Permanent Faculty, School of Communication Design Visual Communications
Competition #2425-OC-FP-10
The School of Communication Design at Alberta University of the Arts invites applications for a permanent faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor, Visual Communications starting August 2025.
The candidate will have expertise in one or more of the following areas : Illustration, Character Design, Advertising, and Graphic Design.
The Alberta University of the Arts is one of only four major art, craft and design focused Universities in Canada. Our internationally recognized programs and state-of-the-art facilities offer our 1,100 students a hands-on, studio-based education that leads to a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Bachelor of Design, and an MFA in Craft Media.
AUArts has deep roots in Calgary’s creative community and our alumni have had an impact on creativity around the world. Alberta University of the Arts will be celebrating its centennial in 2026.
Assignment of academic rank will be commensurate with educational credentials, teaching, and professional experience, as well as the candidate’s record of research and creative activities.
Why AUArts ?
AUArts is a community of thinkers, shapers, makers, and risk takers. We are students, faculty, staff, and alumni rich in diversity of culture and thought, challenged to fearlessly explore what moves us, drives us, and implores us to see the world differently.
Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) is situated on the ancestral land of the Siksikaitsitapi - Blackfoot Confederacy which includes the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani Nations and the shared territories of the Tsuut’ina Nation as well as the Iyarhe Nakoda-Stoney which includes Bearspaw, Chiniki, Good Stoney Nations and also the home of the Métis Nation of District 5 and 6.
The City of Calgary has long been called Moh’kins’tsis by the Siksikaitsitapi, Guts’ists’i by the Tsuut’ina, and Wîchîspa by the Nakoda.
About the School of Communication Design (SCD) at AUArts
The School of Communication Design (SCD) offers BDes degrees in Visual Communications Design (VCD) and Photography (PHTG) through a comprehensive four-year studio-based experience.
It prepares students for careers as future leaders in creative industries. VCD students can choose between streams in Graphic Design / Advertising or Illustration / Character Design.
Students in the School of Communication Design gain the knowledge and skills to become successful practicing creative professionals and industry leaders locally, nationally, and internationally, generating original content with an ethical, critical individual voice and an entrepreneurial intent.
As AUArts continues to work toward creating an inclusive, equitable, accessible, and diverse academic space for all, the School of Communication Design is committed to reducing barriers and building an equitable and inclusive community that fosters a respectful environment that values all perspectives in dialogue and creative practices.
As a part of our team, you will work closely with colleagues from a diversity of academic and studio disciplines and contribute to an interdisciplinary and collaborative environment committed to developing new and innovative curriculum.
Responsibilities
The successful candidate will :
- Teach introductory and advanced courses at the undergraduate level of the BDes and other possible areas in relation to curricular need and expertise
- Pursue an active scholarly and / or creative research agenda
- Participate in university governance activities
- Participate in the design and revision of curriculum to address changes in the field and emerging opportunities
- Pursue growth in pedagogical and academic excellence
Qualifications
The following qualifications have been determined to promote likelihood of success in the role. In alignment with the principles of inclusion, individuals with an alternative equivalent qualification may be considered.
- A terminal degree in a related field (PhD, MDes, or MFA)
- Demonstrated experience teaching at the post-secondary level
- Evidence of an active and innovative record of design research and practice
- Strong understanding of design as an evolving and digital field
- Demonstrated expertise contributing to the redesign of curriculum and teaching practice with the goal of improving diversity and inclusion is an asset
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom and in all aspects of academic life