Essential Functions

The purpose of the essential functions list is to allow prospective students who are considering a career to be informed of the physical, emotional, and psychological demands related to training and employment in a field of study. These lists are provided to allow prospective students to make informed career choices by providing them with a summary of the physical abilities and personality traits that are generally required for the successful completion of a curriculum and result in employment in a field of study after graduation. For students to be successful in the Interior Design programs, they must be able to perform the following essential functions:

Ability to Use Senses.

• Visual: Acuity to read fine print on equipment and/or other documents as required by the industry.
• Hearing: Ability to hear sounds and emergency signals (with auditory aids or a full-time interpreter for the hearing impaired) and to understand a normal speaking voice without direct access to the speaker's face.
• Manual Dexterity: Ability to work with fingers.

Motor Ability.

• Physical ability to walk and stand for long periods of time and ability to lift, move, and transfer weight of at least 25 pounds.
• Ability to work while in hot/humid and/or cold conditions.
• Ability to efficiently use a computer to create CAD drawings.

Ability to Understand Need for a Safe Work Environment.

• Ability to wear necessary safety gear when working with computer equipment, especially printers and plotters.
• Ability to maintain a safe environment at all times.

Ability to Communicate.

• Ability to communicate effectively in verbal and written forms to class partners and/or team, managers, clients, customers, the general public, and instructors.
• Ability to write and perform routine mathematical calculations clearly and correctly as applied to the industry.
• Basic proficiency in technology as required by the industry.

Ability to Problem Solve.

• Intellectual and conceptual ability for measuring, calculating, reasoning, analyzing, and prioritizing daily functions in today's interior design work environments.
• Ability to react and adjust as directed by instructors during lab instruction or based on the customer's needs and deadlines.

Ability to Maintain Emotional Stability.

• Ability to function safely under stress in today's workplace and adapt to changing staff and client/customer situations.
• Ability to maintain composure and professionalism at all times in labs and work environment.