Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream - Graduate Communication in Engineering

Date Posted: 01/18/2024
Closing Date: 02/26/2024, 11:59PM ET
Req ID: 35681
Job Category: Faculty - Teaching Stream (continuing)
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Department: Institute for Studies in Trans-Disciplinary Engineering Education and Practice
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description:

The Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering (FASE) and the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) at the University of Toronto invite applications for a full-time teaching stream appointment in the area of graduate communication, specializing in the teaching of writing/speaking to graduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. The position will be cross appointed, with a primary appointment in the Institute for Studies in Engineering Education and Practice (ISTEP) (67%) in FASE and a secondary appointment in the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication (GCAC) (33%) in SGS.  The appointment will be at the rank of Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, and will ideally start July 1, 2024, or shortly thereafter.

This search aligns with the University’s commitment to strategically and proactively promote diversity among our community members (Statement on Equity, Diversity & Excellence ). Recognizing that Black, Indigenous, and other Racialized communities have experienced inequities that have developed historically and are ongoing, we strongly welcome and encourage candidates from those communities to apply.

The ideal candidate will have experience in the following: (1) teaching graduate communication in STEM fields, (2) designing curriculum for advanced writing instruction, and (3) supporting multilingual students (English for Specialized Purposes (ESP) or English for Academic Purposes (EAP)). Applicants must have a PhD in English, Applied Linguistics, Rhetoric, Technical Communication, Engineering or a related field at the time of appointment or shortly thereafter, combined with at least 2 years of teaching experience, evidence of pedagogical excellence and innovation, and a demonstrated interest in teaching-related scholarly activities. Previous experience teaching graduate students and working with faculty to support student writers will be an important asset.

Evidence of excellence in teaching and pedagogical inquiry will be demonstrated through teaching accomplishments, awards and accolades, presentations at significant conferences, the teaching dossier (with required materials outlined below), as well as strong letters of reference.

Candidates are also expected to show evidence of a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of a respectful and collegial learning and working environment demonstrated through the application materials.

The University of Toronto is Canada’s largest research university. It has a large and dynamic population of graduate students and an ongoing commitment to supporting their professional development. This position is designed to build on the already substantial communication support available to U of T’s graduate students, with a goal of establishing a permanent, integrated program including more embedded, discipline-specific communication training for graduate students in FASE. The successful applicant will join well established communities of practice supporting graduate writers at U of T and undergraduate engineering students in FASE, teach a limited number of courses and workshops within GCAC’s curriculum, conduct continuing needs assessments to determine unmet demands for communication training in FASE, and ultimately design and deliver creative, innovative and scalable programming to best meet those identified demands for both academic units. In addition to supporting graduate students, the successful applicant will also collaborate with faculty who work with graduate students both within FASE and through GCAC.  With these goals in mind, we seek a curricular pioneer whose ability to discover through experimentation matches that of our extraordinary graduate students.

The Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering offers opportunities for collaborative and interdisciplinary research and teaching, and the excitement of working with a diverse graduate student population. FASE has earned an international reputation for excellence in education and knowledge creation and is known as a forward-thinking resource to address global concerns. As the economic and intellectual hub of Canada, Toronto provides access to leading policy and decision makers at all levels, and is a vibrant, cosmopolitan and safe city. For more information, please visit: engineering.utoronto.ca .

The Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education & Practice (ISTEP ) is U of T Engineering's newest extra-departmental unit and the first institute of its kind in Canada. Bringing together teaching and scholarship in education, business and entrepreneurship, leadership, and communication, ISTEP seeks to lead in teaching and research on transdisciplinary competencies and their integration into engineering education and practice. The candidate will also be a part of the Engineering Communication Program , which houses a group of faculty with expertise in the practice and pedagogy of communication across multiple engineering disciplines and activities.

The Graduate Centre for Academic Communication (GCAC) is also the first and largest of its kind in Canada. Established in 2000, GCAC provides professional development in both writing and speaking to graduate students in all programs at U of T. Part of the School of Graduate Studies, the GCAC offers a range of programming related to academic writing and speaking that brings together more than 6,000 graduate students from more than 80 of U of T’s graduate programs annually. For more information on GCAC, please visit https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/resources-supports/gcac/ .

 Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

All qualified applicants are invited to apply online by clicking on the link below. Please include the following materials: a cover letter; a current curriculum vitae; a teaching dossier that includes a statement of teaching philosophy and interests, a description of teaching and mentoring experience, and teaching evaluations, samples of syllabi or other instructional materials, and an EDI statement. Candidates should also include evidence of superior performance in teaching and mentoring related activities and a statement of past and proposed future pedagogical scholarship with a five to ten year horizon (two to five pages). All application materials must be submitted online.

Applicants must provide the name and contact information of three references. The University of Toronto’s recruiting tool will automatically solicit and collect letters of reference from each referee the day after an application is submitted. Applicants, however, remain responsible for ensuring that references submit letters (on letterhead, dated and signed) by the closing date. More details on the automatic reference letter collection, including timelines, are available in the candidate FAQs .

All application materials, including recent reference letters must be received by February 26, 2024.

Submission guidelines can be found at http://uoft.me/how-to-apply . Your CV and cover letter should be uploaded into the dedicated fields. Please combine additional application materials into one or two files in PDF/MS Word format. If you have any questions about this position, please contact [email protected] .

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP .

Accessibility Statement
The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact [email protected] .