What are the responsibilities and job description for the Professor - Wood Department position at American College of the Building Arts?
Job Description
The American College of the Building Arts is seeking applicants for a full time faculty position teaching freshmen, sophomore, and upper level courses in woodworking to start preferably for Spring semester, January 1 st 2025.
ACBA is a four-year, liberal arts college in which students specialize in traditional building trades including timber framing, architectural carpentry, stone carving, plaster, blacksmithing, and classical architecture and design. The first two years of the wood program are general woodworking, with exposure to principles of timber framing and architectural carpentry. For the final two years of the program, students select from a Timber Framing or Architectural Carpentry track.
The primary responsibilities for this faculty position include administering courses and creating course work, delivering instruction, and evaluating student assignments/grading in accordance with ACBA’s standards. The position reports to the Dean of Faculty and the Head of the Wood Department. Semesters run for 17 weeks in Fall and Spring. Courses are taught in a traditional, in-person classroom setting. ACBA does not have a tenure system, so faculty are not required to publish, but service includes occasional attendance at college events such as prospective student open houses, faculty meetings, and serving on academic committees which meet periodically
during the semester. Ability to teach upper level courses in carpentry or timber framing, and experience teaching, is a plus.
Below are rough course descriptions from classes the wood professor will be asked teach:
At ACBA, the carpentry and timber framing craft specializations are combined for the first two years due to the commonality of material, joinery, and most of the tools used in the two trades. The first part of the curriculum covers the basics of hand tools, wood science, and shop safety. Students will learn how to properly use, maintain, and sharpen any tools, from hand tools to portable electric tools as well as all stationary equipment commonly used in carpentry and timber framing shops. Through a series of small projects, students will be introduced to stick framing as well as mill rule layout, the most basic and modern approach to timber framing. Through these projects, they will learn how to layout and cut the joinery typically used in carpentry and timber framing. Finally, the students will learn the principles of laying out, cutting, and assembling straight and winder staircases, and progress into the introduction of sophisticated spiral
staircases. Building on the common ground covered in the first two years, students then choose to specialize in either architectural carpentry or timber framing.
BAWT 101 Introduction to Woodworking and Carpentry
This course is an introduction to woodworking for both the carpentry and timber framing craft specializations. In this course the student will learn how to use, maintain and sharpen hand tools used within the carpentry and timber framing trades. Related safety issues will be presented so that the student will be able to use these hand tools in a safe and efficient manner. The students will perform repetitive exercises as a means of training their eyes and hands to become capable and familiar with the essential tools of the craft. The course will also focus on an introduction to wood science and the different aspects of the material and introduce drawing principles in the wood trades that lies at the heart of our work.
BAWT 102 Intermediate Woodworking and Carpentry
During the first few weeks of this semester, we will study more in depth the different types of joinery used in woodworking, related to both fine wood work and timber framing. After reviewing the safety and basics about wood work, we will be introducing power tools, both
portable and stationery. Using the skills learned through those first few weeks, we will build a few small projects involving some of the joinery methods covered, using both hand and power tools.
This part of the semester will be completed with a carpentry/interior woodworking project such as a bookcase or small furniture executed with traditional joinery as dove tails etc. The other part of the semester will be the study of stick framed houses, in accordance with the
National Residential Build Code. As part of this study, we will learn how to frame floors, walls and gable end roofs. Through this process, we will also study the different framing materials and hardware used in conventional framing. Safety precautions will be our main focus for every aspect of the curriculum. Prerequisite: BAWT 101
BAWT 201 Mill Rule and Compound Roof Systems
One half of the semester will be dedicated to compound roof system applied to stick framing. The student will learn how to layout and cut a roof system with hips, valleys, jack rafters and purlins, connected to each other butt cut. The course is based on a mathematical approach to calculate the important dimensions and will use geometrical drawings to find the angles needed to layout and cut the different elements. The most advanced stage of this learning process will be the execution of a roof system with unequal pitches and overhangs.
The other half of the semester is an introduction to timber framing, with an overview of the different ways to build a timber framed structure. Then we will learn what is called mill rule to lay out and cut a small frame with walls and bents. In this course the student will learn how to compile a wood list needed for a frame, budget time and pricing for material use of traditional joinery and how to read plans in order to execute a chamfer plan. Prerequisite: BAWT 102
BAWT 202 Staircases
This course is an introduction to the different methods of constructing open and closed stairways in accordance with the state and national building code. The student will be introduced to various methods of design, drafting, construction of straight run, winder, and circular stairs employing both open and closed stringer methodology. Plan reading, drafting and pattern making will be an integral part of the course. The student will also be introduced to some of the finishing products used on wooden structures. The student will also be introduced to different glues and fasteners used in stair construction.
Applicant Requirements
This full time faculty position requires demonstrated expertise in the field of study; five years minimum in the field; and a four year college degree or an associate’s degree or commensurate certification* and two years teaching experience.
