Summary: The Department of Visual & Media Arts (VMA) at Grand Valley State University invites applications for a position as Affiliate Professor of Introduction to Art, to begin Fall 2026. The successful candidate will teach four sections of ART 101 – Introduction to Art (a general education course designed for non-majors) per semester and will be responsible for coordinating all aspects of the course, including curriculum oversight, assessment, staffing, scheduling, and budget management. This is an in-person teaching assignment.
Applicants are expected to have, at minimum, a master’s degree in a discipline represented by the VMA’s five major programs (Art Education, Art History, Film/Video Production, Photography, or Studio Art). Individuals from all backgrounds, including from underrepresented groups, are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates must be able to effectively engage with students, colleagues, and community members with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.
Required Qualifications and Education:
MA, MFA, or Ph.D. in a field represented by the five major programs in the Department of Visual & Media Arts: Art Education, Art History, Film/Video Production, Photography, or Studio Art. (Note: There are eight areas of concentration within the Studio Art major, including Ceramics, Graphic Design, Illustration, Jewelry/Metalsmithing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Visual Studies.)
Two years of college level teaching in a field related to one of the five major programs in VMA: Art Education, Art History, Film/Video Production, Photography, or Studio Art.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, such as the ability to interact with others with respect and cultural humility.
Preferred Qualifications and Education:
Experience teaching introductory art to non-majors, online and in-person
Evidence of sustained engagement with contemporary visual arts
Evidence of experience with curriculum development
Evidence of leadership experience in an academic or professional context
Responsibilities: The successful candidate will teach eight courses per year (4/4, 24 credits per year) in a NASAD-accredited undergraduate program. Their principal teaching assignment will include multiple sections of ART 101, with the potential for teaching one course each year in another VMA program area. In addition, they will act as coordinator of the ART 101 course, responsible for oversight of its curriculum, assessment, staffing, scheduling, and budget.
ART 101 is a general education course for non-art majors, designed to foster interest and appreciation for the arts broadly, serving between 400-600 Grand Valley students each year. There are typically 13-15 sections of 101 per semester, each comprised of 35 seats.
The successful candidate will apply a broad perspective in their teaching and coordination of ART 101, ideally making connections between course content, the five major VMA programs, and supporting a liberal arts education.
Affiliate faculty are not required to maintain an active record of scholarship/creative work. However, they are expected to remain current in their field of practice through professional development activities that will improve their disciplinary knowledge, competence, or skills. In the Department of Visual and Media Arts, professional development activities typically include attending exhibitions, conferences, workshops, and obtaining professional certifications, among other initiatives. Professional Development financial support can be obtained annually through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Affiliate faculty have a higher time commitment toward effective instruction and therefore should not expect to engage in department service unless compensated for their efforts through reassigned time on task.
Typically, the initial appointment for Affiliate Faculty is for one academic year, on a full-time basis. This may be renewed once for an additional academic or fiscal year. Thereafter, such individuals may be appointed for up to three consecutive academic or fiscal years. Employment contracts are renewable.
Minimum Starting Salary: $51,000; commensurate with experience.
Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, vision, dental, life insurance, generous employer retirement contributions, wellness resources and tuition waiver effective on date of hire.
Department: The Department of Visual and Media Arts strives to uphold the values of a liberal education while offering intensive engagement in the production and critical examination of the visual and media arts. As educators, artists, and scholars, we value investigation of the world through participation in broad cultural discourses. In addition to preparing students formally and conceptually for careers in the visual arts, the department strives to foster the broadly transferable skills of inquiry, reflection, critical analysis, dialog, and expression.
The department is located on Grand Valley’s Allendale campus. It has 39 full-time faculty members (27 tenure-stream and 12 non-tenure stream) and more than 600 majors. The Department offers major degrees in Art Education (BA, BS), Art History (BA), Film and Video Production (BA, BS), Photography (BA, BS), and Studio Art (BA, BS, BFA with emphases in Ceramics, Graphic Design, Illustration, Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Visual Studies). Additionally, the Department also offers minors in Art History, Film and Video Production, Photography, Studio Art, as well as a rich catalog of courses for non-majors. Grand Valley State University is an institutional member of the National Association of Schools in Art and Design (NASAD) and its Art and Design programs are fully accredited.
College: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is the largest college at Grand Valley, offering over 50 bachelor’s degrees and a growing number of advanced degrees in the natural and mathematical sciences, the fine arts and humanities, and the social sciences. CLAS is a student-centered learning community that welcomes individuals from various backgrounds and engages in critical inquiry, extending knowledge to enrich and enliven individual and public life. Our faculty are active teacher-scholars committed to offering students an accessible and community-engaged liberal arts and sciences education that prepares them for meaningful careers. There are many opportunities for collaboration within CLAS and across a broad group of partners on and off campus. We are interested in attracting a cohort of new faculty committed to these core values as we seek to foster a community where members from all backgrounds can live, learn, and thrive together.
University: Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is a public comprehensive institution located in West Michigan with campuses in Allendale, downtown Grand Rapids, and Holland, plus centers in Detroit, Muskegon and Traverse City. The University attracts more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students with high quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities and has been nationally recognized for innovativeness and its contribution to students’ social mobility. The greater Grand Rapids metropolitan area has a population of around one million people, is affordable, and offers rich cultural amenities. Grand Valley is located within easy driving distance of Chicago, Detroit, Lake Michigan beaches, and many other superb summer and winter recreational venues. Information can be found at Community Resources page on Grand Valley State University Human Resources website.
How To Apply: Apply online at GVSU Careers. To be considered for the position, applicants must upload the following items to the online application:
A cover letter addressing your qualifications and interest in in working with non-art majors
A curriculum vitae (including contact information for three professional references)
A sample syllabus for a course you have previously taught, showcasing learner-centered pedagogical approaches considerate of non-majors or those new to a discipline
A document with links to up to 10 samples of student work, preferably reflecting diverse learning outcomes, and up to five samples of your completed or in-progress scholarly/creative work. (Please clearly distinguish links to student work samples from links to your own.)
A copy of graduate transcripts (the unofficial versions issued to students are acceptable to apply).
The online application will allow you to attach these documents electronically, in the same file location. However, due to file size limitations of our online application system, we ask that you please provide links to external drives or sites where we may view your student work samples and personal research portfolio.
Questions about the position may be sent directly to Professor Brett Colley, search committee chair, at colleyb@gvsu.edu. Please allow 2-3 days for a response. Applicants selected for interviews will be required to submit official transcripts prior to the interview. If you need assistance, email Human Resources at hro@gvsu.edu.
Application Deadline: Consideration of applicants will begin on January 5, 2026. The posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the university thereafter.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended by the ADA Amendment Act (2008), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other applicable federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. GVSU will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. See www.gvsu.edu/equalopportunity/. TDD Callers: Call Michigan Relay Center at 711 (in State) or 1-800-833-7833 (out of State).
Grand Valley State University is an Antidiscrimination/Equal Opportunity Employer, which includes providing equal opportunity for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. University policy extends protections to additional identities.