Faculty Recruitment

CalArts’ faculty recruitment policy was established with two goals in mind:
  • To ensure an equitable and coherent process across the Institute that emphasizes faculty governance within the process of hiring of new faculty
  • To create a faculty search process that examines accepted practice toward recruitment of a more diverse body of faculty that better reflects the diversity of our student population.

CalArts has set diversity, equity and inclusion as priorities institutionally; this work is a powerful way to acknowledge that structural racism and other biases affect academic and artistic professional communities in concrete ways. One of the places that bias has the greatest impact is on recruitment and hiring.

As an Institute, we aim for a faculty that is diverse in all ways: in background, identity, approach and experience.

At the same time we want to point to particular gaps in our institutional practice and community composition; we have particular issues of equity and diversity in terms of racial identity, ethnicity and, in many places, gender identity. 

While we can acknowledge race itself as a historical construct, the historical and ongoing impact of this construct on the institution, its members and our policies and practices has real and direct implications for our community of students, staff and faculty. They can be seen directly in our histories of recruiting and retaining faculty of color and other underrepresented groups.

Our Approach

Our approach to diversity, equity and working towards an antiracist culture and community is an ongoing and evolving conversation and process. It will need consistent and serious engagement as a regular part of our cultural and institutional examination. 

Recruitment is only a part of the equation; this policy should be accompanied by an equal focus on retention of our faculty of color and other underrepresented groups, through the creation of a culture that is welcoming and supportive of all faculty.

In preparing the new policy and process, it is important that the work of diversity in hiring should not fall to our existing faculty from underrepresented groups:

  1. This puts an undue workload on faculty of color and other underrepresented identities.

  2. Risks creating the impression that the primary role for faculty of color is as specialists about race and identity rather than their professional abilities or knowledge of their metier. In doing so it devalues their voice within the search.

  3. Work on diversity and inclusion must come equally from all members of the faculty; it needs to be presented as a fundamental value and priority for all.

CalArts Faculty in session with students in gallery space

CalArts Faculty with students in studio space

Who does this policy apply to?

  1. The search procedures outlined in this Policy apply to the recruitment and hiring of all Regular and Technical Faculty.

  2. These search procedures are not mandatory in connection with the employment of Special Faculty. The FTE of Special Faculty whose initial appointment was less than .50 FTE may not be increased to .50 FTE or more without the prior authorization of the Provost. The period of time that someone may hold a .50 FTE or more Special Faculty appointment, other than as a result of a search conducted pursuant to these procedures, is ordinarily no more than three consecutive academic years. Special Faculty holding appointments in more than one CalArts School do not develop cumulative FTE; rather their FTE in each School is considered on an individual basis. Any extension beyond three consecutive years as a special faculty must be approved by the Provost, and requests for extensions will be granted only when justified by compelling circumstances to the Institute. Record of extensions will be kept in the Office of Faculty Affairs. 

  3. A Special Faculty appointment may not be converted to a Regular or Technical Faculty appointment unless the Special Faculty has participated in a search within the previous two years. A Special Faculty appointment may be converted to a Regular or Technical Faculty appointment if done 1) within two years of the original search 2) search is done within these procedures.

A link to the full policy is here, you may also wish to reference our faculty Guide for Equitable Search Process

Faculty Salary Advancement Plan 

‘’What is the Faculty Salary Advancement Plan (FSAP)?

The Faculty Salary Advancement Plan (FSAP) is a step-based salary advancement plan for regular and technical faculty at CalArts. The FSAP was developed throughout the 2017–2018 academic year as a collaborative effort between the Faculty Salary Committee and Administration to acknowledge and reward the valuable contributions and dedication of CalArts regular and technical faculty.

It is a staple of the plan that a faculty member who performs to the degree of satisfaction to have their contract renewed will continue to see their salary raise along the baseline of the plan. At the same time, through our merit process, the new system allows a faculty demonstrating excellence in teaching, service or professional practice to apply for an accelerated progression through the system.

For a full description of the Merit Process: click here

​​What are the “Guiding Principles” of the FSAP?

  • A minimum baseline for regular and technical faculty salaries was formalized, with a continued commitment to bring faculty salaries up when they fall below that baseline.

  • The minimum baseline will be adjusted to reflect across the board inflationary increases implemented each year, as approved by the board of trustees.

  • The plan provides an across-the-board step advancement as an acknowledgement of merit inherent in the work of continuing faculty.

How do I know the group to which I will be assigned?

The Office of the Provost maintains the list of faculty groups and will notify those eligible for increase and for merit each year. New faculty are randomly assigned to a group when they first arrive.

You can review our current salary steps here.

Current Openings

Position School/Department Type Time