Located in downtown Toronto, the largest and most culturally diverse city in Canada, Ryerson University, is on the territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples and is known for innovative programs built on the integration of theoretical and practical learning. Our undergraduate and graduate programs are distinguished by a professionally focused curriculum with a strong emphasis on excellence in teaching, scholarly research and creative activities. Ryerson is known for its culture of entrepreneurship and innovation and is recognized as a city builder, as it continues its growth through award-winning architecture and expansion of its campus.

Dedicated to a people first culture, Ryerson is proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for every year since 2015. To learn more about our work environment, please visit us on Twitter: @RyersonU, @RyersonHR and @RyersonECI and our LinkedIn company page. We invite you to explore employment at Ryerson. Aboriginal candidates who would like to learn more about working at Ryerson University are welcome to contact Tracey King, Indigenous Human Resources Lead at t26king@ryerson.ca.

The Opportunity
The School of Image Arts invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Digital Media Theory and Practices. We seek candidates who conduct critical research on the social, cultural and/or economic dimensions of digitalization and welcome scholars from a wide range of approaches, including cultural and visual studies, political economy, media archaeology, and technology studies. We especially welcome applicants who bring complementary strengths such as Indigenous visual cultures, decolonized perspectives, and emerging or underrepresented areas of scholarship. The appointment, effective July 1, 2020, is subject to final budgetary approval.

The School of Image Arts is part of FCAD, Ryerson’s Faculty of Communication and Design, which comprises programs in communication, design and the performing arts. The School is recognized as a national and international centre for creative innovation in the study, production, exhibition, and research of film, photography and digital arts. The School’s unique and professionally-focused undergraduate curriculum supports programs in Photography Studies and Film Studies. Its innovative graduate programs include the MFA in Documentary Media, the MA in Film + Photographic Preservation and Collections Management and an interdisciplinary program in Dramatic Writing (MFA) currently in development. The School of Image Arts shares the same building with the Ryerson Image Centre (RIC), which is dedicated to the research, teaching and exhibition of photography and related media. The RIC hosts major archival collections including the Berenice Abbott archive, the Black Star collection of press photographs, and the Jo Spence Memorial Archive. The School’s programs are designed to lead to careers in film, photography, communications, education, and broader cultural industries. The School’s full-time faculty is made up of dedicated individuals with established professional, research, and teaching experience in their respective areas of expertise.

This position falls under the jurisdiction of the Ryerson Faculty Association (RFA) (www.rfanet.ca).

The RFA collective agreement can be viewed here and a summary of RFA benefits can be found here.

Responsibilities
The successful candidate will engage in a combination of teaching, research and service duties, maintaining an inclusive, equitable, and collegial work environment across all activities. Courses in the undergraduate program of study that the candidate could teach include Concepts and Theories; Technology, Culture and Communication; Media and the Environment; and Media Languages: Old and New Vocabularies. The candidate will also likely teach graduate courses, which may include Databases, Archives and the Virtual Experience of Art (Documentary Media), and Digital Preservation (F+PPCM). The candidate will be expected to supervise graduate students.

The candidate will be expected to participate in the university’s shared governance model (committee participation, departmental planning and programming), develop co-curricular activities, and remain connected to a network of scholars and professionals that will benefit students intending to enter the field.

Qualifications
Successful applicants will have a Ph.D. in Communications, Media Studies, Cultural Studies, or Visual Culture and must present evidence of:

• a well-defined research agenda, with a research focus in visual culture, digital media and emerging creative technologies. Research interests may include digital visual arts, databases, archives, multi-platform story telling, AR/VR, and digital heritage. Research that foregrounds the critical study of digital media theory and practices with underrepresented populations would be considered an asset. We also welcome scholars who are engaged in practice-led research activities;
• a demonstrated commitment to securing research funding, and publishing their scholarship;
• capacity to strengthen the SRC profile of the School with recognized expertise in digital media theory and practices as evidenced by relevant publications, externally funded research and significant scholarly presentations;
• teaching excellence at a post-secondary institution, including experience working with students from diverse backgrounds and a dedication to experiential learning. Curriculum development experience will be considered an asset;
• commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion as it pertains to service, teaching, and scholarly research, including a demonstrated ability to make learning accessible and inclusive for a diverse student population; and
• a capacity for collegial service, leadership and a desire to help shape the future direction of the School.

Equity at Ryerson
At the intersection of mind and action, Ryerson is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic planoutlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Ryerson University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

How to Apply
Applicants must submit their application online via the Faculty Recruitment Portal (click on “Start Application Process” to begin). All applications received by February 11, 2020, will be guaranteed consideration. The position will remain open until filled.

The application must contain the following:

• a letter of application;
• a curriculum vitae;
• a statement of research interests;
• 2-3 examples of scholarly or research activity (e.g. book chapters, journal articles, exhibition catalogues)
• a teaching dossier including a statement of teaching philosophy and evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g. course evaluations)

Please also arrange to have three (3) letters of reference sent directly to Cathy Gullo, Program Manager of the School of Image Arts (cgullo@ryerson.ca). Please note that names of further references may be requested at a later stage in the selection process. Confidential inquiries about the posted position may be directed to Robert Ott (robert.ott@ryerson.ca), Interim Chair, School of Image Arts.

Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Candidates must therefore indicate in their application if they are a permanent resident or citizen of Canada.  

Ryerson is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. For any confidential accommodation needs in order to participate in the recruitment and selection process and/or inquiries regarding accessing the Faculty Recruitment Portal, please contact Sumentha D’Souza at sumentha@ryerson.ca