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Job Description
1. Tenure Track Faculty – Associate Professor in Product Design and Director of the Masters Program in Sports Product Design
2. Job #: 532700
3. Work type: Faculty - Tenure Track
4. Department: DSGN School of Art & Design
5. Rank: Associate Professor
6. Annual Basis: 9 Month
7. Application Deadline: January 15, 2024; position open until filled.
8. Where to apply:
https://careers.uoregon.edu/cw/en-us/job/532700?lApplicationSubSourceID=has
Position Overview:
The Department of Product Design at the University of Oregon is accepting applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Associate Professor Rank with a start date of September 30, 2024. The position is a 1.0 FTE, 9-month, full-time faculty position.
Primary Responsibilities and Position Description:
This position is in the Department of Product Design with primary teaching responsibilities in the Sports Product Design Master’s program. There are additional interdisciplinary responsibilities, including graduate MS thesis advising and mentorship, advanced studios, and experimental courses. The Sports Product Design Program is currently located at the University of Oregon Portland campus. This position is one of three tenure related Product Design faculty and numerous contingent faculty teaching the Portland programs. There are up to 40 masters students and 45 BFA students in Portland each year.
The position will serve as the Director of the Sports Product Design Master’s program, a three-year, renewable leadership appointment with an associated one course release for a course load of 4 on the quarter system. The SPD Director leads program efforts on curriculum, recruitment, student advising, admission, facility management and strategic planning. Working with the Product Design Department Head, the director will advise on the hiring of instructors based on program’s needs, funding, and performance.
The University of Oregon operates on a system of three 10-week quarters with a typical load of five courses per year. Service responsibilities include committee contributions, advising, and participation in shared governance. In addition to teaching and service responsibilities, the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to a sustained and developing research and/or creative practice, with an active and ongoing professional record.
Qualifications:
A Masters or Ph.D. degree in a Design-related field and a minimum of three years practicing design in the sports product industry is preferred. We are interested in candidates with a proven track record of research in apparel and/or footwear and/or equipment design for athletic performance, with a focus on sustainability, environmental resilience, enhancing performance and health, reducing the risk of injury, promoting inclusivity and sports as a driver for political and social change with strong skills in prototyping and manufacturing. Interdisciplinary research in human physiology, biomechanics and/or psychology is also desirable. Candidates are expected to build a strong record of research and creative practice. The University of Oregon is committed to creating a more inclusive and diverse institution and seeks candidates with demonstrated potential to contribute positively to its diverse community. Salary and rank is commensurate with qualifications.
Reporting/Supervising Authority:
All faculty in the Department of Product Design report to the Department Head.
Department:
The University of Oregon’s strong liberal arts tradition offers a rich and flexible curriculum that allows undergraduate students to select from many course offerings in business, anthropology, human physiology/biomechanics, chemistry, and environmental studies along with the major requirements. The interdisciplinary nature of Product Design studies and practice is reflected in the courses required for the Product Design majors.
The Department of Product Design is within the School of Art + Design in the College of Design. The Department of Product Design has been one of the fastest growing departments in the UO College of Design. The department has a total of nine tenure-related faculty based in both Eugene and Portland. Since its inception in 2008, the Department has developed two successful programs - the BFA in Product Design and MS in Sports Product Design. The first three years of the Product Design’s BFA program are in Eugene, Oregon, and the senior year of BFA is in Portland, Oregon. The MS in Sports Product Design is fully based in Portland, Oregon. The SPD program is the only master’s degree of its kind nationally and internationally. Founded in 2016, the mission of the SPD program is to develop graduates proficient in applying science and creative problem-solving methods to innovate sport products that push boundaries in society and human performance.
Minimum Requirements
• A Master or Ph.D. degree in a design related discipline (Product design, Apparel design, Design engineering, Interaction design)
• A minimum of three years practicing professional design in the Sports Product Design and Product Design industry
• Two years college teaching experience in the Product Design field.
Preferred Qualifications
• Tenured faculty
• More than five years practicing professional design in Sports Product Design and Product Design
• Established research and creative practice in the Sports Product Design field.
• Record of innovative and effective pedagogy in the Sports Product Design field.
• Leadership experience
University and Community:
The University of Oregon is?the flagship institution of higher learning in Oregon and enrolls more than 20,000 undergraduate and 3,600 graduate students. It is?an Association of American Universities member and Tier-One research institution that is ranked “highest research activity” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO programs in art and design are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Application Deadline:
To ensure consideration, please submit application materials by Jan 15, 2024. The position will remain open until filled.
Required application materials:
Applications should include:
1. a cover letter outlining the position that the candidate is applying, specific interests, qualifications.
2. a statement of research and/or creative practice; teaching philosophy, objectives, qualification, and experience.
3. a current curriculum vitae
4. a portfolio of representative research, practice, and student work completed under the candidate’s direction.
5. a list of three references with addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses.
The University of Oregon is committed to creating a more inclusive and diverse institution and seeks candidates with demonstrated potential to contribute to the achievement of this goal. The Department of Product Design seeks to further this commitment and encourages applications from underrepresented groups.
Contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion might address:
• Understanding of inequities in academia and the field of Product Design faced by historically underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.
• Evidence of initiatives, mentoring, or teaching that aim to reduce barriers for underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.
• Evidence of creative projects or research interests that address or incorporate issues that involve or affect diverse groups.
• Examples of how you envision new activities and pedagogical projects that will support and expand an accessible, diverse, and inclusive education in Product Design.