Assistant Professor

Department: Faculty of Humanities (home department negotiable)
Rank: Assistant
Start Date: 01-Jul-2027

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Xʷsepsəm/Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. The University of Victoria is committed to the ongoing work of decolonizing and Indigenizing the campus community both inside and outside the classroom, as evidenced by the University’s Indigenous Plan and over 70 Indigenous faculty members.

The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Victoria (UVic) invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor appointment (research stream) in Media Studies, with a start date of 1 July 2027. The successful candidate will help us grow our new interdisciplinary BA program (major, minor, general, and certificate) in Media Studies. We aim to attract a range of candidates with expertise in critical media practice across their research and teaching.

Media Studies is strongly committed to excellence, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Tenure-track and tenured research-stream faculty have a 2/2 teaching allocation; they are expected to contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching, maintain an active research agenda, and participate in university and professional service.

Salary Range
The candidate's qualifications, experience, and overall market demand will determine a candidate’s final salary offer. The salary for this position includes a competitive salary range of $108,000 - $134,000. UVic is committed to offering an equitable and competitive salary, inclusive of a generous benefits package, eligible leaves, and pension plan.

The Faculty of Humanities and the Media Studies Program
The Faculty of Humanities is home to 160 faculty members, nearly 180 graduate students, and more than 1300 undergraduate students, who study the products and processes of human thought and creativity: languages, literatures, media, material cultures, histories and beliefs, places and times. The Faculty is committed to upholding justice, diversity, and inclusion, promoting global knowledges, cultivating intercultural acumen, and confronting how humanity engages with natural and constructed environments. It fosters interdisciplinary scholarship and public dialogue on some of the most pressing issues facing our world, and it is committed to implementing the principles of decolonization and Indigenization in its programs and organizational structures. Across campus, UVic prioritizes research that engages social justice and equity, technology and the human experience, climate, environmental change, and sustainability. The advertised position reflects the University’s goals to develop its interdisciplinary research community and increase its societal impact.

Administered by the Faculty of Humanities, Media Studies is an interdisciplinary program with over 50 participating members from UVic Libraries and the Faculties of Humanities, Fine Arts, Social Sciences, and Engineering and Computer Science. Participating members contribute to Media Studies’ research, teaching, and community initiatives while also meeting the expectations of their home unit. Alongside an introduction to Media Studies, the program currently offers courses on topics such as critical media practice, cultures of the book, anthropology of sound, game studies, fandoms, and health and the internet.

The candidate will join one of the following Humanities departments, which will serve as the home unit for reappointment, promotion, tenure, and salary recommendations: English, Gender Studies, Greek and Roman Studies, History, Indigenous Studies, Philosophy, Pacific and Asian Studies, or the School of Languages, Linguistics, and Cultures (comprising French and Francophone Studies, Hispanic and Italian Studies, Germanic and Slavic Studies, and Linguistics). The candidate will be expected and encouraged to work in collaborative ways, both through participation in Media Studies and through engagement with cross-campus partnerships, initiatives, and centres such as the Critical Humanities Commons, Centre for Global Studies, Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives, Humanities Computing and Media Centre, Kula Library Futures Academy, Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, or Special Collections & University Archives, including the Transgender Archives.

Requirements

Criteria and Requirements
The candidate’s research will ideally be centered on critical media practice, including but not limited to the articulation of media theory and cultural criticism with the production of audio, video, interfaces, games, multimedia, intermedia, or collections. In this context, we seek a candidate who creates media that embrace critical thought; challenge exploitative, exclusionary, and extractive forms of power; and publicly communicate or demonstrate alternatives to them.

A qualified candidate will have:

• a PhD (in hand or solid evidence of imminent completion) in Media Studies; Cultural Studies; Communication; Library, Archival, and Information Studies; or an allied discipline,
• a demonstrated capacity for scholarship, including public scholarship, in the study and practice of media,
• evidence of excellent teaching ability or potential in diverse contexts, including introductory and advanced courses in Media Studies as well as courses in a department listed above,
• a capacity to supervise and mentor students,
• a capacity to secure research funding in Media Studies, and
• a commitment to participating in program development and curricular innovations, as well as to advocating in these domains.

