"Part-time Faculty, Experimental and Foundation Studies"

Position Description

The Division of Experimental and Foundation Studies, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) invites applications for Part Time Faculty to teach with appointments to begin spring 2026/ and or fall 2026.

RISD recognizes principles of social equity, inclusion, and diversity as fundamental to its mission as an art and design school. These principles require sustained attention to a multiplicity of differences and call for an expansion of the forms of knowledge that shape our curricula and pedagogy. RISD is committed to the collective work of institutional transformation and values applicants whose teaching, pedagogical and professional experiences have prepared them to foster and sustain equitable learning environments. We especially welcome faculty whose pedagogy engages diverse perspectives, expands forms of knowledge, and helps foster a culture of belonging where all students, staff, and faculty can thrive.

The Division of Experimental and Foundation Studies invites applications for part time faculty positions in courses for first year students. Artists and designers enthusiastic about teaching first-year students who will go on to major in one of eighteen design, architecture, and fine arts programs at RISD are encouraged to apply.

Candidates should have an original professional practice. The Division welcomes designers and artists from a range of practices whose primary mode of work includes innovative physical making. Faculty are encouraged to integrate both emerging technologies and analog processes in their teaching, supporting students in developing critical, accessible, and sustainable approaches to materials and making.

Candidates should demonstrate the ability to teach and engage effectively with a diverse student population, including but not limited to international students, students from racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ students, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities and neurodiverse identities. Applicants should be prepared to design syllabi and lead classes and critiques that foster inclusive and respectful dialogue, supporting students' creative and intellectual growth. A commitment to creativity in both professional practice and teaching is essential.

Required Qualifications

• Masters degree in a field relevant to teaching art and design, or commensurate professional experience.
• At least two years of teaching at the college level as an instructor of record.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering equitable learning environments where a diverse student body can thrive, using inclusive, culturally responsive, and accessible pedagogies to support critical engagement with design.
• A record of creative practice and dissemination of work as appropriate to the field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of digital and analog technologies relevant to the teaching of design.
• Demonstrated experience working with and/or teaching a range of traditional materials.

Preferred Qualifications

Demonstrated experience teaching first-year students or working with beginning students in a similar capacity is strongly preferred.

Employment Type: Part-Time

Department: Division of Experimental + Foundation Studies