Visiting Assistant Professor - School of Information (71103)

About the role

Pratt Institute School of Information seeks a Visiting Assistant Professor to teach the following courses, offered January 25, 2027 to May 14, 2027, in the evenings, in‑person at the Pratt Manhattan Center, 144 W. 14th Street:

• INFO625: Archival Theory and Practice – Foundational course introducing core archival functions (appraisal, acquisition, arrangement, description, reference, access, outreach). Students explore fundamental archival concepts, terminology, values, and ethics; examine diverse repository types; trace the history and evolution of the archival profession; address current debates with a focus on archival arrangement and description. Hands‑on learning includes arranging and describing a small collection using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) and creating a finding aid in ArchivesSpace. The course also examines how societal values, cultural understanding, and technological advances influence contemporary approaches to organizing and describing archival materials, including efforts to address historical inequities and partner with diverse communities.
• INFO635: Archival Appraisal – Advanced seminar on archival appraisal and acquisition theory and practice, examining how collecting decisions shape collective memory and social documentation in analog and digital contexts. Emphasizes institutional and community influences, power dynamics, and strategies for more inclusive and equitable collecting through critique of historical appraisal biases.
• INFO646: Digital Product Design – Focuses on the process, practices, and tools for designing engaging, understandable, and technically feasible digital products. Students learn and apply advanced techniques and tools relevant to the entire product design lifecycle, including identifying, investigating, and validating design problems; crafting, designing, and testing digital solutions; and visualizing and communicating design insights to various stakeholders.
• INFO672: UX Design Systems – Explores user experience (UX) design systems as version‑controlled collections of reusable UI patterns with associated guidelines, principles, and standards. Combining systems thinking, pattern languages, and atomic design, students learn to analyze, use, and create a UX design system. Topics include coding and designing for accessibility, creating and using brand and voice guidelines, and design system governance policies and processes.
• INFO676: Early Childhood – Explores specialized skills and knowledge needed to design and develop library programs, services, and resources for infants and young children (0‑8 years). Follows the literacy continuum from language development through independent reading and writing, with special focus on the first three years of life, early literacy, and the role of family and community. Prepares students to work with young people in various contexts, requiring knowledge of early childhood, family social dynamics, and early education environments.

This is a UFCT Local 1460 union position.

Qualifications

The candidate should have a master’s degree in a relevant field and an aptitude for teaching.

Pay

Total compensation per class is $7,000 - $8,000.

Schedule

Offered January 25, 2027 to May 14, 2027, in the evenings, in‑person at the Pratt Manhattan Center, 144 W. 14th Street.