California State University - Sacramento, Design

Assistant Professor, Design Studies

The Design Department at Sacramento State seeks a Tenure-track Assistant Professor of Design Studies who specializes in social design and research methods with a background in applying design thinking to community-engaged practice. Our department seeks a candidate with the ability to teach inclusive transdisciplinary course in design research and methods. We welcome candidates whose professional work in their design practice, classroom and/or community – enriches our university imperatives of anti-racism and inclusivity. We seek candidates who will be dedicated to teaching and mentoring a diverse student population, designing inclusive courses, and forging collaborative relationships across disciplines. In addition, the ideal candidate will develop new curricula in research methods and social design for the design studies BA with support from the College.

The tenure-track Assistant Professor of Social Design/Design Research will be an important contributor to the college’s development of social innovation and social justice in the curriculum. The department seeks candidates with the ability to work with diverse students and colleagues, success in creating inclusive classrooms, and experience with a variety of teaching methods and curricular perspectives. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

The Design Department is committed to expanding our efforts to create and teach in ways that foster an awareness for socially engaged design practice. This includes community-engaged design research and social design practice. The work that will emerge from this hire will span multiple design fields. Through their teaching, research, and/or institutional and community service, this hire will collaborate with the Sacramento community and the University. 

This position is part of a cluster hire initiative, launched by the College of Arts and Letters, focused on Social Practice and Social Justice in the Arts. By hiring in a thematic cluster, the college hopes to: increase faculty diversity; foster interdepartmental community and support; and decolonize across curricula and departmental lines. See the Arts and Letters Cluster Hire Initiative for more information: https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/employment-opportunities.html

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• MA/MFA or PhD in design, design studies, human behavior and design, urbanism, design research. ABD will be considered. If ABD, all degree requirements must be complete by August 2023
• Evidence of practice supporting design thinking and research applied to community engaged social justice and social practice.
• Demonstrated ability to teach an inclusive transdisciplinary course in social design and/or design research and methods.

The Design Department reminds applicants that it is only necessary to meet the “Required qualifications” to be considered.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Demonstrated ability to develop a contemporary and inclusive design research and methods curriculum in multiple design fields (e.g. architecture, photography, graphic design, product design, industrial design, etc.).
• Experience working with students and colleagues of diverse racial, ethnic, educational, and socio-economic backgrounds and experiences.
• Demonstrated leadership and ability to produce collaborative work.
• College or university level teaching experience.
• Experience engaging with different public interests through community-based projects/activities.

APPLICANT INSTRUCTIONS:

For full consideration, please submit the following documents by January 13, 2023. The position will remain open until filled. 

A complete application includes the following documents:

• A one-page letter of interest addressing your qualifications for the social design/research methods position at CSU Sacramento.
• Current curriculum vita.
• Portfolio of recent research, teaching and/or project work with an emphasis on community engaged projects and teaching.
  • Submit a PDF containing 10-20 samples of participant/student work from your teaching and/or community activities. This can be documents, images, and/or video/audio in the form of YouTube, Vimeo, or SoundCloud URLs. For video/audio works, up to two can be full duration. The rest must be excerpts with a 1-minute duration. The total number of samples, including image and media links, may not exceed 20.
  • Inventory of student/community activity portfolio with descriptions: number each of the works in the PDF document above. Create a corresponding annotated list containing a description for each numbered item, with the title, date, media, and project information (not to exceed 200 words per item). 
• A complete syllabus for a social practice/community-based practice or research methods course that you have authored and would like to teach. This may be a proposed course or one that you have already taught.
• A one-page diversity statement that addresses the following questions: How would your teaching and/or creative practice serve a student body that is diverse in a multitude of ways? What specific strategies would/do you use to create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere in your classroom? How would/do you ensure that all students in your classes feel a sense of belonging? 
• Statement of teaching philosophy including your approach to assessing student outcomes.
• Unofficial transcripts of highest degree (official transcripts will be required if a campus interview is scheduled).

SEMI-FINALISTS will be invited to participate in a 30-minute Zoom interview.

FINALISTS will be invited to an on-campus day of activities. FINALISTS will be asked to provide the following upon notification of their status which must be received by April 1, 2023.

• A current letter of recommendation from professional contacts within the last three years.
• Two (2) different reference contacts in the form of email and telephone information that will speak to the professional qualifications of the applicant.