Faculty Member in Anthropology/Indigenous Instructor

Competition ID: 2329

POSITION TYPE: Regular Faculty (100%)

POSITION START: May 1, 2023 or September 1, 2023

The Department of Anthropology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) invites applications for a permanent faculty member to begin May 1, 2023 or September 1, 2023. Kwantlen Polytechnic University serves a unique regional environment, encompassing a range of communities in the south of the stɑl̓əw̓/stó:lō/Fraser River in the lands known today as British Columbia. We are embarking on a wide-ranging search for an Indigenous instructor (inclusive of status and non-status First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) with expertise and experience that incorporates Indigenous approaches to anthropological and interdisciplinary studies.

to apply, please visit our website at:  https://tre.tbe.taleo.net/tre01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=JT63GS&cws=37&rid=2329 

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The position is for a 100% regular faculty position which is a total of 8 courses per year. The position will involve teaching both introductory and advanced courses that focus on Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing, doing, being and becoming. As part of a full courseload in the department, the teaching rotation includes multiple sections of our introductory course on Social and Cultural Anthropology (ANTH 1100). Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (ANTH 1100) is typically taught in a wide variety of ways, based on the instructor’s own experience and expertise. The upper-level courses in Anthropology have a flexible scope, with instructors developing their own approaches to the topics. Faculty members also have the opportunity to develop new courses related to their individual areas of expertise. For information about KPU Anthropology courses, please visit: https://calendar.kpu.ca/courses-az/anth/ 

Teaching will take place in some combination of Spring, Summer, and/or Fall terms. This will also include the option of having a ‘non-teaching’ term in which the instructor will be able to spend time on professional development, research, experiential learning projects, community-building, and vacation time. Members of the Anthropology department also regularly participate in a range of service initiatives, which have included the Research Ethics Board, KPU Senate, Faculty of Arts committees, and Articulation committees.

OVERVIEW:

The name ‘Kwantlen’ comes from the Kwantlen First Nation in whose traditional territory the university is located. The word 'Kwantlen' means Tireless Runner and is reflected in the university's motto: "through tireless effort, knowledge, and understanding.” Chief Joe Gabriel of the Kwantlen First Nation bestowed the name on the institution, resulting in Kwantlen First Nation and Kwantlen Polytechnic University having a long history of partnership.

The University's campuses are located on the traditional and ancestral territories of the q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), SEMYOME (Semiahmoo), sc̓əwaθən (Tsawwassen), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) Peoples. Kwantlen Polytechnic University values current and emergent relationships with Indigenous communities and is embarking on a pathway to addressing systemic change.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is a leader in innovative, interdisciplinary education with a teaching-focused mandate. As a special purpose teaching university with an open access mandate, KPU offers all learners opportunities to achieve the highest standards of academic performance.

DEPARTMENT:

KPU’s Anthropology department grounds itself in community, culture, and well-being. We recognize that the discipline of Anthropology has had a role in perpetuating western colonial power and the department is committed to embarking on truthful decolonization. We are committed to the journey of creating safer spaces for learning and unlearning related to Indigenous ways of knowing.

All three department sub-disciplines are working in our classrooms to foster ethical community-building and positive social change within the classroom, the department, and beyond. The shift towards mindfully supporting and strengthening decolonization is a departmental aspiration and one which includes storying, dialogue, and collaboration.

We are expanding and deepening our relationships with local Indigenous nations, territories, and communities. We see land and place-based thinking, learning, and relationship-building as integral to disciplinary transformation. For more information about the faculty members in our department, please see: https://www.kpu.ca/arts/anthropology/faculty.

Our current local relationships:

• KPU Anthropology department has run the Applied Archaeology Field School since 2009 in collaboration with Nlaka'pamux communities in the Fraser Canyon.

• The Anthropology department has worked collaboratively with experiential learning for Anthropology and NGO and Nonprofit Studies students. Projects have included first-person interviews and research for Indigenous community initiatives.

KPU’S COMMITMENT

The search for the current position is closely connected to KPU’s commitment to Indigenous initiatives that include:

• KPU is moving forward on efforts at decolonization under the auspices and guidance of the University Chancellor and Associate VP Indigenous Leadership, Innovation, and Partnership.

• KPU will be releasing xéʔelɬ Pathways to Systemic Transformation, a plan that will provide a pathway to addressing systemic change.

• The recently released report from KPU’s Anti-Racism Taskforce also provides recommendations on ways to incorporate Indigenous perspectives in the context of teaching and learning, curriculum and pedagogy, and campus culture more generally.

• KPU’s Elder-in-Residence program began in 2015.

• The Department of Indigenous Studies was created in the Faculty of Arts in 2022.

• KPU has a designated Manager, Indigenous Services for Students.

• KPU has designated an Indigenous Engagement and Subject Liaison Librarian.

• The Faculty of Arts has hired an Indigenous consultant on curriculum and pedagogy and this faculty member also teaches in the Indigenous Studies program.

• The Faculty of Arts is host to an Indigenous writer in residence program and an Indigenous artist in residence program.

