St Edward’s University Hiring for Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Animation at 3001 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX, United States Full Time

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in AnimationDepartment of Visual StudiesSchool of Arts and Humanities

St. Edward’s University, a nationally ranked, independent Catholic university and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in Austin, Texas, invites applications for a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track position as an assistant professor of Animation in the Department of Visual Studies, beginning in mid August 2024. St. Edward’s is characterized by its commitment to the Holy Cross educational mission to educate the hearts and minds of a diverse student body that is deeply committed to social justice.

The successful candidate will work effectively with colleagues across disciplines, teach courses in the Bachelor of Arts in Animation degree program and participate in program-, departmental-, and school-level service, serve as academic advisor to students in the program, and maintain an active record of research, scholarship, and/or creative work. Austin-home to such companies as Rooster Teeth, Powerhouse Animation Studios, and Minnow Mountain-is a hub of animation, and our liberal arts-based BA animation program is growing. We hope to augment our faculty with a candidate who is both a strong teacher and who presents a strong portfolio of independent work or professional experience. The BA in Animation program shares a number of courses with our BA in Video Game Development program, as well as foundational courses in art, visual studies, and writing.

St. Edward’s University embraces excellence through diversity and especially encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender minority groups. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to supporting a diverse student body.

For consideration, candidates must hold an MFA degree from a regionally accredited institution, have an ability to teach at the undergraduate level, and have significant professional experience in digital animation, compositing, visual effects, rotoscoping, video game animation, or motion graphics. Candidates must also be proficient with a mix of industry-standard software applications, which may include Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Animate, After Effects, Audition, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, ZBrush, or Final Cut Pro.

Preferred candidates will have:

• Three or more years of experience teaching a variety of undergraduate courses, including drawing, character design, traditional 2D animation, digital 2D animation, digital 3D animation, digital sculpting, digital lighting, digital visual effects, compositing, or other advanced animation techniques.
• A portfolio of work that demonstrates a strong technical and theoretical foundation in their practice and teaching.
• An active record of research, scholarship, and/or creative work.
• A strong portfolio of student work and sample syllabi from classes they have taught.
• Industry or creative relationships that will benefit their students’ learning and career opportunities.

Essential Responsibilities Include: Candidates should have the interest and ability or potential to teach a range of undergraduate courses in animation and visual studies supporting a diverse student body. Duties of the position include:

Teach a full course load (4/4), which may include multiple sections of the same course, and related courses outside of the animation program. Note that one course reassignment per year may be available to a faculty member with a significant record in research, scholarship, and/or creative work.Serve as academic advisor and creative mentor to a diverse body of students.Contribute to curriculum development and program assessment efforts.Participate actively in university and department committees, as needed.Demonstrate continuous professional development efforts throughout the academic year.Other duties as assigned.

The University offers an excellent TOTAL REWARDS package! An overview of St. Edward’s University employee benefits is available at; https://www.stedwards.edu/human-resources/benefits-summary

Medical & Rx Coverage (HSA & FSA Available), Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability Insurance, Long Term Disability Insurance, Life & Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, Pet Insurance, Annual Leave & Paid Sick Leave, Retirement Plan, Tuition Benefits, Paid Holidays, and Services & Discounts

HOW TO APPLYApplicants should apply online at https://stedwards.applicantpro.com. Application packages should include:

a cover lettera current curriculum vitaea portfolio of professional worka portfolio of teaching worka statement describing your teaching philosophy and your approach to working on projects with a diverse body of undergraduate studentsnames and contact details for three professional or teaching referencesIn addition, all applications must include a statement on how they would integrate the University’s Holy Cross mission into their work. Your Mission Integration statement should be included as a separate document. See Statement Prompt below for instructions.

Mission Integration Statement Prompt:St. Edward’s was founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross, from which it acquired distinguishing characteristics that include the courage to take risks, an international perspective and the commitment to provide educational opportunities for students of varied cultural, religious, educational and economic backgrounds. In support of the mission, the different backgrounds of St. Edward’s students, faculty and staff enrich our community and represent a significant part of our culture and commitment to excellence. We value the individual differences, life experiences, unique capabilities and innovative talent that our employees and students contribute to our vibrant academic environment. St. Edward’s honors and respects all members of its community by fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment that respects the dignity and worth of each person and stresses the obligation of all people to pursue a more just world. While serving as a faculty member at St. Edward’s University, how would your individual differences, life experiences and unique capabilities contribute to the mission as described above? Describe how your prior work aligns to the university’s mission. Applicants should submit materials by February 19, 2024, for full consideration; however, the position will remain open until filled.ABOUT ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITYFounded in 1885 by the Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Edward’s University is a private, Catholic, liberal arts institution of 2,900 undergraduate and 700 graduate students located in Austin, Texas. It is an exciting time to be part of the St. Edward’s community as the university increases its global engagement to educate students for the opportunities and challenges of a 21st-century world. SEU is a diverse community that appreciates faculty and students from all backgrounds. Consistent with its Holy Cross heritage, the university maintains a strong commitment to diversity and global initiatives. More information about St. Edward’s University may be found at www.stedwards.edu.

Commitment to the Holy Cross Mission

St. Edward’s University is a diverse community devoted to proactively nurturing a campus-wide culture that promotes and ensures equity, respect, inclusion and safety for all members regardless of race, color, national origin, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, socio-economic background, or physical ability. We are one University that opens our hearts and minds to conversations, to learning and to creating a community that is welcoming of all. Regardless of position, it is expected that each employee will embrace this commitment and demonstrate an attitude of respect toward and acceptance of all members of our community. For more information on our commitment to diversity, please visit our website: https://www.stedwards.edu/about-us/living-our-mission.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: St. Edward’s University, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. We require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency for employment, and we are not offering visa sponsorship at this time.
Background Checks: A criminal history background check is required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.