Assistant Professor of Creative Arts

Job Description Stetson University seeks an Assistant Professor of Creative Arts with expertise in multidisciplinary design. The specific area of design expertise is open, but candidates whose creative practice can contribute to our growing Museum and Curatorial Studies program are especially encouraged to apply. This is a full-time, 9-month, tenure-track position beginning in August 2027. The University seeks candidates with the ability to situate design practice within a liberal arts context, preparing students to apply design methods to contemporary artistic, social, and cultural challenges. Competitive candidates should demonstrate the ability to develop and teach undergraduate courses that explore connections and enhance collaboration between the four programs housed in the Creative Arts Department: Museum and Curatorial Studies, Studio Art, Theatre Arts, and Digital Arts. Course topics of interest may include visual concepts, print design, graphic design, or exhibition/spatial design. Instruction will emphasize applied and engaged learning through experiential projects.

QUALIFICATIONS: M.F.A., Ph.D., or an equivalent terminal degree from an accredited institution is required by August 2027. The successful candidate will have an active scholarly/creative agenda, with demonstrated potential for continued success at the local, national, and international levels. Prior experience teaching undergraduates in both general and specialized subfields of design is strongly preferred.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The annual teaching load includes five regular courses and one student-centered immersive experience (equivalent to one course in time commitment over the academic year) as a part of the University’s experiential, contemporary, and integrative learning initiative – Hatter Ready. For more information on our expectations in teaching and scholarship, our tenure policies, and our support for faculty development, please see the Academic Affairs website at http://www.stetson.edu/administration/provost/prospective-faculty/index.php

THE DEPARTMENT: Stetson’s Department of Creative Arts (https://www.stetson.edu/artsci/creative-arts/) takes a rigorous, interdisciplinary approach to undergraduate liberal arts education. Our faculty are also committed scholars, artists, and creative practitioners with strong publication, production, and exhibition records. Creative Arts is one of the largest departments on campus, with eleven full-time faculty members. We collaborate closely with the Hand Art Center, our on-campus museum space and home to the Vera Kouba Bluemner Collection. Our faculty and students also make use of other campus facilities to develop and present their work, including the Second Stage Theatre, Elsewhere Studio, the Innovation Lab, and Gallery duPont in the duPont-Ball Library.

THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES: Stetson’s College of Arts and Sciences (https://www.stetson.edu/artsci/) is the largest and most diverse of the University’s colleges and schools; it includes the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, education, and creative arts. With nineteen academic departments and nine interdisciplinary programs, the College is the liberal arts core of the University. A great strength of the College is its faculty of approximately 140 full-time teacher-scholars. The College offers 31 undergraduate majors and 34 undergraduate minors; seven graduate degrees are offered in Education, Counselor Education, and Creative Writing. Every undergraduate major requires a senior research project, allowing students the opportunity to design and carry out independent research under faculty mentorship. Our academic programs are shaped by the values of social justice and civic responsibility. All of our courses and programs of study promote engaged learning, whereby students create connections between the classroom or lab and the local, regional, and global community. The academic programs of the College of Arts and Sciences prepare students to live significant lives, to interact with and positively affect the world around them.

THE UNIVERSITY: Founded in 1883, Stetson University (http://www.stetson.edu) is a private, selective university comprised of a rich array of liberal arts and professional academic programs. Collectively, Stetson’s faculty works with approximately 3,700 students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The University’s historic main campus, located in DeLand, enrolls approximately 2,300 students in undergraduate programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, and the School of Music. Stetson University College of Law, Florida’s first law school, moved from the main campus to Gulfport in 1954, and, with the addition of the Tampa Law Center, serves approximately 1,000 students working full-time or part-time toward J.D. or LL.M. degrees. Graduate programs based at the main campus in DeLand include Business, Accounting, Education, Counseling, and Creative Writing, with Educational Leadership cohorts also offered at the Gulfport campus. Stetson is Florida’s oldest private institution of higher learning and was the first private college in Florida to be granted a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Stetson University provides an inspiring education that engages students with rigorous academic and creative study grounded in liberal learning and promotes civic values of personal and social responsibility. Working closely with faculty and with one another, students cultivate abilities to explore issues deeply, think critically, reason empirically, speak persuasively, and connect ideas creatively. Firmly committed to inclusive excellence, our vibrant community of teacher-scholars nurtures the potential of individual students to lead lives of significance and prepares each to meet the challenges of shaping the future—locally, nationally, and globally.

THE COMMUNITY: DeLand is a picturesque residential community of 38,000 located 20 miles west of Daytona Beach and 35 miles northeast of Orlando. The area offers extensive cultural as well as recreational activities.

SALARY: Salary is competitive.

STARTING DATE: August 9, 2027

APPLICATION: Applicants must supply the following materials for consideration: cover letter, which should: address interdisciplinarity in the candidate’s creative practice and teaching provide examples of up to three design topics that the candidate could teach highlight skills and experiences that demonstrate a commitment to promoting inclusive academic environments and engaging across differences propose an initial idea for one of Stetson’s broader curriculum programs: Hatter Ready immersive experiences (http://stetson.edu/other/hatter-ready/) First Year Seminars (http://stetson.edu/other/first-year-seminar/) Junior Seminars (http://stetson.edu/other/junior-seminar/). curriculum vitae statement of teaching philosophy artist/research statement PDF or weblink of up to 15 examples of your work PDF or weblink of 10-20 examples of student work contact information for three references Letters of recommendation will be requested from references at the interview stage. Please click the "Apply" button to apply for this position and to upload your application documents. Inquiries about the position and application questions may be sent to Dr. Nathan Wolek, Chair at creativearts@stetson.edu. Review of applications will begin on November 9, 2026, and continue until the position is filled.

WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENTS: Work authorization sponsorship may be available for this position. However, sponsorship is contingent upon the non-applicability of the visa petition fees outlined in the relevant Executive Order. International candidates are encouraged to apply, but should be aware that eligibility for sponsorship will be evaluated in accordance with current U.S. immigration regulations and institutional policies.