About the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design:
The Drexel University Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design is dedicated to the education of students in the areas of design, media and the performing and visual arts. The Westphal College offers 17 undergraduate and eight graduate majors, housed in award-winning, technologically enhanced facilities, and taught by distinguished faculty who have worked at the top of their fields. The College values a studio approach that incorporates six months of required co-op work experience for all undergraduate students. Westphal is home to a virtual reality and immersive research lab, two theaters, an art gallery, a notable collection of over 17,000 historic costumes, a record label, a television station, and numerous cutting-edge making spaces. Westphal educates students to find their place as leaders in today's rapidly changing world by teaching the diverse skills needed to conceptualize and implement creative thinking. The synergy of Westphal’s creative programs, strong foundation curriculum and diverse minors, and stewardship of University assets and enterprises enhances the strength of the College in this interdisciplinary age. The College actively participates in community-based learning programs that allow students and faculty to study the issues affecting our world in collaboration with neighboring communities. As the center for creativity at Drexel, the Westphal College’s collaborative community of scholars, creatives, thinkers, and doers are uniquely positioned to face the world’s challenges and define the creative careers of the 21st century. Westphal is dedicated to building a community where everyone is welcome and a multiplicity of voices are celebrated.
About the Program
Drexel's Game Design & Production major, nationally ranked as a top program by multiple organizations including the Princeton Review, provides students with a strong, broad-based foundation in digital design and content creation skills in a team project environment. The major supports careers in any industry that wants to speak the language of real-time interactive games. Beyond the obvious entertainment sector of PC, mobile, or console games, graduates from the program can move into any industry in any geographic area in support of simulation, training, marketing, communications, and education.
Students try on a wide variety of roles in game development—from idea to reality in art and code—discovering the skill areas that they want to pursue. They are advised to focus their minors, elective courses, and team experiences as they progress through the program. The intent is for students to have a T-shaped skillset, broad familiarity in multiple areas with one or two areas of specialty. Students begin making game assets and games in their first terms as freshmen and continue making team-based game projects both small and large throughout their plan of study. Every project enables students to experiment and refine their experience in the many roles required to produce a finished game.
Courses in Drexel’s program evolve in response to industry trends and on-demand special topic courses are utilized to rapidly respond to student and industry developments. Gaining familiarity with rapidly changing industry-standard tools is important but it’s equally important to be prepared to transfer skills in one tool into a different tool of the same type – to be able to move from a 3D modeling tool like Blender, to 3DS Max, to Maya, or to a proprietary in-house tool you can’t touch until you’re hired by that specific company. Drexel’s program encourages students to become comfortable as tool-agnostic creators.
Job Summary
The adjunct faculty member will employ a variety of strategies to foster student artistic development, learning and discussions, as well as encourage active learning in all students, maintain proper course-related records, and evaluate student work and provide students with feedback as to the progress toward meeting the objectives of the course. Each adjunct faculty member is responsible for effectively teaching students in the assigned classroom or remote settings. Each adjunct faculty member is responsible for effectively implementing the mission of the Game Design & Production program, part of the Department of Digital Media, within Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. Responsibilities may include teaching days, evenings, nights, and weekends, with the potential for online only, in-person only, or a combination of both.
Adjunct positions may include foundation courses for first-years, core skill classes, advanced courses, or special topics courses proposed and developed by the adjunct or other faculty. Teaching face-to-face at Drexel’s Philadelphia campus is the default, but there are opportunities for the right candidate to teach remotely from elsewhere in the US.
Drexel’s Game Design & Production is particularly interested in candidates with experience in diversity, equity, and inclusivity efforts as well as diverse professional experiences to bring a wide range of voices and perspectives into the classroom and support a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.
Essential Functions
- Teach required number of credit hours per quarter based on their contract
- Teach studio, lecture, and/or practicum courses per their contract
- Plan and provide instructional experiences that reflect an understanding of the philosophy, objectives, and curriculum of the program
- Evaluate student achievement of curricular objectives/outcomes
- Maintain communication with the program director regarding any course or student issues
- Utilize existing University systems for course and student data and communication management. Training is available in multiple systems, like Blackboard Learn, Office 365, and Zoom.
- Perform other similar duties as assigned
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Game Design/Development/Art/Programming or related field. Candidates without a degree but equivalent experience may be considered.
- Three years of teaching and/or professional experience.
Special Instructions to the Applicant
Please make sure you upload your CV/resume, portfolio link(s), and cover letter that indicates your strong areas of expertise when submitting your application.
