Sessional Instructor: Idea Behind Research, Faculty of Design, Fall

Sessional Instructor:
The Idea Behind Research, Faculty of Design, Fall 2026-27

Job Code 3840 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 :

(Fall Semester: September 9th, 2026 – December 8th, 2026, Fridays 11:50-2:50pm; In-Person)

This course grounds theory and methods of research practices within a framework of Indigenous knowledge and decolonizing principles - specifically OCAD University's Indigenous Learning Outcomes. Diverse cultural perspectives are prioritized through workshops and seminars introducing research ethics to learn about the positive and negative impacts research can have on participants and their environment. Exploring, searching, discovering, and analyzing research data support ways to express findings in novel ways.

Differences between ethical and unethical techniques of community research are examined through intersectional contexts demonstrating plural outcomes, enabling researchers to formulate critical questions to make informed decisions.

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.

The successful applicant should have a Bachelor’s degree in advertising, graphic design or relevant discipline and/or equivalent professional/practical experience. Outstanding communication skills, and a demonstrated capacity to support and resource independent studio investigations are essential to teaching at this level. A demonstrated commitment to the principles of equity and diversity, and proven ability to work effectively and collegially with a diverse population of students & faculty underpin all academic positions at OCADU.

• A current body of work within Advertising or the professional creative field (as it relates to advertising) 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.
• An asset: two (2) years of teaching experience at the undergraduate level in a related Design…