Working Title: One-Year, Full-Time Instructor of Foundations

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Visual and Performing Arts

Department: 100005 - Art Design and Art History

Pay Rate: Maximum Starting

Specify Range or Amount: $62,000

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 07/19/2025

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

The School of Art, Design and Art History at James Madison University invites dynamic and forward-thinking individuals to submit an application for our One-Year, Full-time Instructor of Foundations position.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will teach four courses each semester in the Foundation program, focusing particularly on Color and Composition (FDS 102) and Observational Drawing (FDS 104), with additional possibility of teaching Form and Space (FDS 106). For Catalog Descriptions of these courses, visit this site:
https://catalog.jmu.edu/search_advanced.php?cur_cat_oid=62&search_database=Search&search_db=Search&cpage=1&ecpage=1&ppage=1&spage=1&tpage=1&location=33&filter%5Bkeyword%5D=FDS

We seek a candidate who wishes to participate in a collaborative community that fosters independent thought and creativity, embraces the diversity of cultural expression, and cultivates inclusive excellence in the making and understanding of Foundations Program. The position is a full-time and 10-month academic appointment in our Foundations program. In order to participate in our collaborative community, there is an expectation that the successful candidate will be on campus and available to students 4 days per week during the academic year and serve the program and school. Contract term begins 2 weeks prior to classes beginning in August and ends 2 weeks after Commencement in May. We are especially interested in candidates who have a demonstrated commitment towards building an engaging educational environment.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:
• MFA in art and design.
• Teaching experience in Foundations, especially for an Art and Design Program.
• Evidence of an active creative practice.
• Demonstrated commitment towards building an engaging educational environment.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Strong Teaching experience in Foundations programs at the undergraduate level.
• Capacity to advocate and collaborate with all students and faculty.

Additional Posting Information:

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

The completed application will consist of:
• Letter of application discussing your professional experience (with special attention to teaching experience and creative practice). The letter should also include a discussion of the candidate’s research interests, teaching philosophy, and contributions or potential contributions to the classroom, program, and university.
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy
• Curriculum Vita;
• Contact information for three professional/academic references;
• PDF Portfolio of no more than 15 pages – this portfolio should include 5-7 examples of student/teaching work as well as 5-7 examples of professional/academic/research work as applicable to applicant’s experience (total file size limit: 399MB)

School of Art, Design, and Art History Overview:
Our dynamic, energetic, and engaging School of Art Design and Art History employs nearly 60 full-time and part-time faculty and staff serving approximately over 620 full-time majors enrolled in B.A., B.S., B.F.A., M.A., and M.F.A., degree programs, including Studio Art, Graphic Design, Architectural Design, Industrial Design, and Art History, with Art Education certification, and minors in Art, Art History, Book Arts, and Illustration. For information about the School, please visit www.jmu.edu/art. The school also offers the Master of Fine Arts degree, a nationally ranked program by U.S. News and World Report. SADAH’s mission asks us to collaborate as creators and scholars to advance independent thought through rigorous practice and research. SADAH has exceptional facilities, including the recently remodeled Duke Hall, a 115,000-square-foot facility with open and well-lit studios, dedicated critique spaces, high-teach seminar rooms, classrooms, lecture halls, and state-of-the-art equipment. The Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art is a leading contemporary art space featuring regional, national, and international exhibitions. The remodeled Studio Center houses design programs. And a fully equipped Fabrication Lab. Separate facilities are provided for photography, graduate studios, and ArtWorks, a student-run gallery. For information about the SADAH, please visit www.jmu.edu/art.

Conditions of Employment:  

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.