Assistant Professor, Cultural Anthropology

Founded in 1910 and located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Mount Royal University grew into a vibrant college in the 1930s and became a mid-sized university in 2009. Today, Mount Royal offers 14 bachelor degrees and 38 majors, along with a wide range of diploma and certificate options. It boasts a diverse community with nearly 16,000 credit students, more than 5,500 non-credit students and about 1,700 employees.

As a student-focused undergraduate university built on teaching excellence, Mount Royal is known for its top-calibre programs, high-quality teaching and learning experience, robust delivery of liberal education, scholarly teaching, experiential learning and undergraduate research. Grounded in community, Mount Royal is a place where faculty, staff and alumni can know each other by name — and where everyone is welcome. Learn more about Mount Royal’s strategic academic direction at mru.ca/AcademicPlan . 

Mount Royal is located in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina, and the Iyarhe Nakoda. The City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation.

Mount Royal is committed to removing barriers and fostering the inclusion of voices that have been historically underrepresented or discouraged in our society. In support of our belief that diversity in our faculty and staff enriches the work, learning and research experiences for the entire campus community, we strongly encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply and self-identify.

The Faculty of Arts houses the following departments: General Education, Economics, Justice & Policy Studies, English, Languages & Cultures, Humanities, Interior Design, Psychology, and Sociology & Anthropology.  It currently offers the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts—Criminal Justice, and Bachelor of Interior Design.  

The Department of Sociology & Anthropology currently offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Arts, Honours degree programs with majors in Sociology and Anthropology. 

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the Faculty of Arts at Mount Royal University invites applications for a tenure track position in cultural anthropology, which will commence on July 1, 2024 at the Rank of Assistant Professor, subject to final budgetary approval. 

Applicants will have a doctoral degree in cultural anthropology. Areas of research expertise are open but the candidate should add to and complement existing strengths in our department. Preference will be given to candidates who bring a critical perspective on issues of public interest and policy, which may include but are not limited to climate change and environment, reconciliation, critiques of settler-colonialism, design anthropology, museum studies, cultural heritage, and human rights, which may include public and/or applied anthropology. The successful applicant will be expected to teach introductory, core, and advanced-level courses including the History of Anthropology. They will also have the opportunity to develop new courses in their field. A commitment to decolonial and anti-racist perspectives in the curriculum is a priority.

Our combined Sociology and Anthropology department hosts faculty who pursue diverse research and teaching interests but work collaboratively to ensure the success of both disciplines. In our department, we emphasize experiential learning, including international field schools, local field trips, as well as ethnographic and laboratory methods.

New faculty are hired into one of two work patterns. The teaching/ scholarship/ service pattern (TSS) focuses on teaching with the requirement that the faculty member be involved in a research program as well as service to the Mount Royal community. The teaching/ service pattern (TS) focuses on teaching and service only. 

Candidates will also be encouraged to teach courses in General Education in Cluster Three: Community and Society. The Department of General Education is responsible for the development and delivery of the liberal education component of all Mount Royal University undergraduate degree programs and offers required foundational first-year courses and several upper-level courses.    

For more information on our Department, please visit: 

http://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/Arts/Departments/SociologyAnthropology/index.htm  

For more information on the Anthropology Program, please visit:

http://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/Arts/Departments/SociologyAnthropology/AnthropologyProgram/index.htm

Questions should be directed to Dr. Mary-Lee Mulholland Chair, Department of Sociology and Anthropology at (403) 440-8547 or [email protected] .

Talented and committed employees are the driving force behind student success. We strive to be an employer of choice among Canadian post-secondary institutions. 

At Mount Royal University, we recognize that people are a combination of many intersecting identities; we work to cultivate an environment that welcomes the whole person and harnesses the strength that is available in our diversity, creating a rich and inclusive workplace.

Investing in the learning and development of our employees benefits the individual and the University. A variety of services, resources, and programs encourage a healthy, productive workplace. Mount Royal University offers a competitive total compensation package including health and dental benefits, pension, health and personal spending accounts, paid vacation, winter holiday closure, personal days, and free membership in our fully equipped recreation centre. 

Our campus offers the convenience of a medical clinic, dentist, and pharmacy, as well as a variety of wellness services such as physiotherapists and massage therapists. Campus Recreation offers many activities, including personal training, fitness classes, climbing, aquatics, sports, and certifications for students, employees, and the public. 

Closing Date: February 23, 2024

Interested applicants should submit the following materials: 

• A cover letter of no more than two pages describing their suitability for the position and how their teaching and research interests would complement existing faculty in the Anthropology program 

• Up-to-date curriculum vitae

• Names and contact information for three (3) references

• Up to 1-page teaching philosophy statement

• Up to 1-page statement of future research/scholarship plans (If applying on TSS stream)

• Evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., student and peer evaluations of teaching)

• Sample course outline for a third-year course in anthropology

Please title your .pdf document(s) as follows: [Last Name], [999893], [Document].pdf (ex. Smith, 999893, CV.pdf).