Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor, Graphic 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: $85,000–$90,000.

Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector.  See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August 2026

Application Deadline: Jan 16, 2026. Applications accepted until the position is filled or closed.

Position Description

The Department of Design at San José State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Graphic Design, beginning in Fall 2026. This is a nine-month, academic-year appointment. We seek an innovative designer and scholar whose research, creative practice, and teaching engage with two or more of the following areas: design fundamentals, systems design, social design, critical and/or speculative design, computational approaches to design, and the integration of emerging technologies into design practice. Candidates should be prepared to teach design fundamentals and emerging tools for design processes—including Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative design, and data-driven creativity—primarily at the undergraduate level. Research related to emerging visualization technologies is highly desirable, and industry or consulting experience is welcomed.

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 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 inclusive excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll nearly 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Inclusive Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success and inclusive education. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Inclusive Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• A terminal degree (MFA, MDes, PhD) in graphic design or related fields is required. The degree must be completed before the targeted start date.
• At least five years of professional experience in research or design practice in graphic design.
• A demonstrable body of work (portfolio) that exhibits excellence in design that is relevant to graphic 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.
• University level teaching experience.

Preferred Qualifications

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

• Expertise in the use of emerging tools and technologies in visualization (i.g. artificial intelligence, machine learning, generative AI) to creative problem-solving (significant projects/research).
• Candidates should be able to teach at all levels (both lower division and upper division courses) in graphic design (e.g., basic 2D design, typography, digital software for graphic design, motion design, and interaction design) and demonstrate the ability to interact and collaborate with colleagues in a multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary environment.
• A track record of success, or demonstrated potential for success, conducting research or creative activity relevant to the position that results in recognition (e.g., projects/research that have been published, exhibited, or received awards).
• Potential for collaboration across disciplines within the Department of Design and at the college and University levels. We believe such collaborations create a charged atmosphere for study and a critical edge for research, and we seek candidates who can thrive within this context. Applicants should consider how their work might connect with the college’s Public Programming Opportunities.
• The potential to attract industry collaboration, funding, and sponsorship.

Key Responsibilities

• The candidate will be responsible for teaching undergraduate classes in graphic design including design fundamentals/visualization and other program-related topics; and undergraduate/graduate-level classes on emerging technologies both within the department and broadly within the college.
• Effectiveness in teaching assignments, research, scholarly, 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.

Application Procedure

Select Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• letter of interest
• inclusive excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest)
• curriculum vitae
• portfolio of design work (PDF or link to website)
• optional: a portfolio of examples of your students’ design work (PDF or link to website)
• statement of teaching interests/philosophy
• research plans
• three names and contact information for references

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair or Search Committee Chair:

Chair Virginia San Fratello (virginia.sanfratello@sjsu.edu)

Professor Connie Hwang (connie.hwang@sjsu.edu)

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position is located in the State of California and requires commuting to the campus. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley—one of the most innovative regions in the world—San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.