Extended Term Appointment in Interdisciplinary Studies and Practices in the Fine Arts

Job title: Extended Term Appointment in Interdisciplinary Studies and Practices in the Fine Arts 
Position code: 24_ETA_FFAR_O
Date posted: February 23, 2024
Application deadline: March 11, 2024
Advertised until: Position is filled

Position description

The Faculty of Fine Arts invites applications to fill an ETA position at the rank of Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Studies and Practices in the Fine Arts to begin August 1, 2024. Faculty members holding ETA positions at Concordia are full-time faculty members whose primary duties include teaching and service, with no research obligations. The appointment affords the possibility of promotion and permanent status. 

The selected candidate will teach mainly in the Faculty of Fine Arts’ Interdisciplinary Studies and Practices area (FFAR), where they will also contribute to pedagogical renewal and stewardship. The position encompasses the coordination and delivery of a core requirement, high-enrolment set of two “Keywords” courses: FFAR 248 Keywords: Engaging Across Disciplines in the Fine Arts (Fall) and FFAR 249 Keywords: Working Across Disciplines in the Fine Arts (Winter). Using the keywords method, the courses draw on cross-departmental partnerships to develop multi-disciplinary perspectives for the benefit of all first-year Fine Arts undergraduate students. Course content and structure is designed to help students expand their knowledge about art, culture, and society, while building toolkits for reading, writing, and critiquing from the outset of their degree in the Fine Arts. Further details of the approach, content and structure of the two terms are available here.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach one Fall section of FFAR 248 and two Winter sections of FFAR 249, and to coordinate the two courses through a common syllabus developed in collaboration with another instructor and a cohort of graduate student teaching assistants who hold tutorial sections for the courses. The position requires the ability to engage in creative pedagogical structures for large classes, including a modular format, roundtable discussions and lectures in a hybrid, blended format and flipped classroom model.  Other responsibilities include active involvement in the pedagogical training of the cohort of graduate student TAs.

Building on the Faculty’s commitment in its Strategic Plan to decolonizing curriculum and pedagogy, as well as prioritizing diversity and inclusion in the classroom, the “Keywords” courses have been undergoing a pedagogical redesign this past year, in consultation with students, teaching assistants and faculty. As such, the scope of this position extends beyond teaching duties to include administrative work associated with the coordination and stewardship of the Interdisciplinary Studies and Practices in the Fine Arts area, opportunities for graduate student mentorship and training, as well as cultivating and leading a pedagogical community of practice, and continued work on this collective curriculum renewal.

Qualifications and assets

We seek candidates with a commitment to innovative pedagogy, strong organizational skills, and relevant administrative experience. Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated and successful experience in large-enrollment course development and delivery, a history of university service and public scholarship. Applicants must possess a terminal degree in Art History, Film Studies, Design, Cultural Studies or a related field, and a strong knowledge of interdisciplinarity within the arts and arts pedagogies. 

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 Department values diversity among its faculty and strongly encourages applications from those who will contribute to that profile. 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 submitted electronically to ffar.eta.hiring@concordia.ca on or before March 11, 2024, but will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. Submissions should consist of a single PDF file and include the following items in the order specified below: 

• A cover letter clearly identifying the job title and position code (24_ETA_FFAR_O)
• A complete updated curriculum vitae 
• A teaching statement that includes the applicant’s teaching philosophy and interests as well as their approaches to supervision and mentorship 
• Evidence of teaching effectiveness—e.g., teaching evaluations (if applicable), sample assignments and/or syllabi of courses taught  
• The names and contact information of three referees
• A declaration stating either: “Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.” or “No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.” 

All inquiries regarding this position may be directed to Dr. Elaine Cheasley Paterson, Associate Dean, Academic Programs and Pedagogy at elaine.paterson@concordia.ca.  

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    
• work with diverse communities
• offering or organizing educational programming 
• participation in training and workshops 

Concordia University recognizes the potential impact that career interruptions can have on a candidate’s record and will take them into careful consideration in assessing applications and throughout the selection process. 

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.