Wenzhou-Kean University
2024 Graphic Design Assistant Professor/Lecturer

About Wenzhou-Kean University
Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU), located in Wenzhou, China, is one of three Sino-American universities along with NYU Shanghai and Duke Kunshan University. Launched in 2012, WKU offers a unique model of higher education in partnership with Kean University, a comprehensive public university in the state of New Jersey. WKU is approved by the Ministry of Education of China and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. WKU sits on approximately 500 beautiful acres and currently enrolls 4,600 undergraduate students, and it is now in the midst of a rapid growth that will bring enrollment to 7,500 students within the next five years. All instruction is in English, and all curriculum is provided by Kean University. In addition to its current 18 undergraduate programs, WKU has been approved by the Ministry of Education for offering 8 Master’s and 3 doctorate programs. Wenzhou is one of the most vibrant and economically developed cities on China's East Coast, located one hour by plane and just over three hours by high-speed train from Shanghai.

About the Job:
College of Architecture & Design at WKU is seeking vibrant candidates to teach undergraduate studio and lecture courses within the professional graphic design program experience in one or more of the following: UI/UX, VR/AR/MR/XR, Immersive design, generative art, and Interactive Design. Candidates with experience and knowledge of Art and Technology are preferred. In addition to teaching and/or research, faculty are expected to devote non-teaching hours to advising and providing other support services to students, primarily career mentorship and placement. The ideal candidate will contribute intellectually to the formation of this professional program by developing research and/or creative scholarship that may include refereed publications, competitive creative work, scholarly presentations, and sponsored projects appropriate to an assistant academic level; participating in innovative teaching and curriculum development; and actively engaging in professional organizations.

All faculty positions are full-time assignments, effective for the start of the Fall 2024 semester. The positions are renewed every three years.

A Lecturer is a full-time, 11-month employee who teaches 39 credits per year and provides student and learning support services during the assigned period. Lecturers will be expected to provide high quality teaching, student advisement, learning support services, and service to the university/college/school/program and/or professional community; and perform related work as required. Lecturer positions are non-tenure track and may be renewed on an annual basis.

A tenure-track Assistant Professor is a full time, 10-month employee who teaches 24 credits per academic year (course release is available for grant proposal development and other substantial research initiatives). Candidate will be expected to participate in the full range of faculty responsibilities, including high-quality teaching, research, advising; student learning support; service to the university/college/school/program and/or professional community. Tenure-track appointments require high-quality articles in internationally recognized and peer-reviewed journals, book publications in academic presses, scholarly presentation in conferences/seminars, grants for curation and invitation for exhibition, prestigious international design awards, and other scholarly contributions and creative productions.

Teaching assignments and related responsibilities may include day, evening, weekend, and online courses. Interest or experience in using advanced instructional technologies to improve the teaching/learning process is highly desirable. All faculty may be required to teach General Education courses as needed. Opportunities are also available to teach disciplinary support courses. Candidates with an interest in teaching across disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications:
A terminal degree is required for tenure-track positions in Design. One of the degrees must be in graphic design or a closely related field. Equivalent professional experience may be considered to substitute for a Master’s degree as determined by the University. Candidate must have a proven record of professional work and/or academic scholarship. A minimum of one year of teaching experience at the post-secondary level and English fluency are required for all positions. A terminal degree from a prestigious design school or teaching/professional experience in well-recognized institutions or firms are preferred.

Application Information:
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until positions are filled. Please send cover letter, resume, portfolio, statement of teaching philosophy, research statement describing research and creative work interest, past accomplishments, awards, exhibits, and design projects, unofficial transcripts and contact information of three professional references by email to Search Committee Chairperson at wkudesign@wku.edu.cn. Official transcripts for all degrees and three current letters of recommendation are required before appointment.

Faculty positions at WKU offer:
• Annual salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience with the range from $65,000-$70,000 for Lecturers; $68,000-$75,000 for Assistant Professors. Salary of extraordinary candidates shall be determined on a case-by-case basis.
• A well-rounded healthcare coverage of Cigna, academic travel up to $2,000, housing options and subsidy up to $3,000, home traveling up to $6,000 (2 international round-trip airfares), a reimbursement to cover relocation expenses up to $1,000, shuttle bus to campus for work, and up to 8% front-load retirement benefits within accordance with completion of years of service with the University.
• Tuition discount of private/international kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools for children of faculty.
• A collegial environment.
• The opportunity to teach high quality students with more than 60% graduates being admitted to the graduate schools at Top 100 Universities in the world.

Background Screening:
Wenzhou-Kean University conducts background screenings on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background Screenings.