"Assistant Professor Of Art"

POSITION SUMMARY:

Date application must be received for priority consideration by: December 15, 2025
Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: September 16, 2026
Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled:
Job Family Group: Faculty
Division/Department: College of Arts & Humanities/Creative Arts
Compensation Range: $68,156 - $72,330 (Assistant Prof YIR 1-4) commensurate with experience in a comparable faculty appointment and according to the SOU faculty collective bargaining agreement
Faculty Classification of Instruction Programs (CIP) Code anticipated: 50.07, Fine and Studio Art
FLSA Status: Exempt
Appointment Basis: 9 month
Time Type: Full-time
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration: Renewable
This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes
Work Location Type: On Campus
Worker Status: Must be able to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorship

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT:

• Finalist Candidates for faculty positions shall provide copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the search committee at the time they are notified that they are a finalist.
• Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) letter providing some detail of the applicant's qualifications and interest in the position; (2) current resume/CV; (3) portfolio of representative work (in PDF format no greater than 20mb) including links to an online portfolio; (4) artist statement; (5) portfolio of representative student work (in PDF format no greater than 20mb); and (6) names and contact information for three professional references. - PLEASE NOTE - during the application process, you will be prompted to attach these documents in the area titled "Resume." Please either combine ALL documents into ONE attachment, OR upload each item separately in this section. Failure to upload ALL of the required documents may disqualify application from consideration.
• For inquiries and additional information, please contact: Human Resource Services via email at hrs@sou.edu or by phone at (541)552-8553.
• To view SOU's very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://hrs.sou.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_010125.pdf
• Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://hrs.sou.edu/working-at-sou/search-jobs/total-compensation-calculator/, demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The College of Arts & Humanities at Southern Oregon University (SOU) is seeking applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Art with an emphasis in Painting/Drawing.

We are looking for an outstanding individual who will serve a collaborative role in a unique Creative Arts Department that is home to art and art history, digital media, and creative writing. Applicants should have an MFA (or equivalent terminal degree) and a professional practice and teaching portfolio that emphasizes Painting/Drawing along with other 2D practices and/or digital practices. At least one year of experience teaching in higher education, and a promising record of distinguished scholarship and/or creative work, exhibition, research and/or professional project development appropriate to be appointed at the assistant professor level, is also required.

We seek an artist with a wide-ranging skill set spanning contemporary painting and drawing practices and an ability to engage and inspire both novice and advanced students. Application materials should demonstrate proficiency with a broad range of 2D concepts, techniques, and materials. The craft of observation, two-dimensional representation, and creative mark-making remain essential and foundational to studio artists and digital makers alike.

As a tenure-track faculty member, the new hire will be expected to engage in ongoing professional development through a balance of teaching, service, and scholarship. Teaching responsibilities for this position may include (but are not limited to) introductory and advanced studio courses in drawing and painting, senior capstone courses, BFA thesis and critique, and other related courses based on the candidate's interests and departmental needs. Service expectations include shared oversight and upkeep of departmental studio spaces and galleries. Other responsibilities include advising, curriculum development, research, professional affiliations as appropriate, and other responsibilities as assigned.

We offer excellent comprehensive health and retirement benefits. The start date is September 16, 2026, and the position will be open until filled with priority deadline of December 15, 2025.

The position is housed within the Creative Arts Department containing faculty and degree programs including Studio Art, Art History, Emerging Media Digital Art (EMDA), and Creative Writing. Within an interdisciplinary framework, the Creative Arts Department includes state-of-the-art facilities in: Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Ceramics, Sculpture, Photography, Digital Art, and Interdisciplinary Arts and Technology.

The Creative Arts Department is housed within the College of Arts and Humanities which is also home to academic programs in Music, Theatre and Digital Cinema, the Schneider Museum of Art, and the Oregon Center for the Arts which serves as a community arts presenter, partner, and producer. Situated in the beautiful and vibrant Rogue Valley surrounded by majestic mountains, Southern Oregon University is a creative catalyst for our diverse combination of students, educators, and artists, who come to us from around the world to infuse the southern Oregon cultural landscape with artistic excellence.

Southern Oregon University is a public liberal arts institution of approximately 2,500 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. The surrounding area is known for cultural offerings such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Ashland International Film Festival, and the Britt Music Festival. The region is noted for its unparalleled biodiversity and the university lies in close proximity to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The Rogue Valley is renowned for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, and biking.

Minimum Qualifications

• MFA, PhD, or other terminal degree in an appropriate field
• Applicants should have at least one year of experience teaching in higher education and demonstrate effective teaching and mentorship
• The successful candidate will have a promising record of distinguished scholarship and/or creative work, exhibition, research and/or professional project development appropriate to be appointed at the assistant professor level
• Experience in Painting/Drawing along with other 2D practices and/or digital practices

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability and desire to teach occasional courses in digital painting/illustration, printmaking and/or other relevant art practices that extend beyond the traditional drawing/painting studio
• Ability to work collaboratively and cordially with fellow faculty, students, and guest artists
• Desire, ability, and patience to effectively teach and train students from novice through to our most advanced artists. Show promise in attracting and retaining students interested in art and expansive practices
• Have demonstrated ability to successfully nurture interested students from a diverse student population
• Can demonstrate potential for connecting students with a variety of post-degree options

Essential Functions

Duties - The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive

(100%) The primary responsibilities of all faculty members are: teaching, professional development, and service.

• Teaching encompasses normal instructional activities beyond the teaching of assigned courses such as academic advising, working with students outside of class, posting and maintaining appropriate office hours, course and curriculum planning, etc.
• Professional Development includes maintaining currency in the discipline taught.
• Service includes program and institutional administrative, committee, and student support and retention activities
• In addition, professorial faculty members are expected to participate in scholarly and/or creative activities, including formal research (whether in scholarship of discovery, scholarship of synthesis, scholarship of application, or scholarship of teaching), and in service to the university and beyond the campus, such as in professional organizations or other professionally related public service

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Demonstrated excellence in written, verbal, and technical communication skills and with a high degree of personal integrity and standards
• Ability to facilitate an innovative, transformative curriculum and pedagogy to enable students to be prepared for the future
• Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing
• Demonstrated experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist
• Demonstrated ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, sometimes under pressure and a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations
• Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems
• Ability to independently analyze software functionality and design and document efficient/effective work processes
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with community leaders, business leaders, and donors to advance the mission and vision of the institution.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information.
• Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy
• Ability to take initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
• Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail
• Proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, internet/online systems (e.g., calendaring and email), social media platforms, Learning Management Systems, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere internally and externally, and to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds

Physical Demand

• Regular teaching activities, including standing/sitting, lecturing, and using a computer.

Special Conditions

• Workload expectations are outlined in the Association for Professors, Southern Oregon University (APSOU) Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 19.
• Teaching assignments may include First Year Experience, online and/or hybrid courses, Medford and Ashland campus classes, and day, evening, and weekend courses.
• Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
• Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
• Under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), this position classification is defined as exempt and is not subject to overtime regulations.
• The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.
• Compensation: Any formally approved and authorized salary change shall automatically amend this contract.