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Teaching Faculty in Fashion Design and Entrepreneurship
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Position Number: 5900362
Location: Madison, WI
Position Type: Fine and Applied Arts - Fashion & Textile Design

Teaching Faculty in Fashion Design and Entrepreneurship

Job Summary:

The School of Human Ecology at University of Wisconsin-Madison invites applications for a full time, Teaching Faculty (on a rolling 9-month contract) to join the faculty of the Design Studies Department.

The Design Studies department seeks candidates with a strong commitment to offering students "real world" educational experiences, by building upon existing industry and community partnerships to encourage creative problem-solving in design. The programs seek to reimagine how the next generation of designers might reinvent the fashion and textile industry's systems to combat its unsustainable practices. We work to envision alternative models, local materials, closed-loop systems, and prioritize durable goods to foster a new economy. With a focus on entrepreneurship, social innovation, and environmental impact, this teaching faculty will educate future designers to effect positive change. We strive to teach students to be responsible, resourceful, and research-driven designers, and this candidate will be instrumental in fostering these qualities.

The successful candidate will be an imaginative design practitioner with experience in industry and/or entrepreneurship. The ideal candidate will support our forward-thinking program aimed at preparing students to shape a sustainable future in textiles, fashion, and related design fields. While many of our students pursue careers in established industries, we are dedicated to supporting their entrepreneurial visions for launching their own brands and small businesses. This candidate will leverage their industry and/or small business experience to help students apply their designs to achieve these career goals.

More specifically, the Teaching Faculty will contribute to both foundational and more specialized courses supporting undergraduate academic programs in both Textiles and Fashion Design, and Design, Innovation, and Society. The majority of this role is dedicated to teaching, including areas such as sewn construction; patternmaking; the design of apparel; fashion illustration; design entrepreneurship; community-based design, as well as contributing to training in career development, professional practice, and internship and career development cultivation. Proficiency in teaching courses on knitwear, digital pattern making, and accessories is highly desirable.

A 100% teaching appointment in SoHE consists of teaching 12 credits or equivalent in fall and spring semesters. Additional summer teaching opportunities (with commensurate summer salary) may be available. The candidate must be flexible in teaching and other programmatic assignments to meet department needs. Teaching responsibilities may be substituted with other duties related to enhancing student experiences or other projects as determined by the Department Chair. The Teaching Faculty will be expected to continue to develop and improve teaching skills.

Education:

Required
Master's Degree
MFA, MS, or equivalent, in Fashion Design, Fashion Studies, Textile/Fibers with an emphasis on sewn construction, Product Development with an emphasis on soft furnishings, or other relevant field at the time of start date.

Qualifications:

The Teaching Faculty rank (I, II, or III) is commensurate with experience levels in industry and teaching experience. Qualified candidates will have the following skills and abilities:
- Commitment to responsible, resourceful, and research-driven design in practice and teaching
- Creative and technical fashion design, including draping, pattern drafting, garment construction, and fitting
- Knowledge of appropriate equipment and technologies used for the design, production, and promotion of garments, accessories, and other sewn and knit products, including but not limited to Adobe Suite applications
- Presentation skills in the fashion industry, including fashion figure drawing and illustration
- Professional practice in fashion, including portfolio development and other forms of creative storytelling around design
- Understanding of entrepreneurship, industry processes, and/or community-based design
- Innovative teaching strategies for the topics above
- Strong written, oral, and online communication skills
- Demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive work environment
- Promote respect and the practice of civility in the workplace

Preferred Qualifications:
- Knowledge of digital technologies for use in fashion design and construction, including CLO3D or equivalent
- 3 years of experience in fashion industry or entrepreneurial enterprise
- Fashion industry skill sets such as trend forecasting and product development

Additional Information:

DEPARTMENT INFORMATION: The Design Studies Department is a vibrant community that approaches design from a broad range of disciplinary and practice-based approaches, and supports a range of undergraduate (Textile and Fashion Design; Interior Architecture; Design, Innovation, and Society) and graduate programs (MFA, PhD, and Masters of Design + Innovation). The Textile and Fashion Design Program, rooted in studio practice and cultural context, is currently undergoing a program revision to focus on producing graduates who are responsible, resourceful, and research-driven about the place of textiles and fashion in global societies, cultural, economies, and environments. The new undergraduate degree program in Design, Innovation, and Society encourages students to interrogate the place of design in the history, present day, and future of everyday life; with pathways in Technology, Culture, and Social Change, this program supports the current trajectory in the design field, emphasizing robust transdisciplinary collaboration as a response to addressing the intricate challenges of the 21rst century. The Interior Architecture program is an internationally recognized program known for its innovative interdisciplinary research and broad-based professional education. Its mission is to combine research and design practice to improve people's lives through human-centered design within the built environment.

CENTER FOR DESIGN AND MATERIAL CULTURE: The Center for Design and Material Culture is the primary destination for the multi-disciplinary study of material culture and design at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with particular focus on the study of design, material culture, and textile. This vision is supported by the rich resources of the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, two galleries, the Ruth Davis Gallery and the Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery, and the SoHE Innovation Studio.

SCHOOL OF HUMAN ECOLOGY: The mission of the School of Human Ecology is to understand the complex relationships and interdependence among individuals, groups and families, and to focus on quality-of-life issues through research, creative innovation, education, and outreach. The School has four academic departments (Civil Society & Community Studies, Consumer Science, Design Studies, and Human Development & Family Studies) with a collective undergraduate enrollment of over 2,200 students, and 100 graduate students. See https://humanecology.wisc.edu/

UW-MADISON: The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a strong reputation as a research university and for producing research that improves people's lives. The University consistently ranks among the top 6 institutions in national research expenditures. In 2015, the University received a community engagement award from the Carnegie Foundation for its commitment to deeply engaging with local, regional, national, and global communities. It is a land-grant institution with an enrollment of about 43,000 students. Madison (pop. 243,000) is the state capital and combines the culture of a large urban area with the comfort of a small city. See http://wisc.edu

How to Apply:

To begin the application process, please visit the UW Jobs website for more information. You will be asked to upload the following:
1. A cover letter detailing: (a) your interest in and relevant experience for this particular position as well as (b) a statement how your expertise contributes specifically to the mission of the School of Human Ecology;
2. Current CV focusing on education and activities most relevant to this position;
3. Teaching statement describing your teaching philosophy and leadership in undergraduate education (max 2 pages);
4. Portfolio (max 20 images), demonstrating skill and creativity in design and construction; and
5. Evidence of effectiveness in teaching and mentoring (e.g., portfolio of student work, awards, sample syllabi, course evaluations, teaching observations), if applicable.

Applicants will also be asked to provide contact information for three professional references, including a current supervisor, who can speak to their abilities as pertains to this position. References will not be contacted without prior notification of the candidate.

To apply, visit: https://jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/teaching-faculty-in-fashion-design-and-entrepreneurship-madison-wisconsin-united-states