please provide an inclusive excellence statement describing how you would contribute to the development of a diverse and inclusive learning community at Ball State University through your teaching, research, and/or service. Please include examples of your contributions when possible. Word limit 500.

Please upload under the “Portfolio” document a portfolio of no more than 20 samples of your current professional work and 10 examples of student work (labeled as such) saved as a single PDF (with links to time-based work).

The option to upload transcripts is available. Original, official transcripts showing the highest related degree earner is required at the time of hire (even if obtained at BSU). Degree verification will be conducted.

These other documents are optional and may be uploaded:

• A sample syllabus under the “Course Syllabi” document
• A project sheet under the “Other” document
• A teaching philosophy statement

Review of applications will begin immediately and will be accepted through 06/25/2022.

Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana, on an attractive campus 45 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Approximately 22,000 graduate and undergraduate students enroll in one of eight academic colleges that offer 120 undergraduate programs. We offer more than 140 master’s, doctoral, certificate, and specialist degrees, with many of them ranking among the best in the nation. Ball State aspires to be the model of the most student-centered and community-engaged of the 21st century public research universities, transforming entrepreneurial learners into impactful leaders – committed to improving the quality of life for all.

Destination 2040: Our Flight Path establishes Ball State University’s ambitious goals for our second century:

• We pledge to provide a premier educational experience for every student.
• We pledge to partner with the community to improve the lives of our neighbors.
• We are dedicated to having a lifelong presence in the lives of our alumni.

And when we complement these promises with our commitment to our enduring values, we define that which makes our University and its culture distinctive.

Our faculty are collegial, collaborative, innovative, inclusive, and adaptive, both within and beyond one’s home unit. These attributes include commitments to collaborative discourse, interdisciplinary inquiry, and enterprising learning practices.

Our faculty are expected to be innovative, adaptive, engaging teachers across modalities; producers of impactful creative and/or scholarly work; leaders in meaningful service activities to multiple communities. We seek faculty members who are strategic thinkers, engaging our dynamic communities. We are committed to student and faculty success, impact, and access, within an environment that prioritizes inclusive excellence. We inspire each other to be critical thinkers and responsible citizens, so that we can pursue fulfilling careers and meaningful lives.

Ball State University lives the values of Beneficence. We invite you to be part of our community.

The Ball State way is rooted in the Beneficence Pledge – a commitment to excellence in teaching and scholarship, honesty and integrity, social responsibility, gratitude and valuing the intrinsic worth of each member of our community. Ball State students, faculty and staff are empowered in a culture that believes in them and demands they believe in themselves. They are partners in an innovative, immersive approach to education. They are supported by living and learning facilities that enable intellectual curiosity. We graduate scholars who are changing the world, and we’ve dedicated our University to do the same.

The university offers an excellent wellness program and extensive benefits offerings to include a generous paid time off package and paid parental leave. For further information regarding benefits please visit: https://cms.bsu.edu/About/AdministrativeOffices/HumanResources/Jobs/Benefits-and-Community/Faculty

Ball State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that is strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other legally protected status.