UBC THEATRE & FILM WELCOMES TWO NEW FACULTY MEMBERS!

Posted February 11, 2020.

The Department of Theatre and Film at The University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver campus, invites applications for the position of Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Theatre and/or Film with a focus on any or all of the following; Indigenous story-telling methodologies, Indigenous dramaturgy, Indigenous filmmaking, and Indigenous new media. This hire will enhance the capacity of the Department of Theatre and Film at UBC to be a world leader in the evolution of new artistic practices through an Indigenous lens. The successful candidate for this position will be an Indigenous artist recognized by Indigenous communities for outstanding artistic contribution to Indigenous storytelling through film, theatre and media.

UBC is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking Musqueam people. The Department of Theatre was founded in 1958 by Professor Dorothy Somerset to provide opportunities for students to study the theatre both practically and academically. The Department taught its first film courses in 1966 and was formally renamed the Department of Theatre and Film in 1992. The Department offers a comprehensive set of undergraduate (BA, BFA) and graduate degrees (MA, MFA, PhD) which include the study of acting, directing, design, production, dramaturgy, film production, Cinema and Media Studies and Theatre and Performance Studies.

This CRC in Theatre and Film is expected to be a full-time, tenure-stream appointment, made at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor. The successful applicant will have an MFA, Ph.D. or a related terminal degree and will have a compelling record of artistic practice, be an emerging international leader in their field of creative activity, and whose profile and research proposal both meets CRC program criteria (described below) and demonstrates an excellent fit with institutional strategic goals and the aims of the position. The Chair will be expected to maintain an outstanding program of research and creative practice, to teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels, to supervise undergraduates, graduate students, to contribute to service at the Departmental level and beyond, and to contribute to the public role of the Department and the institute through various types of artistic and critical engagement.

The ideal candidate will have established an innovative program of research that advances both disciplinary and interdisciplinary artistic practice and contributes to UBC’s strategic priorities and new initiatives and the Indigenous Strategic Plan. We anticipate the candidate would find productive collaborations with related units at UBC such as the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies, the Creative Writing Program, the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, the Museum of Anthropology, the Department of English Language and Literatures, and the Faculty of Education, among others. The candidate must demonstrate a keen interest in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Canada Research Chairs Program supports outstanding artists and researchers in areas that will further UBC’s strategic plan. The successful candidate should remain eligible to hold a Tier 2 CRC following approximately 12-18 months from their proposed UBC appointment start date. All Chair nominations are subject to review and final approval by the CRC Secretariat.

To meet the criteria of the CRC program, Tier 2 Chair in Indigenous Theatre and/or Fim Practice nominees must: be excellent emerging world-class artists who have demonstrated particular research creativity; have demonstrated the potential to achieve international recognition in their fields in the next five to ten years; as chair holders, have the potential to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and future artists and researchers; and be proposing an original, innovative research program of high quality.

Tier 2 chairs are intended for exceptional emerging artists and scholars. Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree (and where career breaks exist, such as maternity, parental or extended sick leave, clinical training, etc.) may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process. Please consult the Canada Research Chairs website for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria: www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca and http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/nomination-mise_en_candidature-eng.aspx.

The CRC in Theatre and Film will join the Faculty of Arts, home to over twenty Canada Research Chairs across a wide range of humanities and social science units. UBC Arts is a Faculty of distinction and excellence in both teaching and research. For more information about the Faculty of Arts, visit https://arts.ubc.ca, for information about the Department of Theatre and Film visit https://theatrefilm.ubc.ca/.

Applications are to be submitted through the Department of Theatre and Film’s application portal https://thfl.air.arts.ubc.ca/?p=347

Applicants should be prepared to upload (in the following order): a letter of application outlining creative and scholarly background and philosophy, a curriculum vitae, a sample of their publications and/or creative work, evidence of teaching ability and effectiveness, a description of current and proposed research and creative projects, a statement identifying their contributions, or potential contributions, to diversity, along with their ability to work with a culturally diverse student body, and contact information for at least four potential referees from whom confidential letters of assessment can be obtained, one of which must be from an indigenous community member.

Inquiries about the position may be addressed to the chair of the search committee, Professor Stephen Heatley, thfl.head@ubc.ca. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. This position is subject to final budgetary approval. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2020. The closing date for applications is March 20, 2020, at 11:59 (PST). Only complete applications will be considered by the committee.

In assessing applications, UBC recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., maternity leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. These leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process.

UBC welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for all candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. To confidentially request accommodations, please contact Professor Stephen Heatley at thfl.head@ubc.ca.
The University is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce, and in particular, for its employees with disabilities. An inclusive work environment for employees with disabilities presumes an environment where differences are accepted, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning and decision-making modes.

For contact information regarding UBC’s accommodation and access policies and resources (for faculty and staff as well as students), please visit the Centre for Accessibility: https://facultystaff.students.ubc.ca/student-development-services/centre-accessibility/faculty-and-staff-disabilities.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

In accordance with UBC’s CRC Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Action Plan, and pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights code, the selection for any CRC chair at UBC will be restricted to members in one or more of the following designated groups: women, visible minorities (members of groups that are racially categorized), persons with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples. For this CRC Chair in particular, selection will be restricted to Indigenous Peoples. Applicants to Canada Research Chair positions are asked to complete this equity survey (https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6WJHol7SfPxRMu9) as part of the application process, and applicants must self-identify as Indigenous to be considered for the position. Because the search is limited to those self-identifying as members of this group, candidates must also provide their name when completing the equity survey in order to be considered.

Personal information is collected under the authority of sections 26(a) and 26(c) of the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The information you provide will only be used to determine whether you qualify for participation in this hiring process. Equity Survey Data will be collected by the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office and only the names of those who identify as Indigenous Peoples will be shared with the search committee. Currently, UBC’s CRC complement has a gap in representation of persons with disabilities. Until such time as this is remedied, the names of those self-identifying as Indigenous and as a person with a disability will be provided separately to the search committee. Responses will be stored in a secure database.