School of Art: Assistant Professor in Animation/IXD

School of Art: Assistant Professor in Animation/IXD

Job Class Code: 10031
FLSA: Exempt
Posting Number: FRGV1103
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Division/Organization: Provost - Academic Affairs
Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position:
Tenure Status: Tenure Track
FTE: 1.0

Scope of Job:
We seek applicants who are dedicated to serving The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's diverse student body as an Assistant Professor of Design Department, School of Art beginning in the 2021 - 2022 academic year.

The position is a fulltime tenure track/tenure-eligible appointment beginning Fall 2021 in animation and interaction design in service to our newly designed curriculum emphasizing digital media and technology in the visual arts. This position will serve undergraduate students in the new BFA concentration in animation/digital media/IXD and contribute to the School of Art's MFA program.

The design department is seeking candidates with the following credentials. Develop and teach coursework for undergraduate/graduate visual communication majors in 2D procedural animation, 3D animation, interaction design, with secondary emphasis on 3D modeling and game design or other courses related to the candidate's specialty. This might range from introductory courses on design principles and techniques, to advanced studio courses focusing on methodology and concept development. Experience in animation, on - line course development, teaching and familiarity with NASAD standards is a plus.
Familiarity with the following software is desired: Maya, 3D Max, Houdini, Adobe Animate, ZBrush, Rhino and applicable media. We have 4 newly equipped Mac labs, a Wacom animation lab, and maker space equipped with large format printer, 3D printer and laser cutter.

Candidates should have professional recognition among leaders in the discipline through relevant scholarly activity and original research. Actively participate in recruitment, retention, and community outreach activities. Share in the collegial development of curricula and fulfillment of other responsibilities as assigned.

Faculty are expected to participate in committee work, assessment, and actively contribute to the development and governance of the program, department, and university. Other job duties may include developing new
courses and programs within the area, setting up and completing program and course, and interfacing with part-time faculty and graduate teaching assistants to assist in planning and developing additional classes. These
duties may include reviewing and adopting textbooks, ordering new supplies and technology for the labs, distinguishing core objectives, student learning outcomes and planning for course-level assessments. The successful candidate will be assigned the standard academic teaching load for faculty

About UTRGV:
It is UTRGV's Vision “To be one of the nation's leaders in higher education, its premier Hispanic-serving institution, and a highly engaged bilingual university, with exceptional educational, research, and creative opportunities that serve as catalysts for transformation in the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.” As such, UTRGV is committed to building a diverse faculty and staff that can contribute to an enriching learning environment that strives for more equitable outcomes for student success.

UTRGV is a distributed campus, one university spanning four counties and multiple locations. Our purpose is to be a university for the entire Rio Grande Valley and beyond. Over 91% of the students enrolled at UTRGV identify as Hispanic, making UTRGV one of the top 3 universities with the highest percentage of Hispanic students.

Thanks to a steadfast commitment to safety and success, UTRGV yielded record-breaking outcomes in enrollment and student success in the fall 2020 semester. For additional information, please visit our website.

Department/College Background

The UTRGV School of Art is a bi-campus school which maintains facilities in both Edinburg and Brownsville. In Edinburg it has a 73,000-square foot facility with the highest quality studios and labs in graphic design, sculpture, ceramics, painting, drawing, printmaking, digital photography, and film photography with a wet lab. In Brownsville it has a 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space with very unique 20-foot-high ceilings in all of their studios for optimum student art production in painting, ceramics, sculpture photography (digital and film), printmaking, drawing, an iMac lab for computer imaging and graphics, and a 3000-square foot outdoor open area for experimental art.


Minimum Qualifications:
Applicants must have an earned an A Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA) or MDes is required in visual communications design, digital arts, animation, IXD or related field from an accredited university by August 2020.


Discipline Specific Required Qualifications:
• Master of Fine Arts degree or equivalent terminal degree from an accredited institution; preferably with a focus on Animation/ IXD or related concentration;
• Evidence of sustained professional creative activity;
• Demonstrated potential to achieve national or international recognition in creative research;
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching at the university/college level;
• A body of work that demonstrates expertise in 3D computer modeling, 2D procedural animation, and/or interaction design, and related disciplines; and
• Demonstrated evidence of commitment to diversity and inclusion.


Preferred Qualification:
• Ability to teach all levels of undergraduate and graduate courses in 2D and 3D computer animation, interaction design,
and related disciplines;
• Experience developing a program of study in animation;
• Experience developing and teaching online or hybrid courses;
• Demonstrated knowledge of critical thinking and visual literacy, emerging media;
• Experience chairing and serving on MFA thesis committees;
• Record of securing grants and/or external funding; and
• Three years of college-level teaching experience beyond TA work.


Salary: Commensurate with Qualifications and Experience
License or Certification Required?:
Number of Vacancies: 1
Desired Start Date: 09/01/2021

EEO Statement:
EEO Statement
UTRGV is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that strives to hire without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or veteran status. UTRGV takes affirmative action to hire and advance women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Diversity Statement
UTRGV is a Hispanic-serving Institution dedicated to student success and building a diverse faculty committed to working in a multicultural environment. UTRGV has an NSF ADVANCE grant to increase the representation of women in STEM fields and to promote a positive, family friendly workplace for all faculty. We strongly encourage applications from women and minorities.


Open Date: 11/09/2020

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Dear Applicant,

Human Resources will not be held responsible for redacting any confidential information from the documents you attach with your application. The confidential information includes the following:

*Date of Birth
*Social Security Number
*Gender
*Ethnicity/Race

Please make sure that you omit this information prior to submission. We are advising that Human Resources will be forwarding your application to the department as per your submission.

Complete all sections on the application. If you are applying for the first time please complete all biographical information including address, email, and phone. You may update this at any time by selecting to edit your profile in the application. Security sensitive. All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check (CBC). CBCs will be conducted for all candidates invited for an on-campus interview.

To apply visit https://careers.utrgv.edu/
Required Documents:
1. Curriculum Vitae
2. List of 3 References
3. Letter of Interest
4. Unofficial Transcripts: (graduate and undergraduate - Once hired, official transcript are required)
5. Teaching Philosophy: Philosophy of Design Education
6. Other Document: Most recent teaching evaluation, 20 examples of professional work and 20 examples of student work, any applicable research, and publications
7. Three letters of recommendation, which include reference to the candidate’s teaching experience


Additional Information:
UTRGV is a distributed institution. As such and as assigned, the position may
require presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Work is
performed primarily in a general office environment. This position is security sensitive
and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code
§51.215. The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of
Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least
135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement
Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week
and at least 135 days in length.


Please Note:
Texas law requires faculty members whose primary language is not English to
demonstrate proficiency in English as determined by a satisfactory paper-based
test score of 500 (computer-based of 173 or internet-based of 61) on the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a satisfactory test score of 6.0 on the
International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Incomplete applications
will not be considered. All positions are subject to budget approval.


To apply, visit https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/26358

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