| Position Title: |
Assistant/Associate Professor of Foundations – First Year Experience Program (Tenure-track) |
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| Location: |
Grand Rapids (Kendall) |
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| Department: |
92340 - KCAD First Year Experience
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| Advertised Salary: |
$58,000 (for Assistant rank) plus an excellent, comprehensive benefit package (health care, retirement, etc.) |
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| FLSA: |
Exempt |
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| Temporary/Continuing: |
Continuing |
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| Part-Time/Full-Time: |
Full-Time |
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| Union Group: |
Kendall Faculty Association (MEA-NEA) |
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| Term of Position: |
9 Month |
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| At Will/Just Cause: |
Just Cause |
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| Summary of Position: |
Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) in Grand Rapids, MI, prepares artists and designers to have impact through practice. KCAD is seeking a full-time faculty for Foundations. The First Year Experience / Foundations program offers hands-on, integrative, studio-based courses utilizing both analog and digital formats. The program is currently seeking candidates to teach foundation courses. This position will start in August, 2025. Courses are to be taught in person on KCAD’s campus in Grand Rapids, MI. The candidate(s) selected for the position must reside in Michigan after acceptance of employment.
Full time faculty members at KCAD teach 18 semester credit hours per academic year. As a KCAD faculty member, you will engage in three kinds of professional development: continuous improvement in teaching effectiveness, creative and/or scholarly contribution within your discipline, and a college service commitment that includes committee work and community engagement for the advancement of KCAD’s mission. You will actively advise students regarding their academic plan and progress as well as their co-curricular and post-graduation opportunities.
Foundations Mission Statement
The KCAD Foundations Program propels all first-year students toward a deeper understanding of how their individual creativity relates to the world-at-large, helping connect their passion for making to career opportunities from the moment they arrive on campus. Within this shared learning experience, students freely blend traditional, current, and experimental approaches to art and design, giving them agency to build skills and knowledge that are personally and professionally meaningful. At the same time, they interrogate accepted standards and link history to contemporary practice, exploring how creativity has continually shaped the human experience and imagining what possibilities lie ahead. Students emerge from the program with an enlarged field of vision, a thirst for critical thinking, and a versatile set of tools and experiences to design their future with agility. |
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| Position Type: |
Faculty - Temporary & Continuing |
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| Required Education: |
MFA in Studio Art, or related field |
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| Required Work Experience: |
Strong professional record of creative and scholarly activity.
Minimum of three years of full-time, part-time, or adjunct college level teaching experience beyond teaching assistantships |
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| Required Licenses and Certifications: |
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| Physical Demands: |
- Office Environment
- Bending
- Carrying
- Reaching
- Sitting
- Standing
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| Additional Education/Experiences to be Considered: |
Demonstrated contributions to innovative art foundations curriculum.
Demonstrated community engagement
Experience chairing or managing/leading departments/programs. |
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| Essential Duties/Responsibilities: |
Participate in program and curriculum development and assessment.
Prepare and distribute syllabi according to college standards.
Teach an appropriate course load as assigned.
Assess and evaluate student learning and provide formative feedback throughout the course.
Keep regular posted office hours.
Advise students for academic and professional development.
Participate in service to the college and in shared governance.
Participate in academic functions including commencement.
Contribute to the college’s continuous improvement.
Maintain effective communication with students and colleagues.
Work collaboratively with faculty, students and staff throughout the college.
Contribute to your discipline’s discourse(s).
Engage in scholarly, creative and professional development.
Engage in reflective self-assessment for improvement, renewal and promotion.
Demonstrate an understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion, especially in working relationships
with students, faculty, staff and community members.
Support, promote, and develop University student enrollment and retention initiatives.
Perform any other duties assigned within the position classification area
Work collaboratively with faculty, students, and staff throughout the college to develop high-impact academic experiences. |
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| Marginal Duties/Responsibilities: |
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| Skills and Abilities: |
Demonstrated proficiency in traditional analog media and the Adobe Suite, specifically Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.
Demonstrated commitment, experience and understanding for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Demonstrated commitment to and strong understanding of pedagogy.
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| Required Documents: |
- Cover Letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Unofficial Transcript 1
- Teaching Philosophy
- Portfolio 1
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| Optional Documents: |
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| Special Instructions to Applicants: |
Unofficial Transcript 1(Required): Applicants must attach a copy of unofficial transcripts of degree as described in the Required Education section. Transcripts must include: Institution name, applicant name, date degree attained, and degree awarded. Finalist will be required to submit an official transcript.
Teaching Philosophy (Required): statement of teaching philosophy and a scholarship/creative work statement.
Portfolio 1 (Required): A portfolio (PDF or URL) of personal scholarship/creative work and a portfolio (PDF or URL) of student works with 10–15 samples, preference given to portfolios including both analog and digital media works. Images must be clearly labeled as professional or student work. |
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Initial Application Review Date:
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January 13, 2025 |
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| Open Until Position is Filled?: |
Yes |
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Posting Close Date:
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| EEO Statement: |
Ferris State University, an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, is committed to enhancing equity, inclusion, and diversity within its community. Ferris offers employment opportunities to qualified candidates seeking careers in a student-focused environment that values opportunity, collaboration, diversity and educational excellence. Learn more about the Ferris Mission and community at ferris.edu. The University actively seeks applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups. For more information on the University’s Policy on Non-Discrimination, visit: Ferris Non-Discrimination Statement. |
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Click here to learn more about working at FSU and KCAD. |
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