Assistant Professor – Communication Design

STATUS: Full-Time
DIVISION: Undergraduate Studies
REPORTS TO: Chair of Communication Design
SUPERVISES: N/A
FLSA STATUS: Exempt

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Communication Designers are trans-disciplinary by nature. We make things that you see, read, touch, and experience every day. Our visual messages can live seamlessly on the static page, a dynamic screen, or a user interface.

The CCS/CD department is a collaborative team of educators looking for candidates that can bring excellence in design education, teaching at all levels of our BFA communication design program, while also maintaining a theoretical and/or professional design practice.
Our curriculum blends the traditions of print graphic design with UxD, and Motion Graphics to create students that are prepared for the trans-disciplinary nature of our discipline. Students work in collaborative studio environments that encourage research, (thinking), iterative creative process (playing), and human centric prototyping (making) systemically across media platforms.

CCS is located in the city of Detroit, and as such the department has established diverse community/industry partnerships within the metro area. Through these partnerships, we have embedded in our curriculum, experiential learning opportunities that encourage student engagement in client-based projects that often support interdisciplinary classes with other departments within the college. These experiences help students recognize the diverse cultures, complex contexts, and social impact design has in industry, community building, and thought leadership.

POSITION ACCOUNTABILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Teaching in the Communication Design Department integrating different learning modes such as in-person, hybrid and remote when necessary.
•  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, and facilitating course evaluations
• Mentoring students beyond the classroom
• Serve on College-wide and department committees as appropriate
• Maintain a theoretical and/or professional design practice

Other Responsibilities and Service Opportunities:
•  Support processes that identify guest lectures, visiting designers, publications, and student competitions
•  Support students in developing career plans + portfolio development
•  Assist with student exhibitions, web and social media content
•  Support processes that create visibility and recognition for the program among prospective students, the design community, creative industries, and potential donors and sponsors
•  Maintain external relationships with designers and leaders experienced with issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity
•  Consider interdisciplinary opportunities with other CCS departments on campus or elsewhere.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• MFA degree in communication/graphic design preferred, from an accredited college or university or equivalent professional design experience
• Experience with design education + teaching practice
• Experience in professional studio practice within the communication design field
• Experience working on systemic-media communications, design direction, branding, strategy, applied to UxD, motion, and print.
• Demonstrated commitment to building innovative approaches to communication design education and personal studio practice.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and recognize the confidential nature of higher education, as well as requirements under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Demonstrated experience in and commitment to cultural diversity and inclusion, and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within CCS’s diverse community/industry partners.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
This job operates in a professional office and college campus environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to maintain a stationary position, use a computer and other office equipment, and communicate effectively in person, by phone, and virtually.  Frequent interaction with others, including staff, faculty, students and third parties is required.  The employee may occasionally be required to move files or other objects weighing up to 25 pounds, including from low and high places.  The ability to move around within the office and between buildings on campus, attend off-site meetings and events, and travel between Ford Campus site to Taubman Center site are required.  CCS will make reasonable accommodations that will allow individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ABOUT CCS

College for Creative Studies is a nonprofit institution; it is one of the leading art and design colleges in the world. CCS is ranked by LinkedIn as a top three design school in the US and the best in the Midwest, based on alumni success. CCS has state-of-the-art facilities to support the complete range of creative production, from traditional art forms such as painting, glassblowing, foundry, and printmaking, to the most contemporary systems, including the latest digital imaging technology and extensive rapid prototyping output tools. The College currently enrolls more than 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 13 majors:  Advertising Design, Art Education, Art Practice, Communication Design, Craft and Material Studies, Entertainment Arts, Fashion Accessories Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Photography, Product Design, and Transportation Design. It also offers a Master’s degrees in four majors: Color and Materials Design, Interaction Design, Systems Design Thinking, and Transportation Design.   

Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. The search will close when a suitable candidate is hired. Interested candidates should submit resume and a letter of application in PDF format to the following-
[email protected]

1. Letter of Interest. Briefly address all qualifications related to design research, teaching experiences, and contributions (past or present) to enhance a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in these areas of design.
2. Teaching Statement/Philosophy
3. Professional work: please include a web address or link within the Letter of Interest where design work can be viewed
4. Student work: please include a web address or link within the Letter of Interest where design work can be viewed
5. Curriculum Vitae with a list of three professional references

   The College for Creative Studies, a leading college of art and design, represents a community composed of individuals with many perspectives, personal experiences, values, identities and worldviews and we value the diversity this brings to our organization. The College for Creative Studies subscribes to the principle of equal opportunity in its employment, admissions and educational practices and strives to provide an environment and workplace free from unlawful harassment or discrimination. Discrimination, including harassment, because of age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law is strictly prohibited. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are part of our Core Institutional Values and we encourage applications from all individuals.