Quarterly Lecturer in Graphic Design

Santa Clara University is seeking quarterly lecturer(s) for an in-person, non-tenure-track contract role teaching undergraduate Graphic Design courses, including Information Design and Website Graphic Design. This position is temporary, with possible partial online instruction if health conditions deteriorate.

What you’ll teach

In this role, instruction is structured around quarterly course assignments. You will teach no more than two courses in any quarter and no more than four courses across the fall, winter, and spring quarters.

• Winter schedule: One section of ARTS 175 Information Design: Graphic Design (MW 10:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.)
• Spring schedule: One section of ARTS 70: Graphic Design: Typography (MW 10:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m.) and one section of ARTS 177 Website Graphic Design (MW 1:00 to 3:20 p.m.)

Key responsibilities

• Appear at all assigned class meetings in a timely, prepared manner that reflects command of the discipline and effective teaching practices.
• Assign and evaluate student work aligned with the course description and course learning outcomes, and provide timely feedback.
• Hold regular weekly office hours on campus.
• Submit student grades that are appropriate, accurate, and fair to the Office of the Registrar by the designated deadline.
• Administer numerical and narrative evaluations for all courses.
• Where applicable, teach from an approved University Core syllabus or work with the Chair to design a syllabus for approval by the relevant Faculty Core Curriculum Committee.
• Service: 0% for this position.

Qualifications

• Terminal degree (Ph.D. or MFA) in Studio Art or a closely related field.
• Applicants who are ABD or possess a Master’s degree, with commensurate academic experience in Graphic Design or a closely related field (5-7 years of college or professional teaching), will be considered.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching Graphic Design at the college level.
• Excellent communication skills
• Demonstrated proficiency in current Graphic Design tools and technologies, with the ability to teach both foundational and advanced design practices.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with inclusive pedagogical practices that support access and academic success for all students.
• Experience teaching and mentoring a diverse undergraduate student population.
• Previous experience teaching similar course(s).

Application details

Interested applicants must submit all required materials online at https://jobs.scu.edu/. The application deadline is October 9, 2026.

• Letter of interest, including how qualifications and goals, teaching, or life experiences enrich diversity within the department and academic community.
• Brief statement of teaching philosophy.
• Current CV.
• List of three professional references (with contact information).
• 1-3 PDF(s) showing evidence of successful teaching (max 5MB per PDF), such as syllabi, past teaching evaluations, and other instructional materials.
• 10-20 relevant student work samples labeled with term dates and course names, provided via a URL link with viewing permissions to [email protected] (options include Dropbox/PDF, a webpage, or a Google Slides show).
• 5-10 representative samples of professional art/design work provided via a URL link with viewing permissions to [email protected] (options include Dropbox/PDF or a webpage).

Applicants will upload information into Workday, except confidential letters of reference, which must be emailed to Qiuwen Li at [email protected]. For job description inquiries, contact Qiuwen Li.

Work location and authorization

• Location: Santa Clara, CA (onsite).
• Telecommute (if approved): work must be performed within California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, or Illinois.
• Work authorization: SCU does not sponsor work visas for this position. The successful candidate must provide evidence of identity and legal authorization to work in the United States.

Salary: USD 9,839 per year. Job type: contract. Experience: 5+ years.