Assistant Professor of Industrial Design

Assistant Professor of Industrial Design
Job no: 533959
Work type: Instructional Faculty – Tenured/Tenure-Track
Location: San José
Categories: Unit 3 - CFA - California Faculty Association, Faculty - Fine/Performing Arts, Tenured/Tenure-Track, Full Time

Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor of Industrial Design

School/Department Name: Department of Design

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $85K-$90K
Target Start Date: August 2024

Application Deadline: applications will be accepted until filled

Position Description

The Department of Design at San José State University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in Industrial Design beginning in Fall 2024. The department is searching for an innovative designer who can teach design thinking, design drawing, visualization, and industrial design studio courses to undergraduate-level audiences; and ideally should have research that is related to emerging visualization technologies.

The Department of Design is committed to design, research, and scholarship at the highest level. The department is centered around creative technologies and we are looking for faculty who are seeking to use technology in adaptive, inclusive, poetic, collaborative and experimental ways. We are also socially responsible, we strive to make design accessible and equitable, and we have a culturally engaged vision of design across our programs. The department offers four professional degrees and is organized around five discipline groups: Interior Design, Industrial Design, Interaction Design, Graphic Design and Animation. Our faculty includes designers, architects, artists, and historians who are committed to excellence, and collaboration extensively across the Department, College, University, Silicon Valley, and beyond.

The Department of Design and San José State University value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and staff who share our commitment to these values. SJSU enrolls more than 36,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved, and around 45% are first-generation and 38% are Pell-recipients. SJSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) Serving Institution. The university’s commitment to social justice extends from its vibrant, inclusive campus to an international network of over 275,000 alumni. As such, San José State is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty so our disciplines, students, and the community can benefit from multiple ethnic and gender perspectives.

Successful candidates will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to equity and inclusion through their research, teaching, and/or service. We ask that all applicants include a Diversity Statement with their application package. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Diversity Statement Guidelines, along with information about how these statements will be evaluated.

Required Qualifications

A terminal degree (MFA, MDes, PhD) in industrial design or other related fields is required. Completion of the degree must occur before the targeted start date.
At least five years of professional experience in research or design practice in industrial design.
A demonstrable body of work (portfolio) that exhibits excellence in design that is relevant to industrial design.
Applicants must demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experiences.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

Demonstrated experience in applying design thinking to creative problem-solving (significant projects/research).
Expertise in the use of emerging technologies in visualization (e.g. artificial intelligence, machine learning, generative AI, augmented/virtual/mixed reality).
A track record of success, or demonstrated potential for success, conducting research or creative activity that is relevant to the position and that results in recognition (e.g. projects/research that have been published, exhibited, or received awards).
Two or more semesters (or quarters) of teaching experience within higher education.
Potential for collaboration across disciplines within the Department of Design, and at the college and University levels. We believe that such collaborations create a charged atmosphere for study and a critical edge for research, and we seek candidates with an ability to thrive within this context. Applicants should consider how their work might connect with the college’s Deep Humanities and Arts Initiative.
The potential to attract industry collaboration, funding and sponsorship.

Key Responsibilities

The candidate will be responsible for teaching undergraduate classes in industrial design including design drawing/visualization and other program related topics; and undergraduate/graduate level classes on design thinking both within the department and broadly within the college.
Effectiveness in teaching assignments, research, scholarly, and creative activities, and department/college/university service are all required to achieve tenure and promotion.
The candidate will provide academic advising to students.
The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.