Jacksonville State University
Professor of Art, Illustration
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Jacksonville State University is seeking applicants for a tenure-track position in Illustration at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor. The selected candidate will be expected to teach a 3/3 load and fully engage in departmental duties, committee work, campus activities, and scholarship/creative activity.
The Department of Art + Design at Jacksonville State University is accredited by NASAD and offers an MFA in Visual Communication Design and a BFA degree in Studio Art with concentrations in Ceramics, Illustration, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, and Printmaking. The department also offers a BA in Art History and Art Minors in Studio Art, Photography, and Art History. The department has a highly collegial faculty and supportive administration, with highly favorable student-teacher ratios, well equipped studio spaces with budget allotments for new technologies, and a diverse student population.
The Illustration concentration is a growing degree program seeking a new faculty member to make significant contributions in vision, teaching, curriculum planning, and research. This faculty member will be primarily responsible for courses in the Illustration concentration, but should be prepared to teach at all levels, from Art Foundations to graduate-level courses.
Physical Requirements:
Teaching requires time with students in the studio and labs. Candidates should be able to prepare and present assignments and evaluate students’ work in progress. A successful candidate should be available for mentoring students during office hours and as needed. Candidates should be able to move between art buildings and administrative buildings on campus for meetings.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
Successful candidates must demonstrate a broad understanding of contemporary illustration practice and theory, as well as proficiency with both traditional illustration media and current industry-standard software. Their work should demonstrate mastery of formal design principles and conceptual underpinning. The successful candidate will also demonstrate excellence in teaching through a high-quality student work portfolio.
Minimum Qualifications:
This position requires an MFA or MDes from a regionally accredited institution in Illustration, Animation, Studio Art, Visual Communication, or related field.
Proficiency in the use of industry standard software is required. This includes but is not limited to the current Adobe Creative Suite, as well as other software related to area(s) of expertise.
Preferred Qualifications:
Preference will be given to candidates with one or more of the following qualifications:
- Two or more years teaching at the university level beyond a teaching assistantship.
- Extensive experience in the field of professional illustration with a diverse client base.
- Additional areas of expertise beyond illustration, including but not limited to animation and other time-based media, graphic design, new media, 3-D modeling, painting, and drawing.
- Demonstrated excellence in curriculum development.
- A robust exhibition record and/or evidence of scholarly research in the form of conference presentations and publications.
Instructions to Applicants:
To demonstrate a record of professional and creative accomplishment, creative work samples are required to be submitted in a digital portfolio. Submission of 20 samples of creative work in pdf or URL format, and 20 samples of students' work in pdf or URL format are required. Send pdf or URL to bmiles@jsu.edu. If samples of student work are unavailable, please explain in the cover letter.
Application must be made on-line with a curriculum vita, research statement, teaching philosophy, cover letter, and unofficial copies of all earned transcripts.
Review of applications will begin November 16, 2026, with on-campus interviews beginning in January 2027.
The position has an anticipated start date of August 1, 2027.
About Jax State
Located in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Alabama, midway between Birmingham and Atlanta, Jax State is home to more than 10,400 students representing 63 countries. As a learning-centered university, it strives to challenge students academically in a responsive environment, meeting their educational, career and personal goals. As an academic institution, it seeks to produce broadly educated graduates prepared for global engagement. As a public, comprehensive university, it promotes excellence in scholarly and service activities consistent with its academic and professional strengths. For a complete list of Goals, Core Values and Strategies to fulfill this Mission, go to the JSU Strategic Plan home page.
Academically Jax State offers 113 academic programs and concentrations, including bachelor's, master's, post-baccalaureate, doctoral and advanced certificate programs in a variety of disciplines that prepare graduates for meaningful careers and ongoing education. More than 40 online programs are offered. The University features six colleges on its 459-acre campus – Arts, Humanities and Sciences; Business and Industry; Education and Professional Studies; Health Professions and Wellness; Social and Behavioral Sciences; and Library. Most academic programs have discipline-specific accreditations, a reflection of their quality and JSU’s commitment to excellence.