The following are considered assets:

• evidence of service to the discipline and/or the university,
• demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with students, colleagues, and/or communities beyond the university,
• experience creating or contributing to anti-oppressive, anti-racist media,
• demonstrated capacity to produce media across languages in a global or transnational context, and
• research and/or instructional experience in a media lab or studio.

In accordance with the University’s Equity Plan and pursuant to Section 42 of the B.C. Human Rights Code, preference will be given to members of the following designated groups: Indigenous peoples, Black people, people with disabilities/disabled persons, racialized people or people of colour, and women and gender diverse peoples. Candidates from these groups who wish to qualify for preferential consideration must self-identify in their cover letter.

Indigenous Citizenship Declaration
The Office of the Vice-President Indigenous (OVPI) has introduced the Indigenous Citizenship Declaration (ICD) Policy (GV0810) to affirm declarations of Indigenous citizenship, membership and belonging where these claims result in material advantages, such as employment in an Indigenous-specific position. Shortlisted candidates for Faculty and Librarian positions designated for Indigenous Peoples through Preferential and Limited Hiring Programs (HR6110) will be required to provide a Declaration and Supporting Information in accordance with the ICD Policy.  

At this stage, no further action is required of candidates. Only shortlisted applicants being considered for campus visits will be contacted with further instructions to create a NetlinkID and provide a declaration through the ICD Application Portal (ICDPortal.uvic.ca). Those shortlisted candidates who meet the requirements established by the ICD Policy will proceed through the hiring process.  

All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the ICD Policy and gather the appropriate supporting information in preparation for short-listing and to prevent delays in hiring.  

If you have questions about the ICD Policy prior to receiving those next steps, or if you anticipate requiring an Extended Review, please reach out to our ICD Team at vpiicd@uvic.ca.  

For more information about the ICD initiative, please visit the Indigenous Citizenship Declaration website (uvic.ca/ovpi/icd) and please feel free to reach out to vpiicd@uvic.ca if you have specific questions or concerns. 

The committee will review other applications if they do not find a suitable candidate in the preferential pool.

Additional information

The successful candidate will join a vibrant community of over 50 scholars in the Media Studies program who research and teach on a broad range of topics in media and culture. Here are some additional links and information about the university:

• University of Victoria Academic Calendar
• Why work at UVic?
• Relocation Assistance Procedures; Home Loan Support Program Procedures 
• UVic Indigenous Plan

Faculty and Librarians at the University of Victoria are governed by the provisions of the Collective Agreement. Members are represented by the University of Victoria Faculty Association (www.uvicfa.ca).

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. If you are neither a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, please indicate if you are authorized to work in Canada or willingness to apply for authorization, if offered a position contingent upon eligibility and approval from Canadian government authorities.  

Contact information

To be considered, please send the following materials (electronic only; in PDF format) to Dr. Annalee Lepp, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Chair of the Appointment Committee, at deanhums@uvic.ca:

1. A two-page cover letter, including a statement of your current research interests and links to samples of your critical media practice and public scholarship, where applicable;
2. A complete curriculum vitae;
3. A 15- to 20-page publication or writing sample;
4. A teaching dossier, including a 1-page statement of teaching philosophy and a sample syllabus; and,
5. A list of three referees and their contact information.

To be considered, application packages must be received by 11:59 PM PDT on 19 October 2026. Longlisted applicants will be asked to have confidential letters sent from three referees.

Please note that reference checks will be done, and that background checks, including credential and degree verification, may be undertaken as part of this recruitment process.

Application deadline

Equity statement

UVic is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, inclusion and human rights in our living, learning and work environments. In pursuit of our values, we seek members who are eager to actively participate in that shared responsibility. We actively encourage applications from members of historically and systemically marginalized groups.

Read our full equity statement.

The University acknowledges the potential impact that career interruptions can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. We encourage applicants to explain in their application the impact that career interruptions have had on their record.

Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process may contact Faculty Relations and Academic Administration in the Office of the VP Academic and Provost at FRrecruit@uvic.ca. Any personal information provided will be maintained in confidence.