UBC’s campuses are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Syilx (Okanagan) Peoples and of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.
Nov 3, 2023
The Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia seeks to recruit an outstanding faculty member as part of a University-wide Black Faculty Cohort Hiring Initiative to recruit up to 23 Black scholars over the next four years. We invite applications from qualified candidates for a full-time, tenure-track appointment in Sociocultural Anthropology at the rank of Assistant Professor. The Anthropology position is one of six new positions in the Faculty of Arts related to Black Studies, with three having a thematic focus on Mobilities, Place-making and Power. This position is intended to support the establishment of a Black Studies Centre at UBC, which will be grounded in the principles of academic rigor, interdisciplinarity, and community engagement. The future hire in Anthropology will contribute to leading research on the myriad ways in which Black communities have borne the brunt of political, social, and environmental injustices, challenged boundaries, sought to establish a sense of belonging, and laid claim to diverse political, cultural, social and place-based forms of power and ways of knowing.
Anthropology particularly seeks to build strength in the area of “Black Diasporas,” broadly defined as the geographic dispersal of peoples from Sub-Saharan Africa across the world, through the slave trade and through transnational and regional forms of migration. We welcome applications from scholars anywhere in the world who employ ethnographic methods to explore Black diasporic life and anti-Blackness through the lens of the environment, conflict, migration, visual and digital cultures, or religious/ritual practice. We invite applicants who engage with interdisciplinary approaches, including Black studies, feminist studies, critical ethnic and race studies, and decolonial thought. We seek to hire a scholar who would contribute to our Department’s long-term commitment to local and global, community-engaged research and teaching. The successful candidate will be expected to develop and maintain an active program of research and publication, engage in service, and contribute to teaching (up to four courses/year) and mentorship of both graduate and undergraduate students.
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, the Department of Anthropology is home to scholars working across geographic regions, on a range of topics including: migration and human mobility; medical anthropology; the politics of race, gender, and sexuality; environmental justice movements; diasporic identity and empire; legal regimes in settler colonial states; war and militarization; and the politics of Indigeneity, language and place. As the second oldest Anthropology program in Canada, we are a leader in collaborative research. We aim to create and maintain a positive and supportive environment with a culture based on respect, professionalism, fairness, empathy, and care.
At UBC, the successful applicant will have access to a dynamic research environment and a range of units that are at the forefront of innovative interdisciplinary scholarship related to race, mobility, and identity, including: the Centre for Migration Studies which currently hosts an African Diasporas Research Group; the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice; the UBC Centre for Climate Justice; the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs; and other region-specific institutes that bring together scholars from throughout the University.
Applicants are expected to provide evidence of active and excellent research and demonstrate relevant teaching experience and potential. While applicants with a completed Ph.D. in Anthropology (or a suitable cognate field) are preferred, applicants who will have successfully defended the Ph.D. dissertation by the position start date will also be considered.
Application Process
Pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, this search will be restricted to qualified Black scholars. We welcome applications from Black scholars who may also identify as Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) Peoples, multi-racial persons, persons with disabilities, women, and/or members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Candidates are invited to self-identify through the Applicant Diversity Survey, which takes approximately two minutes to complete. All questions are voluntary, with an option to decline to answer. Applicants who wish to be considered for this initiative must self identify as ‘Black’ to be considered eligible. All information collected by UBC will remain confidential and any reported data will be in aggregate form shared with the Search Committee co-chairs to track intersectional diversity and support an equitable and meritorious search process.
Applicants should submit the following material (in a single PDF file):
1) a letter of application that includes an overview of research and brief summary of teaching interests; 2) a curriculum vita; 3) a one-page statement of teaching philosophy; 4) evidence of teaching effectiveness (such as teaching evaluations and/or course syllabi, 10 pages max); 5) one sample research publication; 6) a list of 3 references; and 7) a one-page statement about experience or future commitments in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion and/or decolonization (EDID) working with a diverse student body and contributions or potential contributions to creating/advancing a culture of equity and inclusion.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority for the position. To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University gathers information about applicants’ status as either a permanent resident of Canada or Canadian citizen. Applicants need not identify country of origin or current citizenship; however, all applications must include one of the following statements:
Yes, I am a citizen or permanent resident of Canada
No, I am not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada
Review of application materials will begin on January 3, 2024 and will continue until the position is filled. Only complete applications will be considered. Inquiries about the position may be directed to the Department Head, Alexia Bloch at: abloch@mail.ubc.ca. Applicants should apply through the Department of Anthropology portal: https://anth.air.arts.ubc.ca/application-assistant-professor-of-sociocultural-anthropology/
Career Interruptions
UBC acknowledges that certain circumstances may cause career interruptions that legitimately affect an applicant’s record of research achievement. We encourage applicants to note in their applications whether they would like consideration given to the impact of any such circumstances due to health, family, or other legitimate reasons in order to allow for a fair assessment of their research productivity.
Dual Career Inquiries
UBC is committed to supporting candidates within a dual career household. Inquiries about spousal/partner employment may be directed to the Office of the Provost & Vice President Academic at moura.quayle@ubc.ca.
Commitment to Accessibility and Accommodations
The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible work environment for all members of its workforce. Within this hiring process we will make efforts to create an accessible process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). Confidential accommodations are available on request by contacting anth.admin@ubc.ca.
If you have any questions regarding accommodations or accessibility during the recruitment and hiring process or for more information and support, please visit UBC’s Centre For Workplace Accessibility website at https://hr.ubc.ca/health-and-wellbeing/working-injury-illness-or-disability/centre-workplace-accessibility or contact the Centre at workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca.
The position is expected to commence July 1, 2024. This position is subject to final budgetary approval.
The expected pay range for this position is $9,167 – $10,417/month. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.