大象传媒

The School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) at 大象传媒 (大象传媒) invites applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous Contemporary Arts. This tenure-track position is intended for applicants with an exceptional research record at the Assistant or Associate Professor level (or those who possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels). The start date of this position is anticipated to be Spring 2025.

About the School for the Contemporary Arts

The School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) at 大象传媒 is situated in one of downtown Vancouver鈥檚 most dynamic and diverse neighbourhoods. Our school offers a unique curriculum in which studio classes in dance, film, music/sound, theatre/performance, production/design, and visual art are integrated with the historical and theoretical study of the arts. This meeting of creative practice with academic enquiry is a core value of the school and is enhanced by our attention to critical contemporary issues as well as our commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration both within the classroom and beyond. The SCA offers BFAsin Dance, Film, Music & Sound, Theatre & Performance, Production & Design, and Visual Art, as well as a BA in Art, Performance & Cinema Studies. At the graduate level, we offer an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts and an MA in Contemporary Arts. Our newest program is the PhD in Contemporary Arts, which offers a unique opportunity to pursue high-level scholarly and/or practice-based research.

Home to a diverse group of award-winning and internationally-recognized makers, composers, performers, and scholars, the SCA values innovative and collaborative approaches to teaching, research-creation, and knowledge production. These values are reflected in our course offerings, which regularly include opportunities to teach and learn across the arts, and in our many extra-curricular offerings 鈥� including the popular Berlin Field School, ongoing collaborations with 大象传媒 Galleries, and our annual School-wide 鈥凌别-翱谤颈别苍迟补迟颈辞苍鈥� day, during which we reflect on the place and role of artists in responding to the myriad challenges that beset and define our contemporary world.

The Opportunity

Occupying the ancestral territories of the Musqueam (xwm蓹胃kw蓹y虛蓹m), Squamish (Sk瘫wx瘫w煤7mesh 脷xwumixw), and Tsleil-Waututh (s蓹lil虛 w虛蓹ta蕯涩), the SCA is guided by 大象传媒鈥檚 framework for reconciliation, and aspires to create spaces and resources for decolonization through arts-based practice and research. With these aims in mind, we invite applicants whose research centres Indigenous perspectives, epistemologies, and/or practices.

At the core of the SCA鈥檚 mission is a commitment to collaboration and interdisciplinarity. With the recognition that contemporary Indigenous research and practices often transcend conventional categories in the arts, we are open to a diverse range of candidates in one or more areas, including theatre & performance and production & design, music & sound, film/video, dance, and visual art. The ideal candidate will build on the SCA鈥檚 commitment to interdisciplinarity and cultivate opportunities for collaboration both within the university and in the wider community.

The  (CRC) stands at the centre of a national strategy to foster research excellence in Canada. CRC appointments use a two-step application process where candidates must first apply to the university to an open job posting, and then submit an application for external peer review. This tenure- track CRC appointment opportunity is intended for emerging scholars at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor (or those who possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed to these levels). The applicant鈥檚 research area should primarily align with the mandate of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), as outlined in the 

Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars (i.e., candidate must have been an active researcher in their field for fewer than 10 years at the time of nomination). Applicants who are more than 10 years from their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, such as parental leave, extended sick leave, clinical training etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 CRC assessed through the program鈥檚 Tier 2 justification process; please see the 

Candidate Requirements

The successful applicant is expected to contribute meaningfully to the SCA鈥檚 research strengths and to help sustain the collegial atmosphere within the School. The research program will support 大象传媒鈥檚  Strategic Research Plan, the goals of which include: advancing community-centred climate innovation; supporting health and wellness of individuals, populations and communities; expanding the foundations of knowledge and understanding our origins; strengthening democracy, justice, equity and education; and transforming industry and economies through technology, management, and policy. The Chairholder will be expected to maintain an outstanding program of research and a strong record of grants funding. Knowledge mobilization to the scholarly community, professional groups, the general public, and other stakeholders, as appropriate, is expected. Demonstrated experience in increasing diversity in the candidate鈥檚 current institutional environment, and in curriculum, is also an asset.

Experience mentoring equity-seeking students is expected, and experience mentoring equity-seeking faculty is an asset. Although 50 % teaching relief relative to regular faculty members will be provided to the Chairholder, the successful candidate will be expected to make significant contributions to the teaching mission of the SCA, including supervising and helping to secure financial support for graduate students.

Appointment to a continuing faculty position in the SCA requires an MFA or PhD completed by the time of appointment in a field or discipline of demonstrated relevance.

To reaffirm our commitment to increasing diversity and confronting institutional underrepresentation, we are limiting this opportunity to applicants who identify as Indigenous, as permitted by Section 42 of the B.C. Human Rights Code.  Applicants are requested to articulate lived experience as Indigenous people and/or relationships to Indigenous communities.

