Assistant Professor, Indigenous Literature and Haudenosaunee Lifeways

Job title: Assistant Professor, Indigenous Literature and Haudenosaunee Lifeways
Position code: 24_T_ENGL/SCPA_O
Date posted: January 26, 2024
Application deadline: February 29, 2024
Advertised until: Position is filled

Position description

This is a tenure-track position in Indigenous Literature and Haudenosaunee Lifeways at the rank of Assistant Professor. Exceptional candidates at the Associate level may also be considered.  This is a joint appointment between the Department of English and the School of Community and Public Affairs, specifically its First Peoples Studies Program. Duties include research, teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, and service to the institution. The teaching and service for the successful candidate will be divided 50/50 between the two units, with a normal teaching load of 6-credits in each program, for a total of 12-credits (a 2/2 course load) annually.

Qualifications and assets

Candidates must have completed a PhD in English Literature or a related field by the start date of the appointment. Their area of expertise will be in Indigenous literature, with expertise in Haudenosaunee culture and worldview. The successful candidate will have personal lived experience with Indigenous communities in northern Turtle Island (Canada), and connections with local communities in proximity to Concordia University. They will have demonstrated success in understandings and applications of Indigenous worldviews, pedagogies, working with creation stories and Indigenous cosmologies, values and methodologies. They will be proficient in teaching approaches and pedagogies that centre Indigenous students and scholarship.

The main criteria for selection are scholarly and teaching excellence. The successful candidate will provide evidence of high-quality scholarly output that demonstrates potential for independent research leading to peer assessed publications and the securing of external research funding, as well as strong potential for outstanding teaching contributions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Another important criterion for selection is linked to the existence of strong relationships with Indigenous communities and the potential to expand these relationships, as these are critical in shaping the scholarly program and the pedagogical approaches of the selected candidate. Candidates are encouraged to share any career interruptions or personal circumstances that may have had an impact on their career goals in their letter of application. These will be carefully considered in the assessment process. The Departments value diversity among its faculty and strongly encourage applications from women and members of underrepresented groups. Concordia University is an English-language institution of higher learning at which the primary language of instruction and research is English. Since this position supports academic functions of the university, proficiency in English is required. Working knowledge of French, including reading and grading student work in French, is an asset.      

How to apply

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and Permanent Residents will be given priority. To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens. While applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenship, all applicants must include one of the following statements: 

Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada 

or 

No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Applications should be sent electronically to:

Indigenous Literature and Haudenosaunee Studies Search Committee
Department of English
Concordia University
Chair.engl.fas@concordia.ca

Applicants must include a cover letter clearly identifying the title and position code (24_T_ENGL/SCPA_O), a detailed curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio (including a statement of teaching philosophy and evidence of teaching effectiveness), a writing sample (20-30 pages), a personal statement describing the candidate’s lived experience with Indigenous communities in northern Turtle Island (Canada) and any connections with local communities in proximity to Concordia University, and three letters of reference. Applications should be submitted by February 29, 2024, but will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. The appointment is expected to commence in August 2024.

Concordia University is strongly committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, and recognizes the importance of inclusion in achieving excellence in teaching and research. As part of this commitment to providing our students with the dynamic, innovative, and inclusive educational environment of a Next‐Generation University, we require all applicants to articulate in their cover letter how their background, as well as lived and professional experiences and expertise have prepared them to teach in ways that are relevant for a diverse, multicultural contemporary Canadian society.

Possible examples to demonstrate a diverse experience may include, but are not limited to:

• teaching about underrepresented populations
• mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds
• committee work
• offering or organizing educational programming
• participation in training and workshops

All applicants will receive an email invitation to complete a short equity survey. Participation in the survey is voluntary and no identifying information about candidates will be shared with hiring committees. Candidates who wish to self-identify as a member of an underrepresented group to the hiring committee may do so in their cover letter or by writing directly to the contact person indicated in this posting.

Adaptive measures

Applicants who anticipate requiring adaptive measures throughout any stage of the recruitment process may contact, in confidence, Anna Barrafato, Accessibility Change Lead: anna.barrafato@concordia.ca or by phone at 514.848.2424 extension 3511.