Full-Time Faculty Position in Illustration, School of Graduate Studies

Job Description:

The School of Graduate Studies seeks a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in the MFA Illustration Department.

The candidate will hold a graduate degree in Illustration and have a successful record that includes teaching, academic student advisement and mentoring, and curriculum development. The
successful candidate will become familiar with the department curriculum and envision how they can integrate their skills to contribute to and extend the program, including identifying which
courses they believe they are qualified to teach. The candidate will exhibit the ability to work collaboratively and explain how their work experience will transfer to working with a small group
of faculty peers. They will be prepared to contribute to the department and school by serving on school- and college-wide committees as needed. The candidate must also commit to advancing the department in ways that align with the goals of the FIT Strategic Plan . The ideal candidate will maintain a personal and professional artistic practice, evidenced through creative professional work, publications, exhibitions, industry awards, presentations, workshops, jury service, professional client list, and/or membership in industry organizations. The candidate should have a broad understanding of the required competencies for a career in the field and possess an understanding of the contemporary illustration industry and self-promotion. They should be able to maintain and advance professional networks and relationships with contemporary illustrators and organizations and be capable of mobilizing those contacts for the benefit of the department, the School of Graduate Studies, and the College.

Requirements:

Specific Competencies:
Successful candidates will excel in the following competencies:

Globalism

• Possess the ability to communicate equitable and inclusive artistic values in relation to narrative art, personal artistic practice, and the professional illustration industry.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and engagement with industry worldwide, through exhibitions, publications, conference presentations, and/or professional networks.

Instructional Design

• Develop and update course content to adjust to changing industry practices, highlighting diversity and inclusivity.
• Demonstrate a capacity for mentoring and leading advanced students through an intense and empowering curriculum that includes editorial illustration, publishing, visual narrative, children's books, comics, and graphic novels, advertising art, production, and concept art.
• Demonstrate the use of a variety of instructional delivery methods, including experiential learning, that foster student development of a unique artistic voice and commercial practice.

Learning Enrichment

• Demonstrate a passion for instruction that inspires interest, curiosity, and creativity in advanced students.
• Demonstrate a commitment to enhancing student interaction, collaboration, and creativity in the classroom.
• Possess the ability to lead students in developing an interdisciplinary approach, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills within the fields of illustration, sequential art, and narrative visual art.

Professionalism

• Maintain active engagement in creative and/or scholarly activities relevant to the illustration industry.
• Possess willingness to leverage professional network and share opportunities to achieve department and college goals.
• Demonstrate the ability to serve as a representative of the department, division, and college on matters related to the program and its mission.
• Ability to communicate effectively with various internal and external partners.

Technology

• Demonstrate technological skills and an interest in emerging software relevant to illustration, animation, sequential art, and production art.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate through technology and to adapt the delivery of course content and management using FIT technology.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Candidates must have a graduate degree in Illustration, related teaching experience at an institution of higher education, and professional experience in and contributions to the industry or related/complementary fields.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preference will be given to candidates with an MFA in Illustration, teaching experience at the graduate level, and a record of creative professional work (e.g., publications, exhibitions, industry awards, jury service, and/or professional client list).

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

This position will be required to constantly read and comprehend, occasionally perform calculations, constantly verbally communicate, frequently analyze, and constantly write. The working conditions for this position will be any combination of the classroom, lab, and/or office space. Certain roles may be required to handle machinery and chemicals. The physical requirement for this position will require occasional sitting, constant standing, occasional bending, frequent walking, and occasionally lifting 10 lbs. or less.

Additional Information:

This is a full-time, tenure-track position beginning in Fall 2023. A review of applications will commence in September 2022 and continue until the position is filled. Please note a background check is required for appointment to this position.

Link to FIT Benefits for Full-Time Faculty

Collective Bargaining Salary Schedules (page 72) ; Successor Agreement (page 6)
Hiring Salary: $69,475 per year; per CBA, the salary and appointment rank will be based on education level and cumulative experience.

Application Instructions:

For consideration, please provide:

• Letter of interest clearly indicating your qualifications for the position
• Professional resum/Curriculum Vitae
• A minimum of three professional references, including names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail contact information.
• Digital portfolio in.pdf format (less than 2 MB) of current work or a URL to a professional portfolio website.

Please note that due to the volume of applications, we will not be able to contact each applicant individually. Additional information about the Fashion Institute of Technology can be found at: www.fitnyc.edu .

Returning Applicants - Login to your FITNYC Careers Account to check your submitted application material.

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation. If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov .

FIT is firmly committed to creating an environment that will attract and retain people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. By providing a learning and working environment that encourages, utilizes, respects, and appreciates the full expression of every individual's ability, the FIT community fosters its mission and grows because of its rich, pluralistic experience. FIT is committed to prohibiting discrimination, whether based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, religion, ethnic background, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military service status, genetic information, pregnancy, familial status, citizenship status (except as required to comply with law), or any other criterion prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local laws. FIT is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment, including the opportunity for upward mobility for all qualified individuals. Applications from minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged. Inquiries regarding FIT's non-discrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action Officer/Title IX Coordinator, 212 217.3360, titleix@fitnyc.edu .

The College reserves the right to select one or more candidates after having been duly reviewed and presented to the President in conformance with the provisions of Article 15 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

About Fashion Institute of Technology:

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), an internationally renowned college of art and design, business and technology, of the State University of New York, invites nominations and applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position in the MFA Illustration Department, Department, School of Graduate Studies.

The Fashion Institute of Technology, a part of the State University of New York, has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology for nearly 70 years. With a curriculum that provides a singular blend of hands-on, practical experience, classroom study, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, FIT offers a wide range of outstanding programs that are relevant to today's rapidly changing industries. Internationally renowned, FIT draws on its New York City location to provide a vibrant, creative community in which to learn. The college offers more than 45 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the global marketplace.

With close ties to industry, FIT draws faculty from the city's art, business, and design elite, and from the rich academic community of the region. The College continually seeks creative faculty members who are passionate about their field and demonstrate exceptional professional capability in the core competencies of instruction design, learning enrichment, globalism, and use of technology, as well as mastery of established and emerging industry practices.

A vital and growing part of FIT's rich educational mix, the School of Graduate Studies provides advanced professional education in seven disciplines closely tied to the college's mission, promotion in the post-baccalaureate study of business, art, fashion and design. The School is dedicated to advancing research in the creative industries and fostering collaboration and a dialogue that links faculty and students to outstanding professionals and practitioners.

The mission of the School of Graduate Studies Illustration Department is to deliver an MFA curriculum that educates students in the art and practice of Illustration. This is consistent with
FIT's mission to prepare students for professional excellence in design and business through rigorous and adaptable academic programs, experiential learning, and innovative partnerships. FIT
is located in Chelsea, a leading contemporary art center, with hundreds of galleries within easy reach of campus; other resources for the department include the Museum at FIT and the Special
Collections of the Gladys Marcus Library.

The department confers the MFA through a 60-credit evening and weekend program delivered over three years. Developed with industry advisors and industry-active faculty, the curriculum
prepares students to be innovative visual communicators and fosters the entrepreneurial approach that professional illustrators need for success in the world of art and commerce. The department emphasizes a studio practice in traditional and digital media and emphasizes the development of each student's artistic voice. The faculty of noted illustrators offer rigorous assignments that elicit high-quality, competitive work. The program requires a written qualifying paper and culminates in a visual thesis. The curriculum develops and enriches students' aesthetic, analytical, and technological abilities by offering progressive, student-centered scholarship and experiences that integrate theory and practice in illustration and visual narrative communication.