Job Opportunity: Assistant Professor in Indigenous Publishing

The Publishing Program at Simon Fraser University invites applications for a full-time tenure track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Indigenous Publishing with a preferred starting date of July 15, 2025. Pursuant to Section 42 of the B.C. Human Rights Code, preference will be given to candidates who self-identify as Indigenous, including but not limited to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit candidates from Canada, Native American candidates from the United States, and Indigenous candidates from Mexico, Central and South America, the Pacific Islands and Oceania. Such candidates who wish to qualify for preferential consideration are requested to self-identify in their application.

We encourage applications from candidates with expertise in any of the following areas:

• Indigenous editing and style
• Indigenous publishing protocols and community consultation
• Indigenous design and production
• Indigenous new media publishing and data fluencies
• Community storytelling and education
• The history of Indigenous publishing and/or literature in Canada

The successful candidate must have a PhD, Master of Publishing, other terminal degree in a relevant field, or equivalent industry experience. The ideal candidate will also have:

• lived Indigenous experience;
• record of university or college teaching and course development, or demonstrated potential within the university or community contexts;
• a record of undergraduate or graduate student mentorship, or other forms of mentorship including mentorship within a community context;
• and an established record of research, publications, funding, and/or publishing practice.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Develop and teach courses at the undergraduate and graduate level that contribute to the ongoing Indigenization of the curriculum (the teaching load for this position is 4 courses per year);
• Develop and maintain an active publishing practice or research program, including the application for funding to support collaborative research and graduate student assistants, and the mobilization of that practice or research as appropriate;
• Join colleagues in service to the school, faculty, and university governance, culture, and community building.

How to Apply

To apply, candidates should submit the following documents as a single pdf:

• A letter describing your interest in the position and your qualifications (1-2 pages)
• A Curriculum Vitae
• A description of your current research and/or areas of inquiry within publishing (1-2 pages)
• A description of your experience with teaching, mentorship, and/or work within community (e.g. consultation, industry leadership, and organizing) (1-2 pages)
• A portfolio demonstrating your major scholarly and/or industry contributions (e.g. examples of writing, editing, event organizing and/or design)
• A statement of lived Indigenous experience and specific community connections (1-2 pages)
• Names, institutional affiliations, email addresses, and telephone numbers of three academic, professional, or community referees. Letters of reference will be requested for short-listed candidates.

Review of complete applications will begin December 10, 2024 and continue until the position is filled. All applications will be treated in confidence. Please submit all applications electronically to Dr. Hannah McGregor, Director, Publishing Program at hannah_mcgregor@sfu.ca.

About SFU

The successful candidate will have the option of joining the burgeoning interdisciplinary community of scholars of Indigenous literatures and media at SFU, a university with a long history of engaging with Indigenous communities and Indigenous issues. Prompted in part by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) and by the Final Report and Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015), SFU formed the Aboriginal Reconciliation Council (ARC). Subsequently, the ARC report, Walk This Path with Us (2017), has guided changes including the appointment of a Director of Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation, increased hiring of Indigenous faculty, and the construction of The First Peoples’ Gathering House, which is scheduled to be open by the beginning of the appointment.

SFU’s Publishing Program – which includes the Master of Publishing and the Undergraduate Minor in Print and Digital Publishing – combines cutting-edge research, award-winning teaching, and close collaborations with the publishing industry. Our excellent and tight-knit faculty and staff work closely as a team to enhance the experience of our students and to develop new insights into publishing history, scholarly communication, digital humanities, and more. We are committed not only to training our students to be publishing professionals but also to contributing to the transformation of the industry, through practice-based research, the embrace of new technologies, and ongoing commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and care. The Publishing Program is part of the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology (FCAT), comprising three schools and two programs at the intersection of communication, art, science, technology, and design with interdisciplinarity and creativity at the core.

SFU's three campuses are located on the unceded, ancestral, and traditional territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), kwikwəƛ"əm (Kwikwetlem), Səlil̓wətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples, and our students are of diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and national heritages. Recognizing the unceded traditional Coast Salish territories, we aspire to foster and honour Indigenous resurgence as well as a plurality of decolonizing and anti-racist practices.

Simon Fraser University is an institution whose strength is based on our shared commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity is an underlying principle of our Strategic Vision, which pledges SFU to “foster a culture of inclusion and mutual respect, celebrating the diversity reflected among its students, faculty, staff, and our community.” SFU is committed to ensuring that no individual is denied access to employment opportunities for reasons unrelated to ability or qualifications. Consistent with this principle, SFU will advance the interests of underrepresented members of the work force, specifically Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized persons, and women; embrace gender and sexual diversity; ensure that equal opportunity is afforded to all who seek employment at the University; and treat all employees equitably. Candidates that belong to underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

Simon Fraser University is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. We encourage applicants to fill out the Applicant Demographic Survey administered by the Equity Office. While participation is voluntary, your participation aids the Search Committee in ensuring equitable employment practices as specified in the job posting.

SFU offers several benefits and services, including a Mortgage Subsidy and Down Payment Assistance benefit, aimed at creating a more inclusive and accessible campus community for faculty. Please see the Faculty Relations Benefits and Services page and Collective Agreement for more details. SFU is also committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants; if you require accommodations or have questions about SFU benefits, services, accommodations policies, or equity considerations, please contact the Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, in Faculty Relations.

Faculty salaries at SFU are based on the salary scales bargained between the University and the SFU Faculty Association. A reasonable estimate of the salary range for Assistant Professors is $104,700 - $133,322. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. Under the authority of the University Act, personal information that is required by the University for academic appointment competitions will be collected. For further details, refer to the Collection Notice.