Sessional Instructor: ED: Personal Space, Faculty of Design, Fall

Sessional Instructor: ED:
Personal Space, Faculty of Design, Fall 2026-27 Job Code 3844 Department Faculty of Design

Employment Type
Temporary/Contract

OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work, and create.

OCAD University , Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design.

Itisanexciting time to join the OCAD U community as the University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles — driving positive impact; decolonization, indigenization and equity; environmental sustainability; emerging as a vibrant hub; student centered approaches; innovation in learning teaching and research; and financial stewardship.

The Faculty of Design invites applications for the following anticipated course offerings in the Fall 2026-27 academic year :

ENVR-2003: ED: PERSONAL SPACE (0.5 credit)
(Fall Semester:September 9th, 2026–December 8th, 2026, Thursdays 8:30-11:30am; In-Class)

COURSE

DESCRIPTION:

This course will introduce students to a conceptual approach to the design of form and environment, with a special focus on design at a smaller human scale. The positive support of a person's intimate interaction with and utilization of space and object, as well as its impact on space and form, will be studied through careful review of spatial components and ergonomics.

Emphasis will be on three-dimensional design and will require the student to develop, build and present models of their work.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Teaching and teaching-related responsibilities may include but are not limited to: course outline development, studio preparation and delivery inclusive of lectures, critiques, grading, mid-term evaluations and final evaluations/reviews; guiding students through iterative, research-based design processes from user analysis through prototyping; providing timely and constructive feedback on studio work; and maintaining an accessible and inclusive studio environment. Responsibilities may also include drafting or modifying a course-based Research Ethics Board (REB) application as needed to support student research activities.

Responsibility for health & safety and meeting academic and curricular requirements and deadlines is also expected.

QUALIFICATIONS:

A current body of work within the professional design and/or academic disciplines as it relates to the course description(s).

Experience with, and aptitude for highly iterative, process-oriented work without the restriction of fixed outcomes or expectations.

A demonstrated capacity to support design research, design as research in qualitative and quantitative approaches.

An asset : two (2) years of teaching experience at the undergraduate level in a related Design discipline.

Demonstrated leadership and experience in promoting a respectful and inclusive work and learning environment for students, staff, and Faculty.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS CONSIDERED AN ASSET:

A record of established or emerging scholarly research and creative (SRC) activity

Preferred Credentials/Experience or licensure with OAA/ARIDO is an asset

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: Sessional appointments are fixed-term annual contracts. Sessional compensation includes a per-course pay scale with salary level of $7,508.00 (per 0.5 credit course) plus 7% in lieu of benefits and vacation pay, per the provisions of the Employment Standards Act. These positions are subject to budgetary approval and satisfactory enrolment levels.

Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada for any employer (with a valid work or study permit, SIN and Canadian bank account).

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-deserving communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender…