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Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor in Digital Media Art: Emphasis in Creative Code & AI

School/Department Name: Department of Art and Art History

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $88,000 - $90,000. Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector.  See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August 17, 2024

Application Deadline: January 13, 2025 – Applications are accepted until the position is filled or closed

Position Description

The Department of Art and Art History in the College of Humanities and the Arts at San José State University invites applications for a tenure-track position in Creative Code, Web-Based Practices, and/or Artificial Intelligence. We seek an artist, designer, or scholar with a strong creative and research practice who is interested in contributing to and expanding our Digital Media Art program through innovative, multidisciplinary approaches. Serving BA, BFA, and MFA students, the ideal candidate will engage students with cutting-edge technologies and foster critical dialogue around the intersections of art, technology, and society. The ideal candidate will also possess experience with multidisciplinary collaboration--across design, computer science, and other disciplines--to address aesthetic, social, and cultural trends in digital media art and technology.

The successful candidate will possess critical and art historical knowledge combined with a contemporary creative practice focused on the aesthetic, conceptual, and technical production of digital artworks with an emphasis on Creative Code and Artificial Intelligence. Additionally, these research and teaching expectations will serve to support multidisciplinary art, innovation, and technology initiatives within the department and across the university.

About the University

Founded in 1911, the Department of Art and Art History remains one of the oldest, most comprehensive, and most affordable fine arts schools in the western United States and more specifically within the state of California. San José State University is in downtown San José, the tenth largest city in the United States and the hub of Silicon Valley. The Art and Art History Department is strategically located in close proximity to some of the major research institutions located in the Bay Area like Stanford University and the University of California Berkeley among others. The city and the surrounding San Francisco Bay Area recognize and support art, creativity, and technology as cornerstones for regional development. As a major contributor to the artistic life of the area, the University frequently partners with the city to bring art programs to the area. The location also provides easy access to the thriving art community of San Francisco and Oakland to the north and the expansive art market and cultural venues of Los Angeles to the south.

The Department of Art and Art History offers a unique combination of award-winning faculty and staff, outstanding facilities, and a wide range of focus areas, including traditional and digital media arts, art history and visual culture, and curatorial studies. Our acclaimed network of alumni, curators, artists, teachers, historians, and arts professionals represent the very best of what the Bay Area has to offer, providing our students with the opportunity to build a robust practice within a chosen discipline. Committed faculty and staff provide students access to our “best-in-the-west” education and facilities, generated through invaluable professional and personal relationships offered within a welcoming and supportive community; a dynamic student gallery system; a weekly lecture series showcasing renowned artists, thinkers and critics; the professionally-curated and endowed Thompson Gallery, with its groundbreaking exhibitions; a cutting edge curriculum; extensive facilities, including darkrooms, a foundry, glass facilities, and state-of-the art computer and digital fabrication labs; and professional development opportunities in and around the Silicon Valley.

San Jose State University regularly tops national rankings in public education, affordability and social mobility for our diverse student body being ranked ranked as the #4 best public university in the nation and #16 overall by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and College Pulse’s 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings and is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Our alumni, as artists, makers, and thinkers, who are increasingly at the center of the creative economy, are steadily inventing the future in California, the United States and throughout the world.

More information about the Department of Art and Art History at San José State University can be found here.

Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Department of Art and Art History and San José State University value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and staff who share our commitment to these values. SJSU enrolls more than 36,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved, and around 45% are first-generation and 38% are Pell-recipients. SJSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) Serving Institution. The university’s commitment to social justice extends from its vibrant, inclusive campus to an international network of over 275,000 alumni. As such, San José State is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty so our disciplines, students, and the community can benefit from multiple ethnic and gender perspectives.

Successful candidates will demonstrate evidence of a commitment to equity and inclusion through their research, teaching, and/or service. We ask that all applicants include a Diversity Statement with their application package. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Diversity Statement Guidelines, along with information about how these statements will be evaluated.

Required Qualifications

Terminal Degree in Relevant Field: MFA, PhD, or equivalent terminal degree in Digital Art, Media Art, Creative Technologies, or a closely related field by the time of appointment.

Experience Teaching in Digital Media Art: Teaching experience at the college level and proficiency in digital art, including the use of relevant tools, software, and materials, are essential to effectively teach and mentor students in this practice.

Track Record of Creative Achievement: A substantial portfolio of creative work showcasing innovative and meaningful contributions to the fields of digital art with evidence of exhibitions, publications, and a strong artistic trajectory. Portfolio should demonstrate expertise in experimental or emerging technologies, creative coding, web-based practices, and/or the use of AI in an art-making or design context.

Commitment to Research and Scholarship: A strong commitment to research and scholarship, including a track record of engaging in academic activities such as exhibiting, publishing, presenting at conferences and artists talks, and contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the fields reflecting active engagement with contemporary discourses in media art and technology, including ethical considerations surrounding AI and digital cultures.

Cultural Sensitivity and Inclusivity: A demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population, which may have been gained through cross-cultural study, training, teaching, or comparable experiences. This qualification emphasizes the ability to create an inclusive and culturally-responsive learning environment that respects and supports the diverse backgrounds and experiences of students in the art department.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Two or more years of university-level teaching experience.
• Experience in mentorship and student-centered learning: Preference will be given to applicants with a strong background in mentorship and a commitment to student-centered learning approaches.
• Experience with interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly within the fields of media art, design, or computer science.
• Experience developing and teaching online, hybrid, or experiential learning courses.
• Ability to contribute to initiatives that align with SJSU’s Transformation 2030 strategic plan, which emphasizes innovation, equity, sustainability, and community engagement.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Teach a range of courses within the Digital Media Art program, including but not limited to creative coding, web-based art, artificial intelligence, and related digital practices.
• Develop an active and innovative research/creative practice that engages with digital media and emerging technologies.
• Contribute to the development and evolution of the Digital Media Art curriculum, incorporating contemporary methods and practices in creative technology.
• Engage students with experiential learning opportunities, fostering collaboration, critical thinking, and technical skill-building across diverse media.
• Participate in service activities at the department, college, and university levels, including academic advising, curriculum development, and committee work.
• Maintain an active presence in the professional field through exhibitions, presentations, publications, or other forms of dissemination.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
•  Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies and advisement.

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Application Procedure

Select Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• Letter of Interest (Maximum 2 pages)
• Creative Portfolio of 10-12 works
• Curriculum Vitae
• Diversity Statement (Maximum 2 pages)
• Statement of Teaching Interests/Philosophy (Maximum 2 pages)
• Research Plans (Maximum 2 pages)
• Three references with contact information or three references we may contact for letters

Inquiries may be directed to: Rhonda Holberton (Committee Chair) – rhonda.holberton@sjsu.edu

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Campus Security and Fire Safety Notification 

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.