• Collaborative work with Indigenous communities on agricultural projects, including KPU’s Tsawwassen Farm School in the Richmond/Delta area.

• The Indigenous Food Ways Engagement Facilitator at The Institute for Sustainable Food Systems has also taken the lead in stewarding Indigenous engagement at a provincial level.

FACULTY OF ARTS

Within KPU, the Faculty of Arts has over 6000 full-time students and over 300 faculty members from across the Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Faculty of Arts includes 23 departments offering undergraduate degrees and one graduate program. The Faculty is also home to two Canada Research Chairs: one in South Asian Literary and Cultural Studies and another in Lifespan Cognition.

Many of our programs offer opportunities for experiential education through practicums, co-ops, international fieldschools and exchanges, service learning, community engagement, and research collaborations.

At the University, support for faculty research, scholarly and creative projects, as well as curriculum development, is provided through course releases, internal funding, and Educational Leaves.

For more information about the Faculty of Arts, please visit our website at: https://www.kpu.ca/arts.

ABOUT KPU

• KPU is the fourth largest university in the province of British Columbia and serves communities in the South Fraser region and beyond. KPU has campuses five campuses across Richmond, Surrey, Langley and Cloverdale, and projects often focus on communities along the stɑl̓əw̓/stó:lō/Fraser River. We also offer online and hybrid classes.

• KPU proudly offers all learners opportunities to achieve success in a diverse range of programs that blend theory and practice, critical understanding, and social and ethical awareness. Our university degrees and applied credentials successfully meet the evolving needs of regional and global employment markets.

• KPU provides an exceptional work environment that includes small classes and an engaged student population. As a teaching-focused university, we combine academic excellence with hands-on, applied learning. Our small class sizes mean that our faculty members have direct contact with students and often include community-based projects.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Candidates for the Department of Anthropology typically have some combination of graduate level education in Anthropology, or a related discipline, and/or equivalent professional or community experience. This posting, however, does not specify rigid academic credentials. Relevant community-based and/or professional experience rooted in Indigenous communities, knowledges, and traditions are considered an essential asset. The Anthropology department is aware of the social and institutional barriers to post-secondary education, and we place a high value on education broadly conceived.

Selection will be reserved for candidates who self-identify as Indigenous, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada as granted by the BC Human Rights Commission Special Programs pursuant to s.42(3) of the Human Rights Code.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

A complete application can be submitted in multiple formats, choosing one or a combination of the three choices below:

1. A cover letter; a curriculum vitae; a statement of teaching philosophy; evidence of teaching experience in any context; example of a course or courses you have previously created or would like to create at KPU; copies of graduate degrees (if relevant); and a list of three professional, community and/or academic references able to comment on your relevant experience, knowledge and leadership. Regarding connections to Indigenous communities and/or Indigenous organizations, please also include one of the following: a letter of support, oral submission, or other form of documentation.

2. An oral submission via audio and/or video, sharing the reasons and intent for your application, including why and how you believe you are qualified to teach in the program. (For the audio/video file, please provide a URL link to a website or Google docs link in your application.) You are asked to share in sufficient detail regarding your experience and knowledge, teaching and leadership. Kindly also provide names of at least three pertinent professional, community and/or academic references along with an example of a course or workshops you have previously created or would like to create at KPU.

Regarding connections to Indigenous communities and/or Indigenous organizations, please also include one of the following: a letter of support, oral submission, or other form of documentation.

3. Creative submissions in any format, including artwork, portfolios, etc. (For creative submissions, please provide a URL link to a website or Google docs in your application.) The overall aim is for people to be able to apply to the position in a format that is most resonant with their worldview and practice. In any creative submissions, please do articulate or identify the connections between your experience and knowledge and the position at hand. Kindly also include elements that may provide us with a sense of your teaching approach and an example of a course or courses you have previously created or would like to create at KPU. Please provide names of at least three relevant references as part of the submission. Regarding connections to Indigenous communities and/or Indigenous organizations, please also include one of the following: a letter of support, oral submission, or other form of documentation.

Note to Applicants
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, those legally entitled to work in Canada will be given priority. This position is designed for a candidate with Indigenous lived experience and priority will be given to Indigenous candidates (status and non-status First Nations, Métis, and Inuit). If there are any barriers that you are experiencing, or an accommodation that we can provide to support you through the application process, please reach out to us at humanresources@kpu.ca.

Anthropology is taught at the KPU Richmond, Surrey, and Langley campuses and faculty usually teach in one or two of these campuses.

We thank all applicants for their interest in employment with Kwantlen Polytechnic University. The university is committed to protecting the safety and welfare of employees, students, and the general public, and upholding the reputation and integrity of KPU. For this reason, final applicants will be requested to supply at least two references, educational history, and a partial employment history.

More information concerning the working conditions for a faculty member are outlined in Article 12 of the Kwantlen Faculty Association (KFA) Collective Agreement.

Selection will be reserved for candidates who self-identify as Indigenous, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada as granted by the BC Human Rights Commission Special Programs pursuant to s.42(3) of the Human Rights Code.