The University of British Columbia and the School of Community and Regional Planning acknowledges the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam people) on whose traditional, ancestral and unceded territory the University resides.
SCARP: Knowledge in Action – Planning in Partnership
Overview
The School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus, invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor. The successful applicant should demonstrate a record of research excellence or the promise of establishing a distinguished record of research and publications, as well as a commitment to high quality professional planning education.
Background
SCARP is internationally recognised for the excellence of its research and teaching. The School undertakes teaching and research across the sub-fields of planning, in line with being a professionally accredited planning program.
The School is committed, through its teaching and research, to generating and transforming knowledge into action to improve the well-being of communities, as well as the quality of the built and natural environment. What makes SCARP distinctive is a particular emphasis on exploring the interface between knowledge and action. The School therefore aims to generate knowledge and deliver educational programs that foster both intellectual excellence and a commitment to practical, transformative change. Research and educational programs which explore the interface between methodologies, ways of knowing and/or disciplines are especially encouraged.
In line with the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, SCARP is working to further indigenize its curriculum and recruitment, as well as learning how to decolonize planning pedagogy and practices. The School is also committed to furthering the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) by supporting Indigenous communities on their path to self-determination and sovereignty, and to working within the framework of BC’s recent UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act legislation.
SCARP seeks new faculty members who can contribute to furthering its vision and achievements. For further details see SCARP: Strategic Plan and Implementation Strategies.
SCARP’s high quality professionally oriented programs engage innovative and creative teaching practices and offer the chance to work with outstanding students. Our graduate planning program, the Masters of Community and Regional Planning, is accredited by both the Canadian Professional Standards Board and the United States Planning Accreditation Board. The School also has a Research Masters program, co-leads the Masters in Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Urban Systems (with Civil Engineering), and provides seven undergraduate courses. The School has a well-established PhD program and is committed to a thriving and lively doctoral community. SCARP is unique in Canada for having a long-standing partnership with the Musqueam First Nation. Further information about SCARP can be found on our website.
SCARP is located in the Faculty of Applied Science. The Faculty shares the School’s commitment to research and teaching which seeks to further knowledge in action. The synergies and opportunities offered by Applied Science provide a supportive context for the advancement of SCARP’s ambitions.
This Position
The School is seeking to recruit an Assistant Professor in Planning, with particular expertise in the field of climate justice and/or environmental planning, broadly defined. The position will involve teaching core and elective SCARP courses, supervising graduate students, maintaining an active research program, and providing service to the broader academic and professional community. The successful candidate will lead an independent research program with potential to achieve international recognition in their field, participate in graduate and undergraduate teaching, and provide service within the University and to both the academic and broader community.
If your expertise falls into a sub-field of planning other than climate justice / environmental planning, the School is currently recruiting to four other positions (search UBC’s page for open faculty positions). If your work is seeking to explore a new or emerging area of planning research you are also welcome to contact the Chair of the Search Committee directly, providing details of this work.
Qualities of Applicants
The successful candidate for the position will have:
- A PhD in planning or a related discipline
- A record of independent scholarship
- Evidence of a promising research trajectory, including the ability to produce high-quality publications and an evolving externally funded research program
- Commitment to excellence in teaching, within their area of expertise
- The ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment and to contribute to the wider work of the School
- Research and teaching interests that complement or deepen the School’s vision and strengths, as described in the Strategic Plan
In addition, evidence of innovation and/or new ideas in relation to the theory and practice of knowledge mobilisation would be particularly welcomed. Applications are also encouraged from candidates seeking to challenge conventional orthodoxies in environmental planning scholarship.
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.
Application
All applications must be submitted online. Applicants should submit a letter stating their suitability for the position, which will include:
- Brief overviews of:
- Relevant experience and achievements
- Your approach to teaching, including professional planning education
- Your research goals, including how your research would deepen or complement the School’s existing strengths and vision
- How your research and teaching would contribute to a diverse academic environment.
- Your current curriculum vitae
- Names and contact information (including email addresses) of four referees
Applicants are encouraged to submit supplementary materials, including:
- A teaching dossier (summarising experience and relevant reviews)
- No more than two samples of research publications (which may include professional reports, where appropriate)
- Your website address, if you have one
The first stage of selection will be based on the letter of application, CVs, and supplementary materials. At the second stage, referees will be contacted for short-listed candidates only. The deadline for applications is November 1, 2021. The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications in early November. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2022 or a date to be mutually agreed. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The position is subject to final budgetary approval.
Inquiries
Informal inquiries about the nature of this position should be addressed to the Chair of the Search Committee, Professor Heather Campbell via email.
Institutional Context
The University of British Columbia consistently ranks among the 40 best universities globally, and among the top 20 public universities in the world. Vancouver has a dynamic planning environment and is frequently rated as one of the world’s most desirable places to live. Times Higher Education (THE) ranks UBC number one in the world for taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, and is ranked first in Canada for making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Institutionally SCARP is located in the Faculty of Applied Science, while also having strong relationships with other schools and departments in other Faculties. The Faculty of Applied Science consists of three Schools: Nursing; Architecture and Landscape Architecture; and Community and Regional Planning; and six engineering departments: Chemical and Biological Engineering; Civil Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Materials Engineering; Mining Engineering; and the School of Biomedical Engineering. The Faculty of Applied Science’s Strategic Plan Transforming Tomorrow prioritises transforming ourselves, so our scholarship and learning is better able to address the urgent challenges facing communities and cities, near and far. The combination of disciplines making up Applied Science mean it is uniquely positioned to advance a creative and impactful academic vision.