Assistant/Associate Professor, Graphic Design

Radford University invites applications for two full-time, nine-month, tenure-track faculty positions in Graphic Design in the Department of Art. These Assistant/Associate Professor roles begin August 2027 at Radford City, Main Campus, with responsibilities spanning undergraduate and graduate instruction, student mentoring, and program support for a NASAD-accredited graphic design program.

The positions are based on campus in Radford, VA (onsite) and fall under Teaching & Research Faculty. Salary is USD 60,000 - 82,000 per year, commensurate with experience, qualifications, and rank. The faculty will be evaluated across teaching, scholarship, and service.

What you’ll do

• Teach graphic design courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Participate in programmatic critiques and portfolio reviews.
• Mentor and advise students throughout their academic and professional development.
• Support internships, professional practices, and career preparation.
• Contribute to curricular assessment and curriculum development.
• Provide shared oversight of design labs and resources.
• Contribute to recruitment and retention.
• Support program visibility.
• Cultivate professional, campus, and community partnerships.

Required qualifications

• A terminal degree (for example, an MFA) in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, or a closely related discipline from an accredited institution, completed by the start date.
• College-level teaching experience in graphic design, visual communication, or a closely related discipline.
• A portfolio demonstrating strong design foundations and engagement with contemporary practices across digital and/or physical media.

Preferred qualifications

• A record of effective college-level teaching and mentoring, supported by examples of student work and achievement.
• Ability to teach graphic design to students with varied backgrounds and different levels of preparation, from beginner to graduate.
• Professional industry experience in graphic design, visual communication design, or a related discipline.
• Evidence of creative scholarship, professional practice, and/or research.
• Expertise in one or more emergent areas of design, such as interaction and UX/UI design, motion and time-based media, information and data visualization, web design, computational or generative design, immersive media, environmental or experiential graphics, or illustration.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate new technologies, including AI-enabled tools, critically and ethically into design pedagogy.
• Experience with curriculum development, program assessment, accreditation, and/or program building.
• Experience supporting internships, portfolio development, client- or community-engaged projects, and students’ transition into professional practice or graduate study.
• Evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration and ability to build partnerships across the university, profession, and community.
• Evidence of university and/or professional service.

Application details

• Application review date: Jan 15, 2027
• Campus location: Radford City - Main Campus
• Department: Art, Dept of
• Department contact: Stuart Robinson
• Phone: (540) 831-5778
• Email: [email protected]

Radford University conducts criminal background checks in compliance with Virginia Code § 19.2-389 and other applicable state and federal laws. Successful candidates will be required to have a criminal background check.