Assistant Professor in Child Studies

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Position Description:
The Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph invites applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level.

Responsibilities of this position will include:

• Teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, largely within our Child Studies undergraduate major and within our graduate programs;
• Participating in undergraduate and graduate curriculum development; and
• Establishing, maintaining, and funding an innovative and productive research program with a focus on children, including graduate and undergraduate student mentorship and supervision.
• Service contributions to the department, the university, and the broader community that may include academic advising, participation in student and departmental, college, or University committees, and engagement in community outreach and professional service activities.

Required Qualifications:

• Completed PhD (or ABD) in education, child development, psychology, social work, sociology, or other family-related/human development-related field; candidates who are all-but-dissertation (ABD) and are close to completion of their terminal degree may be considered.
• Applied work experience in early years settings (ages 0-6 years).
• A strong record of research with professional or post-graduate experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) who must meet the eligibility criteria for registration with the Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators (n.b., the successful applicant will be required to attain this designation to teach within the program);
• The ability to teach required courses within the Child Studies major including those that require RECE qualifications to teach (in particular, child practicum courses);
• Demonstrated strengths in teaching, advising, and/or mentorship at the undergraduate/graduate level;
• A demonstrated commitment to accessible and inclusive teaching for all students;
• A clearly articulated plan for an independent research program related to children; and
• A strong record of advancing Indigenization, equity, diversity, and inclusion in teaching, research, and/or creative activities related to working with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds (e.g., Black, Indigenous and/or people of colour, immigrant, refugee and precarious legal status, disabled, 2SLGBTQIA+, low socioeconomic).

This tenure-track faculty position is part of the University of Guelph’s Black and Indigenous Hiring Initiative. Launched in June 2022, the Black and Indigenous Hiring Initiative (BIHI) calls for hiring fifteen or more Black and Indigenous faculty and four or more Black and Indigenous professional staff across the University of Guelph. The faculty and staff positions will be filled in areas that support the advancement of Black and Indigenous academic excellence and the University of Guelph’s commitments to inclusion, anti-racism, Indigenization, and decolonization.

The University of Guelph seeks qualified individuals who identify as Black and/or Indigenous (First Nation, Inuit, Métis, Native American, Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian). Applicants who self-identify as a Racialized person on the Applicant Tracking Questionnaire will be asked to confirm they self-identify as persons of Black African and/or Caribbean descent through a confidential follow-up process facilitated by the Office of Academic Equity and Inclusion. Applicants who self-identify as an Indigenous person on the Applicant Tracking Questionnaire will be asked to confirm their Indigenous citizenship and/or ancestral and kinship connections to a recognized and inherent First Nation, Inuit or Métis, Native American, Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian nation, community, treaty, land claim, territory or region through a confidential follow-up process facilitated by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives.

The Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition is a strongly interdisciplinary department that is housed in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences. It offers a Bachelor of Applied Science undergraduate program with three majors: Applied Human Nutrition, Child Studies, and Family Studies and Human Development. It also offers research-based MSc and PhD programs in the fields of Applied Human Nutrition and Family Relations and Human Development, a course-based Master of Arts in Mental Health, and three accredited professional Master’s programs: Master of Applied Nutrition, Master of Relational and Family Therapy, and Master of Psychotherapy. The successful candidate will teach largely within our Child Studies undergraduate major and within our graduate programs. This major is an approved program with the Ontario College of Early Childhood Educators allowing graduates of the major to become Registered Early Childhood Educators upon graduation. More information about the Department can be found at the website: www.uoguelph.ca/family/

The University of Guelph resides on the traditional lands and territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and Huron Wendat. These lands are now home to a rich diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. We offer our respect and gratitude to our Indigenous neighbours and affirm our responsibility to realize our commitments to reconciliation through ongoing action. We are guided in this work by Bi-Naagward jobshiringnearme.org It Comes into View, the Indigenous Initiatives Strategy.

The University of Guelph is the third largest employer in Guelph, a city of over 144,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across more than 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our University community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.

Application Process

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page to be considered as an internal applicant. SuccessFactors: Career Opportunities (sapsf.com)

Assessment of applications will begin on April 27, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants must create an account on https://careers.uoguelph.ca/ and apply for the advertised faculty position (Requisition ID #2295) by submitting the following materials (in an integrated Single PDF file):

(1) a cover letter;
(2) a curriculum vitae;
(3) a brief statement of research (2 pages maximum);
(4) a teaching dossier, which must include a brief statement of teaching philosophy (1 page maximum) and evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., sample course outlines and assessments, mentoring experiences, student and/or peer evaluations);
(5) an Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion statement that outlines any past service work, teaching, mentorship, or community engagement relating to these topics (2 pages maximum); and
(6) the names and email addresses of three referees.
Please ensure that your cover letter directly addresses every required and preferred qualification listed in this job posting, including how you currently meet the RECE requirement or can in the future.

Applications should be sent to the attention of:

Dr. Tricia van Rhijn
Chair
Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
frandept@uoguelph.ca
Date Posted: 03/27/2026
Deadline: 05/27/2026 or until a suitable candidate is found.
This position is represented by the University of Guelph Faculty Association (UGFA).
The University of Guelph commits to fostering inclusive excellence through promoting Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Inclusion is a core pillar of Our Time, our strategic plan, which pledges to “transform our human resources, governance and student services and practices across the University to enable us to recruit a diverse student, faculty and staff body and support them in achieving their personal, professional and scholarly goals.” The University commits to creating and maintaining “equitable work environments that empower us in our pursuit of student, faculty and staff success, research excellence, innovation and impact.”
The University of Guelph invites applications from all qualified individuals; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. We strongly welcome and encourage applications from members of designated groups in employment, including Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, racialized persons, women, and 2SLGBTQIA+ persons.
The University of Guelph recognizes that career paths can be diverse and career interruptions may occur. We encourage applicants to note in their applications whether they would like considerations given to the impact of any circumstances, such as (but not limited to) those due to health and/or family reasons, that may have affected an applicant’s record of achievement. You are not required to disclose these circumstances in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these circumstances do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.

The University of Guelph is committed to ensuring all applicants have fair and equitable participation in the hiring process. If you anticipate needing medical accommodations during the recruitment or selection processes, confidential assistance is available on request by contacting The University of Guelph is committed to ensuring all applicants have fair and equitable participation in the hiring process. If you anticipate needing medical accommodations during the recruitment or selection processes, confidential assistance is available on request by contacting Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674. If you have any questions regarding accommodations or accessibility during the hiring process or for more information and support, please visit the University’s Occupational Health and Wellness or contact OHW at ohw@uoguelph.ca.

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