Dean, Faculty of Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities

University of Northern British Columbia; Prince George; On-site; CAD 139,000 - 198,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Northern British Columbia seeks a Dean for the Faculty of Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities to guide strategic growth, strengthen undergraduate and graduate programs, and foster interdisciplinary scholarship in northern British Columbia. The Dean will lead planning, partnerships, and fundraising, reporting to senior academic leadership and aligning with UNBC’s mission.

This is a bold leadership role at a research-intensive university with campuses across northern

Job description

THE ORGANIZATION: UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Located in the spectacular landscape of northern British Columbia, UNBC is one of Canada’s best small universities, with a passion for teaching, discovery, people, the environment, and the North.

UNBC provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate learning opportunities that explore cultures, health, economies, sciences, and the environment. As one of BC’s leading research-intensive universities, UNBC brings the excitement of new knowledge to its students, and the outcomes of its teaching and research to the world. Home to 3,500 students, UNBC has been annually recognized as one of Canada’s top three primarily undergraduate universities for the past decade and appears as one of only four BC-based Universities in Research Infosource’s Top 50 Research Universities annual rankings.

UNBC is a university both in and for the North; the main campus is located in Prince George, and the University serves communities in multiple other locations across northern BC. This mission has instilled a strong sense of ownership, purpose, and adventure among its students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the communities it serves.

UNBC is also Canada’s Green University™, leading the way to a more sustainable future for all. UNBC maintains close engagement with northern communities, industry partners, and Indigenous communities, ensuring that teaching and research are informed by real-world challenges and regional priorities. This collaborative approach strengthens knowledge exchange, supports economic and technological growth, and enhances UNBC’s role as a trusted and valued presence across northern British Columbia.

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

The University of Northern British Columbia operates within the framework of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ensuring UNBC fulfills its institutional commitment to Indigenization.

TRADITIONAL TERRITORY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

UNBC’s Prince George campuses are situated on the unceded traditional territory of the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, part of the Dakelh (Carrier) Peoples' territory. The South-Central campus in Quesnel, B.C. is situated on the unceded traditional territories of the Lhtako Dene Nation, Nazko First Nation, Lhoosk'uz Dené Nation, and ?Esdilagh First Nation (formerly Alexandria Band). Lhtako, Nazko, and Lhoosk'uz are on traditional Dakelh territory, and ?Esdilagh is a member of the Tsilhqot’in Nation. The Peace River-Liard campus in Fort St. John, B.C. is situated in Treaty 8 territory on the traditional lands of the Dane-zaa Peoples of the Doig River First Nation, Blueberry River First Nation, and Halfway River First Nation. The Northwest campus in Terrace, B.C. is situated on the unceded traditional Ts'msyen (Tsimshian) territory of the Kitsumkalum and Kitselas First Nations. There is also a satellite campus in the coastal community of Prince Rupert, B.C., situated on or near unceded traditional Ts'msyen territories including the Lax Kw'alaams Band, Metlakatla First Nation, Gitxaała Nation (Kitkatla), Gitga'at First Nation (Hartley Bay), and Kitasoo Band (Klemtu). UNBC has a federated agreement with the Wilp Wilxo'oskwhl (House of Wisdom) Nisg̱a'a Institute (WWNI). Established by the Nisg̱a'a Lisims Government in 1993 and situated on Gitwinksihlkw Village Lands within Nisg̱a'a Treaty territory, WWNI is a fully-accredited university-college serving all people in northwestern British Columbia.

THE LOCATION: PRINCE GEORGE & NORTHERN BC

Prince George is a mid-sized city of about 75,000 people located in central British Columbia on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T'enneh. Surrounded by tree covered hills and a short drive in all directions from the beautiful BC outdoors, Prince George has all of the amenities of a larger city mixed with the charm and friendliness of a smaller town. Due to being the largest city in the surrounding region and its wide variety of employment options, Prince George serves as a dynamic hub for Northern BC.

Prince George has a thriving and diverse economy that offers professionals and tradespeople numerous opportunities to advance their careers. Prince George is growing faster than both the provincial and national economies in terms of GDP. The largest employment sectors include Wholesale & Retail Trade, Manufacturing, Healthcare & Social Assistance, Construction, and Forestry, Fishing, Mining and Oil & Gas.

The dream of owning a home can become a reality in Prince George, where the average cost of a single-family home well under the costs in other urban areas across Canada.

Prince George’s location offers immediate access to four-season outdoor recreation activities that are complemented by a full range of urban amenities. Whether you prefer a relaxing day at the lake, hiking in an inland cedar rainforest, kayaking, canoeing, playing soccer or hockey, a day of shopping, an evening spent watching live theatre or a symphony performance, or good food at a top-notch local restaurant, Prince George has it all. And the best part is that everything is accessible, with the average round-trip in Prince George being only 30 minutes.

