California State University is hiring: Assistant Professor of Art and Design (Gr

Overview

FACULTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

DEPARTMENT OF ART AND DESIGN

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ART AND DESIGN (GRAPHIC DESIGN AND INTERACTION DESIGN)

FULL-TIME TENURE-TRACK

THE UNIVERSITY: California State University, East Bay (CSUEB), one of the 23 California State Universities, is a comprehensive university serving the San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley.

We are proud of our mission to support a richly diverse student body through academically rich and culturally relevant learning experiences.

We are designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) as well as an Asian American & Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).

Our student population reflects a variety of abilities and identities.

Many are the first in their family to attend college.

Our students come from a number of regional community colleges and high schools.

The California Mobility Index ranks Cal State East Bay among the top 15 institutions delivering on the promise of economic mobility for low-and moderate-income learners throughout the state.

It is the only school in the Bay Area to make the cut.

The successful candidate will bring with them expertise or an openness to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all of our students.

We are known for our award-winning programs, expert instruction, diverse student body, and a choice of more than 100 career-focused fields of study.

With an enrollment of approximately 11,500 students and 900 faculty, the University offers bachelor’s degrees in 49 fields, minors in 52 fields, master’s degrees in 34 fields, 16 credentials programs, 18 certificate options, and 1 doctoral degree program.

Cal State East Bay has two locations: the main 342 acre campus in the Hayward hills and the Concord Center.

For more information on CSUEB, please visit:

THE DEPARTMENT: The Department of Art & Design serves around 500 undergraduate majors and offers BA and BFA degrees in seven concentrations, including BFA concentrations in Graphic Design, Illustration, Video & Animation, and Interaction & Game Design; and an MA in Interaction Design and Interactive Art.

Graphic Design is the largest area with 150 majors.

We anticipate several program revisions soon, including the development of a BDes that merges Graphic Design and Interaction Design.

The department has a strong commitment to in-person instruction, and nearly all courses are taught at the Hayward campus (with a small number of courses taught fully or partially online).

The department currently has 6.5 tenured/tenure-track professors and 20+ lecturers.

Our student enrollments have been and continue to be robust.

We are very collegial and committed to student service.

DUTIES OF THE POSITION

The Department of Art and Design at California State University, East Bay seeks an inclusive, collaborative, and forward-thinking tenure-track Assistant Professor in Graphic Design and Interaction Design.

We are seeking candidates with a compelling creative practice, a strong commitment to equity-driven pedagogy, and fluency in both traditional graphic design and contemporary interaction design tools and methods.

In addition to teaching, all faculty have advising responsibilities, assist the department with administrative and/or committee work, and are expected to assume campus-wide committee responsibilities.

Teaching Responsibilities

The successful candidate will teach three to four undergraduate studio-based courses per semester, with some mixed undergraduate/graduate-level courses.

Instructional duties include core and advanced classes in graphic design and interaction design as well as shared responsibilities for department-wide curriculum such as Senior Project, Professional Practices, and shared foundation courses.

The ideal candidate will contribute to ongoing curriculum development aligned with emerging technologies, sustainable design practices, and inclusive and decolonized design education reflective of innovative course design in our discipline.

The ideal candidate will be an active participant in our department’s evolving curriculum, which foregrounds inclusive pedagogy, sustainable design, and diverse cultural perspectives in design thinking and practice.

We welcome applicants whose practice integrates research, social impact, and technology and who can prepare students for careers at the forefront of graphic design practice.

Creative Practice & Department Service

Tenure Track Faculty are expected to maintain an active creative and/or scholarly agenda in their field, with outputs such as exhibitions, client work, publications, or collaborative design research.

Service contributions include academic advising, committee participation at the department, college, and university levels, and community-engaged design initiatives.

The candidate will also assist with the recruitment and mentorship of lecturers in their area of specialization.

Professional Engagement

We particularly seek a colleague who thrives in collaborative academic settings and can foster connections with community colleges, local organizations, and/or professional networks to recruit and support a diverse student population.

The ideal candidate will bring a student-centered approach to mentoring and advising, help shape an inclusive and sustainable design curriculum, and promote equity, accessibility, and design justice in their teaching and professional practice.

Please note that teaching assignments at California State University, East Bay may include courses at the Hayward campus, Concord Center, and/or online.

The policy and expectation of the California State University is that tenure-track faculty members will perform their duties within the state of California.

Rank and Salary

RANK AND SALARY: Assistant Professor.

Salary is dependent upon educational preparation and experience.

Subject to budgetary authorization.

Anticipated salary: $7,219 to $7,481 monthly; ($86,628 to $89,772 annually).

Date of Appointment

DATE OF APPOINTMENT: Fall 2026

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

• MFA, MDes, or similar terminal degree in Graphic Design or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience teaching Graphic Design courses at the college level
• Active record of professional practice in the field, with exhibitions, publications, and/or significant client work
• Demonstrated breadth of experience in traditional graphic design: typography, layout, color, identity systems, and branding.
• Demonstrated expertise with current industry software, including: Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, After Effects, XD), Figma, HTML/CSS basics (JavaScript familiarity a plus), Notion, Miro, and/or other collaborative design tools

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Interest or experience in interaction design, including any of: User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, wireframing, prototyping, HCI, affordances, feedback, accessibility
• Interest or experience in AR/VR/XR design: Spatial reasoning, 3D modeling, frameworks and SDKs
• Interest or experience in actively following developments at the intersection of AI and graphic design, with an eye to maintaining a robust pedagogy and curriculum that prepares students for success in a changing field
• Demonstrated commitment to improving the diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility of design; and interest or experience in community-based design, design for social change, design for accessibility, sustainable design, and/or socially-responsive design.
• Demonstrated experience with inclusive, culturally responsive, and/or equity-driven student-centered pedagogy, responsive to the needs of our student population
• Interest in collaboration with community and professional organizations

Candidates should demonstrate experience in teaching, mentoring, research, or community service that has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence.

Additionally, applicants must demonstrate a record of scholarly activity.

This University is fully committed to the rights of students, staff and faculty with disabilities in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

For more information about the University’s program supporting the rights of our students with disabilities see: For more information about accommodations for employees, contact: Iris Gallardo, Human Resources, at 510-885-2335 or email: iris.gallardo@csueastbay.edu, or the search committee chair: Ian Pollock, email: ian.pollock@csueastbay.edu.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Position will remain open until filled.

Please submit a letter of application, which addresses the qualifications noted in the position announcement; a complete and current vita via PageUp (see “Apply Now”), unofficial transcripts, and names and email addresses for three letters of recommendation.

Note: California State University, East Bay hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States.

All offers of employment are contingent upon presentation of documents demonstrating the appointee’s identity and eligibility to work in accordance with provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act.

A background check (including a criminal records check and prior employment verification) must be completed and cleared prior to the start of employment.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, CSUEB does not discriminate on the basis of any protected categories: age, ancestry, citizenship, color, disability, gender, immigration status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran’s status.

The University is committed to the principles of diversity in employment and to creating a stimulating learning environment for its diverse student body.