Sessional Instructor: Think Tank: Awareness, Faculty of Design, Winter 2026-27

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.

It is an exciting 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 offering in the Winter 2026-27 academic year:

GDES-2001 Think Tank: Awareness (0.5 credit)
(Winter Semester: January 11th, 2027 – April 11th, 2027, Tuesdays 3:10-6:10pm and/or Thursdays 6:30-9:30pm; In-Person)

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This interdisciplinary course examines the social condition of where and how we live in the context of the Faculty of Design’s primary mandate ‘Design and Humanity’. The significant impact that intelligent and sustainable design can have on people’s lives and the considerable responsibility that the designer has to society are critical factors in shaping behaviour and turning research and perception into action. Strategies for change are channeled into potential project solutions in this course through the research, discussion and debate of current societal issues.

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:

• The successful applicant should have a terminal degree in Architecture, design or relevant discipline and/or equivalent professional/practical experience
• Ability to guide students through deep research, critique, and open-ended experimentation to unpack complex, real-world social and environmental issues without predefined project outcomes.
• Experience facilitating active classroom debate, discussion, and critical thinking to help students challenge structural norms and transform abstract social perceptions into creative strategies for change.
• High tolerance for instructional ambiguity and a proven capacity to support student cohorts as they navigate unpredictable, evolving, and highly non-linear design pathways.
• Prior experience teaching at the post-secondary level is considered an asset, equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills
• Demonstrated leadership and experience promoting a respectful and inclusive work and learning environment for students, staff, and Faculty.

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. 

Applications should include:

• A letter of intent stating the candidate’s interests in the areas of teaching by identifying relevant courses above;

• A curriculum vitae;

• A statement of teaching philosophy that responds to the profile of the position;

• A link or web address to your digital portfolio of recent and current work/publications (if applicable)

• And the names and contact information of three references.

Please upload all five (5) components (including the URL to work) as one PDF. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please name your upload: FirstName_LastName-Job Code 

Interested applicants are invited to submit their application in confidence, addressed to Faculty of Design Appointments Committee, online, by clicking the “Apply Now” button below.

Please apply no later than Monday, November 16th, 2026 11:59pm.

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

If you require application support, please contact the People & Culture Office. Please note that People & Culture cannot update you on the status of your application as these searches are decentralized to their respective Faculty offices. You will only be contacted if you are shortlisted for an interview. If the posting is advertised, we are still accepting applications.

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 identities/expressions. 

We encourage members of designated equity-deserving groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire.

In order to alleviate the under-representation of racialized and Indigenous faculty, priority in hiring will be given 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 People & Culture 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.