Faculty Positions
Position Title / Rank: Assistant Professor of Critical Race Studies
College: College of Social & Applied Human Sciences
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
Date Posted: July 24, 2023
Deadline: September 29, 2023 or until a suitable candidate is found
Please reference AD #23-43
Position Description:
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph invites applications from Black scholars specializing in Critical Race Studies for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level.
The position is housed in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and is core to the Black Canadian Studies minor, a new program that was launched in Fall 2022. The responsibilities of the successful candidate will be split evenly between Sociology/Anthropology and the Black Canadian Studies minor.
We seek applicants with expertise in Critical Race Studies, with an emphasis on Critical Race Theory. A focus on Black Canadian Studies is an asset. This position builds on the Department’s strengths in inequality, diversity, gender, and social justice. The Department welcomes applicants who can contribute to our graduate and undergraduate programs in one or more of the following broad areas: Identities and Social Inclusion; Environment, Food and Communities; Work and Organization; and, Crime and Social Control.
The successful candidate will teach two courses in the Black Canadian Studies minor and two courses in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. In addition to teaching responsibilities, the successful candidate is expected to maintain a robust research and publishing agenda, and to participate in service work in Sociology and Anthropology and in Black Canadian Studies.
The successful candidate will hold a PhD in Anthropology, Sociology, or a related discipline at the time of appointment, with a record of excellence in teaching and research commensurate with their experience, and the potential to attract graduate students. The search committee will consider applicants whose dissertation work is nearing completion. In such cases, applicants should indicate in their cover letter how close they are to completion.
The anticipated start date is July 1, 2024.
This tenure-track faculty position is part of the University of Guelph’s Black and Indigenous Hiring Initiative. Launched in June 2022, the Black and Indigenous Hiring Initiative (BIHI) calls for hiring fifteen or more Black and Indigenous faculty and four or more Black and Indigenous professional staff across the University of Guelph during the next three years. The faculty and staff positions will be filled in areas that support the advancement of Black and Indigenous academic excellence and the University of Guelph’s commitments to inclusion, anti-racism, indigenization, and decolonization.
The University of Guelph seeks qualified individuals who identify as persons of Black African or Caribbean descent. Applicants will be asked to self-identify through the Applicant Tracking Questionnaire (ATQ) facilitated by Diversity and Human Rights. Applicants who self-identify as Indigenous on the ATQ will be asked to confirm their Indigenous citizenship/membership and/or ancestral and kinship connections to a recognized and inherent Indigenous nation, community, treaty, land claim, territory or region through a confidential follow-up process facilitated by Indigenous Initiatives.
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology, a dynamic multi-disciplinary department comprised of 28 faculty members, offers undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and in Sociology, and graduate degrees in Anthropology (MA) and in Sociology (MA, PhD). We offer, in collaboration with the Department of Political Science, a BA in Criminal Justice and Public Policy, and an MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy. The Department also participates in other interdisciplinary programs such as Development Studies, One Health, and Indigenous Environmental Science and Practice. The College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, which houses the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, is a national and international leader in promoting community engagement in research, teaching, and learning. The Department and the College support and welcome community-engaged scholarship activities.
We acknowledge the burden often placed on Black scholars with regards to equity, diversity, and inclusion in workplaces, and the challenges inherent to engaging in work that runs counter to entrenched paradigms. We also acknowledge the ways in which holding non-traditional research programs, conducting community-engaged research, holding traditional knowledge, community relationships, etc., can adversely impact researchers with respect to conventional measures of academic excellence. The Department of Sociology and Anthropology values diversity and inclusivity, and is committed to developing and maintaining a culture that is positive, collegial, and respectful of all members.
The University of Guelph is the third largest employer in Guelph, a city of approximately 130,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across over 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our university community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.
Application Process
Assessment of applications will begin on September 29, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants should submit the following materials (as a single PDF file): (1) a cover letter; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) a teaching dossier; (4) a research statement; and (5) the names and contact information of three referees. Applications should be sent to the attention of:
Vivian Shalla Interim Chair Sociology and Anthropology University of Guelph Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Email: sachair@uoguelph.ca
At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9) is an institutional imperative. The University is committed to equity in its policies, practices and programs, supports diversity in its teaching, learning and work environments, and ensures that applications from members of underrepresented groups are seriously considered under its employment equity policy. All qualified individuals who would contribute to the further diversification of our University community are encouraged to apply, particularly those from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in employment. Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.
The University of Guelph resides on the ancestral lands of the Attawandaron people and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We offer our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.
If you require a medical accommodation during the recruitment or selection process, please contact Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674.