The American College of the Building Arts is seeking applicants for a full time faculty position teaching freshmen, sophomore, and upper level courses in woodworking to start preferably for Spring semester, January 1 st 2025.
ACBA is a four-year, liberal arts college in which students specialize in traditional building trades including timber framing, architectural carpentry, stone carving, plaster, blacksmithing, and classical architecture and design. The first two years of the wood program are general woodworking, with exposure to principles of timber framing and architectural carpentry. For the final two years of the program, students select from a Timber Framing or Architectural Carpentry track.
The primary responsibilities for this faculty position include administering courses and creating course work, delivering instruction, and evaluating student assignments/grading in accordance with ACBA’s standards. The position reports to the Dean of Faculty and the Head of the Wood Department. Semesters run for 17 weeks in Fall and Spring. Courses are taught in a traditional, in-person classroom setting. ACBA does not have a tenure system, so faculty are not required to publish, but service includes occasional attendance at college events such as prospective student open houses, faculty meetings, and serving on academic committees which meet periodically
during the semester. Ability to teach upper level courses in carpentry or timber framing, and experience teaching, is a plus.
Below are rough course descriptions from classes the wood professor will be asked teach:
At ACBA, the carpentry and timber framing craft specializations are combined for the first two years due to the commonality of material, joinery, and most of the tools used in the two trades. The first part of the curriculum covers the basics of hand tools, wood science, and shop safety. Students will learn how to properly use, maintain, and sharpen any tools, from hand tools to portable electric tools as well as all stationary equipment commonly used in carpentry and timber framing shops. Through a series of small projects, students will be introduced to stick framing as well as mill rule layout, the most basic and modern approach to timber framing. Through these projects, they will learn how to layout and cut the joinery typically used in carpentry and timber framing. Finally, the students will learn the principles of laying out, cutting, and assembling straight and winder staircases, and progress into the introduction of sophisticated spiral
staircases. Building on the common ground covered in the first two years, students then choose to specialize in either architectural carpentry or timber framing.
BAWT 101 Introduction to Woodworking and Carpentry
This course is an introduction to woodworking for both the carpentry and timber framing craft specializations. In this course the student will learn how to use, maintain and sharpen hand tools used within the carpentry and timber framing trades. Related safety issues will be presented so that the student will be able to use these hand tools in a safe and efficient manner. The students will perform repetitive exercises as a means of training their eyes and hands to become capable and familiar with the essential tools of the craft. The course will also focus on an introduction to wood science and the different aspects of the material and introduce drawing principles in the wood trades that lies at the heart of our work.
BAWT 102 Intermediate Woodworking and Carpentry
During the first few weeks of this semester, we will study more in depth the different types of joinery used in woodworking, related to both fine wood work and timber framing. After reviewing the safety and basics about wood work, we will be introducing power tools, both
portable and stationery. Using the skills learned through those first few weeks, we will build a few small projects involving some of the joinery methods covered, using both hand and power tools.
This part of the semester will be completed with a carpentry/interior woodworking project such as a bookcase or small furniture executed with traditional joinery as dove tails etc. The other part of the semester will be the study of stick framed houses, in accordance with the
National Residential Build Code. As part of this study, we will learn how to frame floors, walls and gable end roofs. Through this process, we will also study the different framing materials and hardware used in conventional framing. Safety precautions will be our main focus for every aspect of the curriculum. Prerequisite: BAWT 101
BAWT 201 Mill Rule and Compound Roof Systems
One half of the semester will be dedicated to compound roof system applied to stick framing. The student will learn how to layout and cut a roof system with hips, valleys, jack rafters and purlins, connected to each other butt cut. The course is based on a mathematical approach to calculate the important dimensions and will use geometrical drawings to find the angles needed to layout and cut the different elements. The most advanced stage of this learning process will be the execution of a roof system with unequal pitches and overhangs.
The other half of the semester is an introduction to timber framing, with an overview of the different ways to build a timber framed structure. Then we will learn what is called mill rule to lay out and cut a small frame with walls and bents. In this course the student will learn how to compile a wood list needed for a frame, budget time and pricing for material use of traditional joinery and how to read plans in order to execute a chamfer plan. Prerequisite: BAWT 102
BAWT 202 Staircases
This course is an introduction to the different methods of constructing open and closed stairways in accordance with the state and national building code. The student will be introduced to various methods of design, drafting, construction of straight run, winder, and circular stairs employing both open and closed stringer methodology. Plan reading, drafting and pattern making will be an integral part of the course. The student will also be introduced to some of the finishing products used on wooden structures. The student will also be introduced to different glues and fasteners used in stair construction.
Applicant Requirements
This full time faculty position requires demonstrated expertise in the field of study; five years minimum in the field; and a four year college degree or an associate’s degree or commensurate certification* and two years teaching experience.
- The German, Austrian and Swiss master exam or the degree from the Compagnons du Devoir in Carpentry and/or Timber Framing qualify as a Bachelor`s degree