Job Description

Assistant Professor of Illustration (T/TE) Posting Number req27483 Department School of Art Department Website Link art.arizona.edu Medical Sub-Speciality Location Tucson Campus Address Tucson, AZ USA Position Highlights

The University of Arizona School of Art, an R1 research institution and member of the Association of American Universities, invites applications for a full-time, tenure-eligible Assistant Professor to join the Illustration, Design, and Animation (IDA) program. The position will primarily serve undergraduate students pursuing the BFA in IDA, while also contributing to the School’s Design Arts Practice BA program and interdisciplinary MFA program. The ideal candidate will maintain an active professional practice, emphasizing illustration as a tool for visual storytelling, and demonstrate a strong record of effective teaching and mentorship with students of varied backgrounds.

The IDA program within the School of Art fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration beyond the classroom and encourages the development of various methodologies as part of the student experience. The successful candidate will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate courses that include both traditional and digital media. The new faculty member will contribute to the continued evolution of the Illustration, Design, and Animation curriculum, strengthening storytelling and visual communication as foundational practices for the future of illustrators, designers, animators, and their interdisciplinary collaborators.

This position within the School of Art also emphasizes community-engaged practices. We use this term broadly to encompass practices that engage with one or more of the following: social practice, public pedagogy and scholarship, community-based art, community arts organizations, arts activism, engagement with place, borderlands concepts and theories, and related areas of inquiry. In your application, please describe how your creative practice, teaching, and/or research would contribute to and support community within the College of Fine Arts and the University at large.

Review of candidates begins Nov. 9th, 2026. Priority consideration will be given to candidates who submit materials by this date, but the position will remain open until filled.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; sick leave and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

Duties & Responsibilities

The School of Art is part of Arizona Arts, which serves as a unified gateway to visual and performing arts experiences, programs, and assets at the University of Arizona (U of A). Arizona Arts offers the opportunity to work with people of many different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We foster opportunity and excellence in the arts with a commitment to success for every student, research that shapes the future, and community engagement. Learn more by visiting https://cfa.arizona.edu/about/arizona-arts/. The U of A is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and among the nation’s strongest public universities, offering more than 150 majors. We live our Purpose, Mission, and Values as a land-grant university.

• Teach two 3-credit courses per semester, fostering an engaging and supportive student learning environment that promotes student success.
• Maintain an active professional practice in illustration, design, animation, and/or related fields, demonstrating national-level achievement appropriate for promotion and tenure at an R1 university.
• Contribute to an ever-evolving illustration, design, and animation curriculum, ensuring coursework remains responsive to evolving professional practices, emerging technologies, and the needs and interests of an expansive student body.
• Meaningfully engage in service activities at the division, school, college, university, and professional levels.
• Participate in student recruitment, outreach, retention, and advisement efforts in ways that strengthen the program and encourage student engagement and success.
• Advance student success through effective teaching and mentorship, supporting the creative development, professional goals, and career preparation of a vibrant demographic of traditional, nontraditional, first-generation, and transfer students.
• Serve on graduate review and thesis committees in ways that support their academic progress and professional development.
• Supervise and mentor graduate teaching assistants and technicians.

Minimum Qualifications

• MFA in Illustration, Design, Writing, or related area, with evidence of professional practice/client-based work.
• Evidence of a professional illustration or client-based practice.

Preferred Qualifications

• Teaching experience beyond graduate teaching assistantships.
• Community-engaged teaching, professional, or creative practice experience.
• Demonstrated cross-cultural communication skills and experience working with various communities.
• Record of teaching and mentoring students in a range of narrative and sequential visual practices, with experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Narrative Illustration and Sequential Art: Graphic novels, comics, picture books, artists’ books, visual poetry, and zines.
• Time-Based and Moving Image: Animation, motion graphics, film, and video.
• Illustration for Information and Specialized Audiences: Scientific and medical illustration, editorial illustration, and data visualization.

Rank Assistant Professor Tenure Information Tenure Track (T/TE) FLSA Exempt Full Time/Part Time Full Time Number of Hours Worked per Week 40 Job FTE 1.0 Work Calendar Academic Job Category Faculty Benefits Eligible Yes - Full Benefits Rate of Pay DOE Compensation Type salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE) Type of criminal background check required: Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive) Number of Vacancies 1 Target Hire Date 8/2/2027 Expected End Date Contact Information for Candidates Kelly Leslie,

kleslie@arizona.edu Open Date 11/4/2026 Open Until Filled Yes Documents Needed to Apply Curriculum Vitae (CV), Cover Letter, and Four Additional Documents Special Instructions to Applicant Cover Letter of Application describing why you are interested in the position, how you meet some or all of the qualifications for the position, and any prior experience you believe is relevant to the position description and U of A context, mission, and values. CV/Resume showing how your experience, expertise, and vision relate to the position description and U of A context. Professional Portfolio of Illustration Work (can be link to a website or other online presence). Statement of Teaching describing your goals as an educator; relevant pedagogical training; and overall approach to mentoring and educating students with varying cultural backgrounds, interests, abilities, and prior experiences (e.g. teaching methods and assessment strategies). Professional Portfolio via link to personal website or digital PDF upload of 12 images and descriptions. Teaching Portfolio via link to website or digital PDF up. Three (3) reference names will be requested of candidates who are selected for an on-campus interview. Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University’s campuses. These reports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.

Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at cleryact@arizona.edu.