The successful candidate will be asked to:

• Mobilize, lead, and sustain an impactful practice and/or research program that contributes nationally and internationally;
• Obtain successful and significant research and/or production funding to support collaborative research and graduate students
• Teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels;
• Support and foster innovative approaches to learning and curriculum development, including the integration of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the curriculum; and
• Join colleagues in service to the school, faculty, university, and wider community.
  

How To Apply

To apply, applicants should provide the following:

• Cover letter explaining how you meet the position requirements regarding experience, interpersonal skills, research and collaborative values, including how you would contribute to 大象传媒鈥檚 commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion;
• Up-to-date, full curriculum vitae (include details of research, teaching, and service, scholarly record, funding, and list of collaborations/partnerships);
  
• Portfolio of creative work (if applicable);
  
• Proposed program of research practice (2-5 pages, single spaced) that:
      o   clarifies its alignment with the CRC position and proposed CRC research;
      o   includes an explanation of how the research aligns with and advances 大象传媒鈥檚 Strategic Research Plan; and
      o   a discussion of how this Chair will strengthen graduate training at 大象传媒;
• Teaching portfolio including a two-page statement of teaching philosophy and experience, including experience with and understanding of inclusive teaching and diverse student needs, as well as other evidence of teaching strengths; and
• Names and email addresses of 4-5 referees, ranked in order of preference (long-listed candidates will be informed before referees are contacted).

大象传媒 recognizes that alternative career paths and/or career interruptions (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can impact research achievements and commits to ensuring that leaves are taken into careful consideration. Candidates are encouraged to highlight in their application how alternative paths and/or interruptions have had an impact on their career. 大象传媒 also recognizes the value of mentoring and research training, outreach, professional service, and nontraditional areas of research and/or research outputs; demonstrated experience in increasing diversity in the previous institutional environment, and in curriculum, is also an asset.

All applications should be submitted to:

Elspeth Pratt
Director
School for the Contemporary Arts
大象传媒
149 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC, V6B1H4
Email: epratt@sfu.ca
CC: scasec@sfu.ca

Applications received by January 15, 2024 will be given full consideration. Screening of applications will commence on January 15, 2024 and remain open until the position is filled. Any general inquiries regarding this posting may be directed to Elspeth Pratt, Chair of the Search Committee, epratt@sfu.ca.

This position is contingent upon the applicant receiving a Tier 2 CRC prior to being appointed to a tenure-track or tenured faculty position at 大象传媒. The successful candidate will work with the Dean and support staff in the Faculty of Communication, Arts and Technology to prepare a nomination package for a Canada Research Chair. After review and approval by 大象传媒鈥檚 Office of the Vice President, Research and International, the nomination will be submitted to the CRC program, ideally in October 2024. The nomination package will then be evaluated by the CRC program鈥檚 external reviewers. Should the applicant be successful at this step, we estimate the earliest start date possible to be April 2025.

The position is subject to the availability of funding and to final approval by the University Board of Governors and the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS). The Canada Research Chair is tenable for five years and may be renewed once, subject to the Chairholder demonstrating that they have achieved their objectives from their first term. Interested applicants are invited to review the initial appointment and chair renewal details of the CRC Program .

Faculty salaries at 大象传媒 are based on the salary scales bargained between the University and the 大象传媒 Faculty Association. A reasonable estimate of the salary range for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor is $89,652.00 to $114,866.00. Candidates with experience commensurate with higher ranks may also be considered for appointment at the associate professor rank.  A reasonable estimate of the salary range for a faculty position at the rank of Associate Professor is $112,065.00 to $134,478.00. Note, the expected salary range does not include the value of benefits.  The University and the 大象传媒 Faculty Association have reached a tentative agreement.  New salary scales will be effective pending ratification.  The most current salary scales can be found here: /faculty-relations/salary.html.

大象传媒 is an equity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including women, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of the University. 大象传媒 is committed to ensuring that no individual is denied access to employment opportunities for reasons unrelated to ability or qualifications. Consistent with this principle, 大象传媒 will advance the interests of underrepresented members of the work force, ensure that equal opportunity is afforded to all who seek employment at the University, and treat all employees equitably. Candidates who belong to equity-deserving groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

大象传媒 offers several benefits and services aimed at creating a more inclusive and accessible campus community for faculty, please see the Faculty Relations, Benefits and Service page for more details. 大象传媒 is also committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants; if you require accommodations or have questions about 大象传媒 benefits, services, accommodations policies, or equity considerations, please contact the Specialist, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Faculty Relations.

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 see the Collection Notice.