Department Summary

The Humanities Department at SJSU is a prominent center for creative, interdisciplinary study and research. It offers three undergraduate degree programs: the Liberal Studies Teacher Preparation B.A.; the Creative Arts B.A.; and the Humanities B.A., in which students pursue a concentration in American Studies, Liberal Arts, or Comparative Religious Studies. The Department is also home to two team-taught, multiple-semester General Education Programs: the lower-division American Cultures GE sequence and the Humanities Honors Program, which has both lower and upper-division Humanities Honors GE course sequences.

San José State University is a teaching-centered institution that is a national leader in graduating historically underserved students. SJSU has achieved both HSI (Hispanic Serving Institution) and AANAPISI (Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution) status. Moreover, 40% of our student population are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell-qualified. As a result, we are ranked #1—as the most transformational university in the country.

Learn more about our department at our website.

Brief Description of Duties

Teach a range of courses in the Creative Arts Program in the Humanities Department, including lower- and upper-division courses. In addition, you will hold regular office hours for students, work cooperatively with other department faculty, staff, and department chair, as well as participate in required course grading and assessment activities, etc. 

• “Creativity Matters” (CA60) Study why creativity matters, from imagining possible career paths to improving communication, expressing ideas, and flourishing over the course of one’s lifetime. Creativity is not just for artists and inventors! It is a human faculty that matters for life.
• “Introduction to Queer Arts” (CA95) Exploration of the ways that LGBTQ individuals and groups have used the arts, in various times and places, to make their lives, communities, and selves meaningful and to resist the domination of non-queer cultures.
• “The Arts in U.S. Society” (CA172) Study of American arts and artists in their aesthetic, social, and political contexts, focusing on 20th and 21st centuries. Arts examined may include architecture, poetry, music, visual arts, dance, theatre, performance art, and fiction. Special emphasis on issues of cultural diversity and social justice.
• “Thinking about Contemporary World Arts” (CA173) An interdisciplinary investigation of the connections between the contemporary arts and global cultures. Use of critical and creative thinking to develop global understanding and to explore personal and cultural identities.
• “Creativity & Creative Leadership” (CA176) Relationships among creativity, the arts, and leadership. Contemporary theories of creativity applied to the study of leadership within education, the arts, and social change through exploration of research, role models, and case studies. Application of relevant theories of creativity and leadership through collaborative projects, participant observation, or critical analysis of theories in practice.
• Demonstrate awareness of and address the needs of a student population of great diversity–including age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation–through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies and advisement.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• All classes must be offered and meet as scheduled throughout the entire semester or term, in the mode assigned and listed in the schedule of classes (i.e., asynchronous, synchronous, bichronous, in-person, or hybrid).

Required Qualifications

• MFA, ABD, or Ph.D. in Performance Studies, Art History, Literature, or a related arts discipline with working knowledge of more than one arts area.
• Strong college level teaching skills and experience required.
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a multicultural population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in and record of scholarly activity desirable.
• MFA & PhD preferred as is a professional practice in at least one arts area.

Compensation

Compensation and salary range placement are determined by qualifications and experience. To learn more about range placement, please see University Policy S21-2.

Anticipated starting salary:

L-A / Range 2 - $5507 - $5959
L-B / Range 3 - $6221 - $7481
L-C / Range 4 - $6825 - $9431
L-D / Range 5 - $8593 - $10347

Range salaries above are the anticipated monthly salary rate of full-time AY faculty--part-time rates are prorated. There are 6 monthly payments per semester (full-time AY annual salary = rate x 12). See the Faculty Salary Schedule for more information.

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• CV
• Cover Letter
• List of at least three (3) or as many as five (5) references
• Statement of Teaching Philosophy (optional)
• Statement of Expertise, including professional experience, and list of courses you are qualified to teach

Employment Conditions

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., preventing discrimination and harassment, gender equity and Title IX, health and safety). Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, the faculty member in this position will subject to ongoing review for designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). Individuals designated as Campus Security Authorities are required to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution and to complete Clery Act training as determined by the University Clery Director. Questions regarding CSA designation and training can be sent to the Clery Director at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu. The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position is located in the State of California and requires commuting to the campus. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Offers of employment are conditional, and may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

Appointment is contingent upon budget and enrollment considerations and subject to order of assignment provisions in the collective bargaining agreement between California State University and California Faculty Association. These provisions state the order in which available courses must be assigned to faculty, starting with tenure line faculty and ending with new lecturer appointees.

San José State University: Silicon Valley's Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley—one of the most innovative and diverse regions in the world—San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a national leader in transformative higher education, San José State University is an essential contributor to the economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU ranks high nationally in research funding and is second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, combined with world-class scholarship, student-centered learning opportunities, and experiential and interdisciplinary programs, allows SJSU to provide transformative opportunities that advance the public good locally and globally.

San José State enrolls more than 36,000 students — many are historically underserved, and around 45% are first-generation and 38% are Pell-recipients. SJSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) Serving Institution. The university’s commitment to social justice extends from its vibrant, inclusive campus to an international network of over 275,000 alumni. As such, San José State is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty so our disciplines, students, and community can benefit from different and divergent cultural and identity perspectives.

Equal Employment Statement

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose. Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act and Campus Housing Fire Safety Notification

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is also available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.