[FT, Austin Texas] Faculty in Integrated Design at The University of Texas at Austin
Gray Garmon
<graygarmon@gmail.com>https://apply.interfolio.com/96036
The Department of Design and the Center for Integrated Design in the School of Design and Creative Technologies at The University of Texas at Austin (UT) seeks a faculty colleague with a focus in Integrated Design. We are seeking skills in human-centered design, design strategy, design thinking, design research, and expertise in the traditional crafts of design. We encourage applications from both academics and seasoned practitioners eager to join a team of whole-hearted collaborators in reinventing design education for the twenty-first century. This is a non-tenure track position with the intention of recurring annual contracts at the initial rank of Assistant Professor of Practice. Earliest start date: January 2022. The position requires relocation to Austin, TX.
As part of the School of Design and Creative Technologies (SDCT), the Design Department proudly boasts curricular offerings which align with shifts in the creative economy, including design coursework for non-majors offered largely through the Center for Integrated Design (CID). CID provides design-based learning experiences for any student at UT Austin, and believes in the power of design to amplify and strengthen the creative work of all students regardless of discipline. Integrated Design is based on traditional and emerging practices of design: human-centered design, design thinking, user-research, co-design, equity design, and participatory design, to name a few. This set of practices is one of the most innovative and in-demand skills for students entering the workforce, regardless of major.
Course development and teaching responsibilities in our fast-growing programs may include the following:
- introductory courses in Design Thinking and other forms of Design skills courses for both design majors and curious non-majors from engineering, business, computer science, medicine, and other fields
- introductory, intermediate, and advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in Human-Centered Design
- senior capstone project for the Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Design Strategies
- thematic/special topics courses in your area of expertise at both the undergraduate and graduate levels
- interdisciplinary team-taught courses that enroll students from multiple design specializations and/or university departments
- graduate thesis supervision
In addition to teaching, the full-time faculty in Integrated Design will participate in administrative, committee, and student service activities, including development of new curricula, and strategic development of the Center. Non-tenure-track faculty are encouraged to maintain an active agenda of creative and/or professional practice.
Required Qualifications:
Candidates for these positions must:
- have a strong portfolio of recent design work, including but not limited to Human-Centered Design, Design Thinking, and Design Strategy
- be proficient in industry-standard methodologies and practices
- have a graduate degree but outstanding professional experience will be considered in this or a related field
- have a record of working productively and collegially with people of diverse disciplines, ranks, races, ethnicities, nationalities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities.
Preferred Qualifications:
We are particularly interested in candidates who:
- have prior academic or professional activity that prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and support students from diverse backgrounds.
- have a record of successful collaboration across disciplines.
- have experience teaching both small- and large-enrollment courses, and/or hybrid or online courses.
- have experience developing new courses and curricula
- can demonstrate (through portfolio of work, degrees earned, or writings) expertise in a field complementary to Human-Centered Design, Design Thinking, and/or Design Strategy
- are familiar with contemporary Design strategy workflows, concepts, and methods of production, including qualitative research, and rapid prototyping.
- can demonstrate (through degrees earned, portfolio of work, writings, or course syllabi) engagement with one or more of the following areas:
- design for inclusion and equity
- design research, including design ethnography or design anthropology
- public interest design or design for social impact
- co-creation or participatory design
- other contemporary topics in design
Application instructions:
To apply for the position, please submit the following to Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/96036:
- A letter of application explaining your qualifications for, and interest in, the position and that highlights your diversity-related skills and contributions in teaching, service, and/or creative/professional activity.
- A curriculum vitae (CV) or professional résumé;
- A link to or pdf of your portfolio of recent work;
- Contact information for three references (letters will be requested only for finalists).
Review of applications begins Oct 25th. Position will remain open until filled.
Questions about the application process and Interfolio may be directed to SDCT Executive Assistant Cameron Weed at cw...@austin.utexas.edu; questions about the position may be directed to search committee chair Gray Garmon at grayg...@austin.utexas.edu.
If you are excited about the possibilities of working in the Department of Design, but don’t fit this particular job description, please see our open call for faculty, here.
SDCT encourages applications from candidates belonging to groups that are underrepresented in higher education, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, the differently-abled, and members of the LGBTQIA community.
ABOUT THE DESIGN DEPARTMENT:
The design program at UT, formerly a division of the Department of Art and Art History, became the Department of Design in 2017 and combined forces with the recently created Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies, the Center for Integrated Design, and the Design Institute for Health to form the new School of Design and Creative Technologies (SDCT).
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR INTEGRATED DESIGN:
The Center for Integrated Design was launched in 2016, as an initial offering for Design Thinking-based courses for any student at the University of Texas. We have grown to offer approximately 30 classes and work with over 600 students per year. We’ve seen an almost 1200% growth, and a regular demand for courses that are relevant and applicable for students interested in creativity, collaboration, and innovation opportunities. Our courses provide a range of Design experiences from Introductions to Design Thinking, Design skills like sketching and prototyping, and Studio Partnership courses in collaboration with Austin Design companies.
Our vision is that The Center for Integrated Design provides design-based learning experiences for every student to integrate human-centered Design skills into their unique disciplines at The University of Texas at Austin.
The guiding design principles of the Center for Integrated Design are that we believe:
- Design should be integrated into every aspect of work and life.
- Design is a 21st Century skill.
- Inquiry and action make things visible and produce change.
- Iteration is an intentional and purposeful step in the Design process.
- Curiosity and Creativity drive our work. Empathy guides it.
- Design minds are progressive minds.
- Impactful Design is the product of diverse perspectives!
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN:
The University of Texas at Austin is a flagship, comprehensive research university of over 50,000 students that is routinely ranked in the top 50 universities globally by U.S. News and World Report, Times Higher Education, and the Center for World University Rankings. UT is located in Austin, the capital of Texas, a city renowned for its vibrant cultural life and its thriving creative and tech industries. Austin is routinely included in top-ten lists of best US cities for new college grads, for young professionals, for future job growth, and for outdoor activities, urban forests, and family friendliness.