About the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
The Drexel University Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design is dedicated to the education of students in the areas of design, media, and the performing and visual arts. Westphal College offers 17 undergraduate and 8 graduate majors, housed in award-winning, technologically enhanced facilities, and taught by distinguished faculty who have worked at the top of their fields. The College values a studio approach that incorporates work experience for all undergraduate students.
Westphal educates students to find their place as leaders in today's rapidly changing world by teaching the diverse skills needed to conceptualize and implement creative thinking. The synergy of Westphal’s creative programs, strong foundation curriculum and diverse minors, and stewardship of university assets and enterprises enhances the strength of the College in this interdisciplinary age. The College actively participates in community-based learning programs that allow students and faculty to study the issues affecting our world in collaboration with neighboring communities.
As the center for creativity at Drexel, the Westphal College’s collaborative community of scholars, creatives, thinkers, and doers are uniquely positioned to face the world’s challenges and define the creative careers of the 21st century. Westphal College is dedicated to building a community where everyone is welcome, and a multiplicity of voices are celebrated.
About the Interior Design Program
The Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism seeks applicants to teach in various capacities as an adjunct faculty member in the Drexel University’s undergraduate Interior Design Program (Bachelor of Science in Interior Design - BSID) as well as the graduate Interior Architecture (MSIA) and Interior Architecture & Design (MSIAD) programs. The BSID and MSIAD programs are accredited by CIDA and NASAD and are nationally ranked within Design Intelligence. The BSID is a 4-year Co-op program, and the MSIA and MSIAD programs vary in length depending upon the background of entering students.
The mission of the Interior Design program is to prepare students to enter the field of interior design as skilled designers, creative thinkers, professional leaders, and responsible citizens. We cultivate students who acknowledge their responsibilities to the safety and well-being of the public and the stewardship of the environment to lead a multifaceted profession in an ever-changing world. The curriculum combines a studio-based design sequence with broad liberal arts study and experiential learning. Paired with a well-established professional co-op, the coursework is structured to build upon the fundamentals of interior design and to anticipate and reflect change in a continually evolving industry. The program encourages exploration and experimentation that fosters life-long learners who will contribute to the profession and the discipline’s body of knowledge.
Drexel’s unique BSID Co-op program is a full two term (six month) experiential-based learning model that complements studio-based programs. The Drexel model provides a practical, high-quality education to those students who seek an experiential component to their education.
The BSID Program offers an opportunity for an accelerated BS/MS degree with three tracks, Interior Architecture, Design Research and Urban Strategy where students graduate with a BS in four years, and an MS for one additional year of study.
Drexel’s unique MSIAD program thrives on the diverse graduate students’ educational and life experiences as they engage in a vigorous learning environment through exploration, self-learning, and creativity. Classes are structured around processes of drawing and designing with close feedback from instructors and peers. The conceptualization and implementation of ideas involves aesthetics, function, ethics, technology, and the realities of the marketplace. The program balances visual acuity with grounded research, promoting work that is rigorous and comprehensive.
For additional information on the Interior Design programs, please see the links below:
www.drexel.edu/westphal/undergraduate/INTR/
https://drexel.edu/westphal/academics/graduate/INTR/
We are dedicated to building a culturally diverse faculty committed to teaching and working in a multicultural and increasingly interdisciplinary environment. We encourage applications from all those who can contribute through their practice, research, teaching and/or service, to the diversity and excellence of the academic community in Drexel University’s Interior Design Programs.
Job Summary
The candidate will be capable of teaching at various levels of the undergraduate and graduate programs and encourage active learning in all students. The nature of the programs requires that adjunct faculty maintain an active professional practice, are actively involved in their industry, or are actively teaching in related programs, and have a broad understanding of innovative approaches to interior design and education.
The adjunct faculty member will employ a variety of strategies to foster student professional and artistic development, learning and discussions, as well as encourage active learning in all students, maintain proper course-related records, and evaluate student work and provide students with feedback as to the progress toward meeting the objectives of the course. Each adjunct faculty member is responsible for effectively teaching students in the assigned classroom or remote settings. Each adjunct faculty member is responsible for effectively implementing the mission of the Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism within Drexel’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. Depending on the course, responsibilities may include teaching days, and/or evenings, occasional availability on weekends, and providing service as a studio juror.
Essential Functions
- Teach the required number of credit hours per quarter based on their contract.
- Teach studio, lecture, seminar, and/or practicum courses per their contract.
- Plan and provide instructional experiences that reflect an understanding of the philosophy, objectives, and curriculum of the programs.
- Acquire and maintain skills necessary to navigate Drexel online teaching resources (e.g. Blackboard Learn, MIRO/MURAL, ZOOM and other learning platforms and communication tools), to effectively share course content, communicate with students and evaluate their work. (Software training is available as needed.)
- Evaluate student achievement of curricular objectives/outcomes.
- Assist with the efforts necessary for CIDA/NASAD accreditation to collect and organize work pertinent to the class.
- Maintain communication with the program director and faculty course oversight coordinator regarding any course or student issues.
Required Qualifications
- BS or BA Degree or advanced degree in Interior Design, Interior Architecture or a BArch who performs interior design work or a related field pertinent to the position.
- Min. of 5 years of professional experience in interior design and/or pertinent disciplines with consistent and coordinated work within the interior design realm.
- Teaching experience in Interior design program or related work experience pertinent to the position and course content.
- Demonstrated expertise in the field pertinent to the position.
- Effective written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Special Instructions to the Applicant
Applications must include a letter of interest indicating your strong areas of expertise, personal contact information and a list of three references (including position and contact information) that can attest to your qualifications. Please submit a CV/resumé, work samples and a statement of teaching philosophy.
