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Job Description
OCAD University invites applicants to one (1) Tenure-Track position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor in the program of Industrial Design, with a focus on designing interactive, technology-enabled products, services, systems, and/or environments. To address OCAD U’s historical under-representation, this position is open only to candidates who self-identify as Indigenous to Turtle Island and/or as racialized peoples, which includes individuals who identify as Black of African descent, as well as individuals who identify as of South Asian, Southeast Asian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and Korean descent, and individuals who identify as of non-white Arab, North African, and West Asian descent as well as non-white Latin American descent (this list reflects the Statistics Canada categories of ‘visible minority’ groups, as defined for federal employment equity purposes). This initiative is a special program under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
The Industrial Design program focuses on designing products and processes that take into account the next seven generations, including consumer and commercial products; furniture; interaction and experience design; strategic creativity; applied innovation.
The Faculty of Design seeks candidates who can demonstrate how their lived experiences and community connections inform their work and whose theoretical, technical, and making/design expertise provide offerings that meet one or more of the current areas of need within the Faculty:
The dismantling of racial, gender, and cultural biases in machine learning which affects communities’ interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) enhanced products, services, systems, and/or environments;
The inclusion of Indigenous and/or racialized perspectives and intersectional experiences into the design and engineering of smart “sensing” products, services, systems, and/or environments; and/or
The ethical engineering and use of machine movement in robotic products, services, systems, and/or environments to support and include culturally, physically, and cognitively diverse communities.
Summary of Responsibilities
The successful candidate will:
– teach across multiple year levels in the Industrial Design undergraduate program, with potential opportunity to teach across other undergraduate and graduate programs;
commit to outreach with local and regional Indigenous and/or racialized communities and the mentorship of Indigenous and/or racialized students and youth;
– assume a key role in contributing to student success at OCAD U through the ongoing development, decolonization, and bringing of diverse knowledges into the undergraduate/graduate curriculum, policies and promotion through participation in Faculty and Program meetings and initiatives;
– perform course outline development, studio preparation, and course delivery inclusive of lectures, critiques, grading, mid-term evaluations and final evaluations/reviews, including responsibility for health & safety and meeting academic and curricular requirements and deadlines;
– maintain an active creative community activism, research program, professional practice and/or scholarship within relevant design, engineering, and/or computer science discipline(s);
provide service to the faculty and University-wide governance system, as well as participate in building the University community and promoting the quality of student life and University culture.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
– at least thirteen years (without academic degrees) to four years (with a Bachelor’s degree) of peer recognized career achievement within the relevant design, engineering, or computer science disciplines. A Master’s degree, or PhD will be considered an asset.
– three to four years demonstrated ability to work intergenerationally through structured lessons and the potential to teach and develop innovative curriculum on community and machine interaction design at the post-secondary level. Previous experience teaching in the post-secondary sector, interdisciplinary programs, and/or experience teaching and supervising graduate students will be considered assets;
– a proven record of creative community activism, professional practice, and/or research relevant to qualifications, experience in design, engineering, or computer science disciplines;
experience proactively advancing decolonization, equity and sustainability in teaching and creative/professional/community activities. Post-secondary curriculum development in these areas will be considered an asset;
– demonstrated understanding of the ways in which diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability, and decolonization are fundamental to the quality of the student experience, to innovative knowledge sharing, and to design production;
– a proven record of promoting a respectful and inclusive work environment across diverse ages and positions. Record of promotion within learning environments for students, staff, and faculty will be considered an asset;
Remuneration
Salary and rank will be commensurate with experience and qualifications with access to full benefits, and pension contribution after one year of service.
Application Deadline
Applications should include:
– a letter of intent stating the candidate’s interests in (a) the areas of teaching related to OCAD U’s undergraduate design programs, (b) community activism/research/professional practice related to the listed areas of need 1, 2, or 3 above and (c) service to Faculty- and University-wide governance;
– a detailed resume or curriculum vitae;
– a statement of teaching philosophy that responds to the profile of the position;
– a statement of approach to decolonizing design praxis
– evidence of teaching effectiveness (such as sample assignments, youth feedback on knowledge transfers, or any form of teaching evaluation)
– a digital portfolio of recent work/publications; and
– the names and contact information of three referees.
Interested applicants are invited to submit their application in confidence, addressed to Chair, Industrial Design Tenure-Track Search Committee, Faculty of Design online by clicking the “Apply Now” button below.
The review of applications is open until Feb 18, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled.
As an institution committed to art, design, digital media and related scholarship, OCAD University (OCAD U) recognizes the profound and essential value that diversity brings to the creation, reception and circulation of creative practices and discourse. OCAD U understands that valuing diverse creative practices and forms of knowledge are essential to, and enrich the institution’s core mission and vision as an art and design university with a local and global scope.
As an employer committed to employment equity, we encourage applications from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. We encourage members of equity-seeking groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire.
In order to alleviate the under-representation of racialized and Indigenous faculty and academic administrators,this postiion is only open to qualified racialized and Indigenous persons who self-identify as such in the application process. This initiative is a special program under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
OCAD U is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact Human Resources for more information or refer to OCAD U’s Policy of Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities
All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.
Application Details
Interested applicants are invited to submit their application in confidence, addressed to Chair, Industrial Design Tenure-Track Search Committee, Faculty of Design online by clicking the “Apply Now” button below.
The review of applications is open until Feb 18, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled.
