Lamar University
Department of Art
POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT PLEASE POST

POSITION: Graphic Design, Full-time, Tenure track, Nine month appointment

RANK/SALARY: Assistant/Associate Professor, Salary Competitive

START DATE: August 2010

DEADLINE: Review of applications will begin on November 15th, 2009 and continue until the position is filled.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
MFA in Graphic Design. (MFA in a related field with significant professional graphic design experience will be considered.) Expertise and professional experience in print and/or multimedia. Record of professional and creative accomplishment. Ability to teach typography, logo design, brand identity, page layout and publishing using industry standard software to include Illustrator and InDesign. Knowledge of MAC and PC platforms.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Teaching experience at the undergraduate level. Knowledge of current design industry trends as demonstrated with published creative work or professional experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Teach graphic design, computer graphics, and foundation design courses. Advise Graphic Design students. Provide leadership in curriculum, equipment and facilities development for both graduate and undergraduate programs. Serve on departmental, college and university committees. And other responsibilities as assigned by the department chair.

APPLICATION:
Applicant must submit an online application form at https://jobs.lamar.edu along with the following as uploaded attachments: letter of application, curriculum vitae, teaching philosophy, and names of 3 references (with addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers).

Send portfolio on CD/DVD with 20 jpg images of professional work; 20 jpg images of student work (if available); and SASE (if material return desired) to:

D. Meeks, Chair, Department of Art
College of Fine Arts & Communication
Lamar University
c/o Human Resources
PO Box 11127
Beaumont, Texas 77710

Lamar University, Beaumont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

This position is security-sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215.

THE DEPARTMENT OF ART:
A member of The Texas State University System, Lamar University offers more than 150 programs of study that lead to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at this culturally diverse, metropolitan university. Lamar faculty are strongly committed to teaching excellence combined with research. The eight-story Mary and John Gray library includes resources that exceed 1,000,000 volumes and has electronic access to millions more. With an enrollment exceeding 14,000 and growing, Lamar continues to offer a personalized environment and a student/faculty ratio that focuses on individual success. Lamar University has been recognized as one of 2009’s Great Colleges to Work For by The Chronicle of Higher Education, the nation’s leading source of news for and about colleges and universities.

Located in Beaumont, Texas, Lamar University is 80 miles from Houston, 40 miles from the Gulf Coast beaches, 30 miles from Louisiana, and 70 miles from the Texas lakes region. The area’s subtropical climate produces mild winters that allow for year-round outdoor activity. Lamar University is unique in that it enjoys close ties with the greater community. Students experience direct involvement in the city’s civic, business and cultural opportunities. The nearby cultural centers of Houston and Galveston offer more opportunities for aesthetic enrichment.
The Department of Art offers undergraduate instruction leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Visual Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design or Studio Art. Students may elect courses that further professional development in the following concentrations: Graphic Design (including Web Design, Animation, Motion Graphics, and Illustration), Photography (including digital and video), Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Sculpture, Ceramics, and Fibers. A Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design is offered for students seeking study in graphic design along with a minor program of study. The Bachelor of Science degree is offered in Studio Art for students seeking all-levels teacher certification. A minor in Art History is available to students in other programs or departments by earning 18 hours of approved credit. The Department of Art offers a Master of Arts in Visual Art with an emphasis in either Studio Art or Art History. The department is home to approximately 180 art majors, ten fulltime faculty, and four adjunct faculty. Graphic design is the largest area of study.

Department facilities include two computer labs, a graphic design and digital photography facility, providing students with the opportunity to utilize both Mac and PC based equipment. The graphic design facility consists of 20 PC and 4 MAC workstations with 3 dedicated workstations for printing and scanning along with a variety of output including a large format printer. Software includes current versions of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Premier Pro, Flash, Lightwave 3D, Maya, and ZBrush. Our facilities are well maintained to accommodate students working in all facets of Graphic Design. The digital photography facility includes 16 student workstations, a teacher station, dedicated high-end workstations for large format printing and video editing along with a wet darkroom.

The mission of the Lamar University Department of Art is to provide an environment designed to nurture artistic, academic and personal growth in Lamar University students. Through its curricula and community outreach, the department prepares the art student for a professional career in the discipline with courses in practice, theory, art history, and art education. Educational, cultural, and academic opportunities are made available so that each student may reach his or her full potential by participating in those human experiences and qualities inherent in the fine arts. As the visual arts engage rapid change, the department maintains a balance between its own traditions and the unknown challenges of the future, between skill building and theoretical insight, and between the products of the human hand and new opportunities offered by advancing technology.

Please visit our web site for more detailed information regarding the Department of Art at Lamar University: http://dept.lamar.edu/cofac/art/index.htm