ENTERING DESIGN EDUCATION

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• First presented at NEOCON 2008, by
• Eric Wiedegreen
• Professor and chair of the Department of Interior
  Design at Florida State University.
• 2006-2007 national President of Interior Design
  Educators Council
• Jane Kucko
• Associate professor of interior design at Texas
  Christian University
• Serves as the Director for International
  Studies TCU Abroad
• 2007-2008 national President of Interior Design
  Educators Council

ENTERING DESIGN EDUCATION
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Why Enter Design Education?

• The rewarding satisfaction of developing the
  next generation of interior designers.
• The inspiration received by working with
  students and colleagues in a creative and fluid
  environment.
• Synergy between education and design practice.
• The rewards of working with young minds excited
  about their future.

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Why Enter Design Education?

• Share your expertise with others.
• Exploration of new approaches to design including
  your own creative work.
• Opportunity to study areas of particular
  interest.
• Opportunities to travel attend conferences.
• Increasing interest in study abroad opportunities
  for students.
• Interdisciplinary and inter-professional
  approaches to education.
• Job security.

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Why Enter Design Education?

• 9 month positions allowing time for exploration,
  research and/or creative work.
• Design education is an excellent way to spend
  ones last productive income-earning years.
• Giving back for the Greater Good.

• Two retired. It took 2 years to replace them
  and we still need two more.
• A couple of years ago, we searched for 3 years
  to fill the open slot but did so about a year
  ago. Now we have another fulltime ID position
  opening.
• Finding qualified interior designers with a
  Masters Degree is the problem.
• 2007 Survey on Faculty Salaries/Hiring by IDEC

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The MYTH Design Educators are Poor

• IDEC Salary Survey showed 42 of the respondents
  who were instructors earned 41,000 to 50,000.
• Assistant Professors 54 earned 41,000 to
  50,000 while 26 earned between 51,00 to
  60,000.
• Recall that most contracts are 9 months in length
  allowing summers for creative work, research,
  and/or additional teaching.

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How to get started

• Test the Waters - adjunct and/or part-time
  positions.
• Urban areas offer more opportunities for teaching
  night courses.
• Volunteer as a student mentor or project juror.
• Serve on board of visitors for design programs.
• Provide internships for students.
• We are always looking for adding to our adjunct
  pool due to the fact that most are practicing
  designers and their schedules vary from term to
  term.

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Requirements for being an educator

• The best design educator is one who not only has
  the degree requirements, but also has solid
  practice experience.
• NCIDQ certificate holder.
• Involvement in a professional association.

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Requirements for being an educator

• Degree Requirements
• Degree requirements are contingent upon the
  academic goals of the institution. Depending
  upon the structure of the institution
  (proprietary, community or technical colleges,
  private or public institutions), degree
  requirements may vary.
• Least accepted MS (Master of Science)
• Sometimes Accepted MA (Master of Arts)
• Generally Accepted MFA (Master of Fine Arts),
  M. Arch (Master of Architecture)
• Always accepted Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

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Requirements for being an educator

• Tenure and Promotion
• Most public and private research institutions
  hire faculty under a tenure and promotion system.
  Within this system faculty are given rank and
  promoted accordingly.
• Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Associate Professor
• Full Professor

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Requirements for being an educator

• Tenure and Promotion
• Peer evaluation of scholarship and/or creative
  activity is paramount.
• Regional, national, or international reputation
  must be documented.
• If granted tenure, faculty member generally has a
  position until retirement.
• If denied, the faculty member must leave the
  institution.

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• New Horizons
• MID (Master of Interior Design)
• IDEC Position Paper on Graduate Education
• Kimball Office Working Group on Sustaining Design
  Education
• Developing on line graduate programs to
  facilitate the working professionals schedule.

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New Horizons

• Some institutions are exploring hiring
  practitioners
• As instructors on a year to year appointment
  (annual contract).
• On full time non-tenure tracks.
• With extensive experience as a professional in
  residence.

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Why we need you Coming critical shortage of
qualified design educators could mean Fewer
educators fewer students Leading to fewer
practitioners Leading to less product
specification This is everyones problem!!
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Resources

• www.idec.org
• www.accredi-id.org
• Kimball Office Working Group
• Visit an interior design program in your area.
• Attend regional or annual conferences of the
  Interior Design Educators Council.

ENTERING DESIGN EDUCATION