Associate Professor/Professor and Lee Wu Kee Ming Chair – Indigenous Social Work

Date Posted: 12/10/2024

Closing Date: 02/10/2025, 11:59PM ET

Req ID: 39663

Job Category: Faculty – Tenure Stream (continuing)

Faculty/Division: Faculty of Social Work

Department: Faculty of Social Work

Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description:

The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto invites applications for a full-time tenured position in the area of Indigenous Social Work. The appointment will be at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2025. The successful candidate will be appointed as the inaugural Lee Wu Kee Ming Chair in Indigenous Social Work for a five-year term, renewable following a favourable review.

This position is part of the University of Toronto and the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work’s response to the calls to action in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report. Preference will be given to candidates who self-identify as Indigenous. Recognizing that there are a variety of terms that potential candidates may use to self-identify, the University uses the term “Indigenous” in this search, to encompass the people of Turtle Island, including those who identify as First Nations, Métis, Inuk (Inuit), Alaska Native, Native American, and Native Hawaiian people. 

Applicants must have earned a PhD degree in Social Work or a closely related area (e.g. law, education, public policy, public health), with a clearly demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching. We seek candidates whose research and teaching interests complement and enhance our existing departmental strengths. We are seeking an eminent Indigenous scholar with a distinguished program of research focused on developing policy, services and solutions specific to Indigenous communities. Candidates will have an established international reputation and will be expected to sustain and lead innovative and independent research, and to maintain an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program.

We seek an Indigenous scholar with a strong record of research, teaching, and community service in social work or a related field, with expertise in Indigenous social work education and Indigenous methodologies. The candidate will demonstrate leadership, initiative, and commitment to Indigenous ways of knowing, as well as the vision, capability, and capacity to lead Indigenous research and initiatives more broadly across the Faculty. The candidate will be a strong leader and caring mentor, with evidence of teaching and research excellence.

Candidates must provide evidence of research excellence which can be demonstrated by a record of sustained high-impact contributions and publications in top-ranked and field relevant journals, the submitted research statement, presentations at significant conferences, awards and accolades, and other noteworthy activities that contribute to the visibility and prominence of the discipline, as well as strong endorsements from referees. Candidates must have demonstrated excellence in community-engaged research, with a portfolio that reflects significant experience with Indigenous ways of knowing and with issues affecting diverse Indigenous communities.

Evidence of excellence in teaching will be provided through teaching accomplishments, the teaching dossier submitted as part of the application (with required materials outlined below), as well as strong letters of reference. Candidate must have experience in teaching and curriculum development, especially within social work contexts and/or Indigenous-focused programs; a record of mentorship and supporting Indigenous students and early-career faculty; and demonstrated experience applying and extending Indigenous theories, methodologies, and pedagogies.

The candidate must have a proven capacity to build and sustain partnerships with Indigenous communities, organizations, and leaders; an established history of positive contributions to academic and/or community service; and a strong understanding of how principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, truth and reconciliation inform teaching, research, and learning within higher education.

As the Lee Wu Kee Ming Chair in Indigenous Social Work, the candidate will be part of a vibrant academic community dedicated to advancing social justice, reconciliation, and supporting empowerment and resilience of Indigenous Peoples. The Chair will work proactively with communities, government organizations and agencies to develop innovative solutions to confront the marked inequities that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. The Chair will also facilitate the implementation of Indigenous-centred research and work with community stakeholders to translate research into policy and practice. The Chair will provide a distinctive and highly visible voice of leadership, bolstering Indigenous-centred practices, education, research, and advocacy in the service of Indigenous communities. Please consult the University of Toronto Indigenous Gateway for detailed information about the University’s Indigenous community, initiatives, services, and academic programs on the three campuses.

Lee Wu Kee Ming was an intrepid and enterprising Hong Kong businesswoman. She and her husband Lee Quen started their own plastic manufacturing business in Hong Kong, named Wofoo (和富), which means peace and prosperity. After success in business, Lee Wu Kee Ming shifted her focus to charitable pursuits geared towards education and the betterment of communities. To further her legacy, her children created a foundation funded by her estate to continue to support education and communities. In making this gift and naming this endowed Chair in their mother’s honour they are fulfilling her wishes to support causes in education and the betterment of communities. The new Chair in Indigenous Social Work at Canada’s leading university is in keeping with her philanthropic passions and perpetuating her legacy. 

The University of Toronto, located on the traditional lands of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit and home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island, is committed to fostering an environment that respects Indigenous ways of being and enhances inclusive education. As one of the top-ranked academic universities globally, U of T is dedicated to improving our focus on advancing knowledge, promoting social justice, and supporting community-engaged research. The University of Toronto is engaged in multiple initiatives to increase access to Indigenous students, engage respectfully with local Indigenous communities, and mobilize resources and networks to promote belonging and success for Indigenous students, staff and faculty members. The University of Toronto offers a collaborative and inclusive environment that celebrates diversity, supports professional development, and strives to prioritize Indigenous perspectives and experiences.

The Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) is a leader in social work education in Canada and internationally, known for its research excellence, educational innovation, and commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion and truth and reconciliation. The Faculty has developed pathways for Indigenous students to seek a social work education, including the creation of a field of study focused on Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency that is delivered in collaboration with partners at the Middelton Moz Institute and the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. This Chair will contribute to the Faculty’s mission by providing academic leadership in Indigenous social work and fostering connections to Indigenous worldviews across social work knowledge and practice. This includes enhancing FIFSW’s existing focus on Indigenous community engagement, sovereignty in the practice of social work, decolonizing methodologies, and the integration of Indigenous knowledges and lived experiences into all areas of teaching, research, and practice.

This endowed Chair represents a unique opportunity to contribute to advancing Indigenous social work knowledge, education, research, and community engagement. The Chair will provide leadership in Etuaptmumk – Two-Eyed Seeing, braiding together Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing with social work scholarship and practice, fostering transformative social change for Indigenous communities and beyond. This position offers a unique platform to support curriculum innovation, community-based research, and collaborative partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations that will transform the Faculty and the social work profession. The Chair will engage in critical scholarship that reflects the lived experiences, cultural values, and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples, bridging academia with community priorities and addressing the systemic challenges faced by Indigenous communities in Canada. The key areas of responsibilities include research excellence and community engagement, educational leadership and curriculum development, and advocacy and leadership.

Equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to academic excellence as articulated in University of Toronto’s Statement on Equity, Diversity and Excellence. We seek candidates who share these values and who demonstrate throughout the application materials their commitment and efforts to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of a respectful and collegial learning and working environment.

The University of Toronto is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process by contacting accommodations@kbrs.ca.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply online by clicking the link below. Applicants must submit a cover letter; a current curriculum vitae; a research statement outlining current and future research interests; one recent publication; and a teaching dossier which includes a teaching statement, sample course materials, and teaching evaluations.

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 remain responsible for ensuring that references submit recent 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 FAQ.

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 Debra Clinton at dclinton@kbrs.ca, Kyle Steele at ksteele@kbrs.ca, or Dr. Jennie Massey at jmassey@kbrs.ca.

All application materials, including recent reference letters, must be received by February 10, 2025.

The University of Toronto has adopted the AAU Principles on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Academia, including the requirement that applicants release personnel information from prior employers regarding sexual misconduct. Full details and requirements can be found here.

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 uoft.careers@utoronto.ca.

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