THE OPPORTUNITY: DEAN, FACULTY OF INDIGENOUS STUDIES, SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The Dean of the Faculty of Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities (“Dean”) will oversee the strategic development of the Faculty within UNBC’s evolving Five-Faculty academic structure. This is a leadership opportunity for an academic innovator, relationship-builder, fundraiser, and strategic planner to shape the future of Indigenous, social sciences, and humanities education in northern British Columbia.

The ideal candidate will be interested in leading and supporting scholarship, interdisciplinarity, and undergraduate and graduate programming of relevance to the most urgent issues facing northern BC and the world. Programs include Anthropology, English, First Nations Studies, History, Global and International Studies, Political Science, Women’s and Gender Studies, Northern Studies, and Interdisciplinary Studies.

This is an exciting period of institutional renewal and ambition, with goals to increase student enrollment, research capacity, external funding, and interdisciplinary programming. This is an outstanding opportunity for a visionary academic administrator to take a unique institution to the next level, maximizing impact for students and northern communities.

Reporting to the Provost & VP, Academic, the Dean will:

• Lead strategic planning and academic direction of the Faculty;
• Guide undergraduate and graduate program development and enhancement, with a particular focus on strategically advancing student recruitment and driving enrollment growth;
• Build collaborative working relationships with Department Chairs and program leaders in the Faculty;
• Lead and actively develop fundraising initiatives;
• Advance research excellence, external partnership-building, and community-engaged scholarship;
• Foster a collaborative culture of academic and administrative excellence; and
• Support faculty and staff recruitment, growth, and professional development.

Key Responsibilities

Academic Leadership

• Provide vision and oversight for program design, curriculum development, and learning pathways that advance excellence in Indigenous, social sciences, and humanities education;
• Ensure educational quality and innovation in teaching and research across all UNBC delivery locations in northern British Columbia;
• Support faculty in pursuing scholarly excellence, research development, and pedagogical leadership; and
• Developing and promoting Indigenous programs and initiatives within the Faculty and across UNBC.

Faculty and Departmental Stewardship

• Recruit, develop, and support faculty and staff within the Faculty;
• Demonstrate strong people leadership practices and maintain oversight of academic labour relations;
• Promote effective departmental governance, communications, and collaboration; and
• Ensure alignment of departmental work with UNBC’s academic mission and strategic plan.

Strategic Partnerships and Research Development

• Strengthen external partnerships with industry, government, Indigenous communities, and research networks;
• Promote interdisciplinary research and experiential learning; and
• Support grant development, collaborative research initiatives, and knowledge mobilization.

Student Experience

• Champion initiatives that provide high-quality learning experiences, experiential training, mentorship, and support for student success; and
• Ensure that the Faculty remains attentive to the needs of students across programs, campuses, and delivery formats.

Resource Management

• Provide oversight for budgeting, faculty resource planning, and workload allocation;
• Actively lead efforts in fundraising, advancement, and sponsorship development; and
• Advocate for the Faculty’s needs within institution-wide planning and prioritization.

THE PERSON

The successful Dean candidate should be a visionary leader who can enable a bold direction aligned with the UNBC’s strategic direction, and they should possess the collaborative nature and wherewithal to make it happen. Well experienced with the complexities of the post-secondary landscape and possessing an inclusive leadership style, the Dean should have a “can-do” attitude and live with a sense of respect, inclusivity, and integrity that aligns with UNBC’s vision, mission, and values. The Dean should possess sufficient business acumen to assist with complex decision-making and guide colleagues through challenging initiatives. They will model ethical leadership, support collegial governance, and foster an engaged, healthy academic culture rooted in respect, integrity, and shared accomplishment.

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative and forward-thinking academic leader with:

• A doctorate and scholarly record appropriate for appointment as Full Professor at UNBC, with a disciplinary background in at least one of the Faculty’s Departments or Programs;
• Experience developing and championing academic programs and research-related initiatives;
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the post-secondary organizational and policy environment and relevant experience in academic administration and academic labour relations;
• Experience working with Indigenous learners, faculty, staff, and communities, in addition to demonstrated Indigenous cultural competence, relationship-building, and reconciliation;
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, program planning, project and budget management;
• Excellent administrative and organizational skills applicable to operational and logistical tasks;
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills; and
• Commitment to UNBC’s mission as a university for the North.

Competencies and Personal Characteristics

University Understanding and Cultural Awareness – Achieves desired organizational results by understanding and effectively operating within the structure and culture of the institution and working with a broad and diverse community across UNBC.

Accountable – Holds self and others accountable for responsibilities; focuses on results and measuring attainment of outcomes in a business focus.

Strategic – Develops a plan in support of organizational strategic direction. Demonstrates an understanding of the link between one’s job responsibilities and overall organizational goals.

Integrity and Honesty – Demonstrates a resolute commitment to and respect for the spirit behind the rules and core values of the organization, setting an example of professionalism and ethical propriety.

Influential and Collaborative – Has an open and consistent approach to working with others and possesses strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and develop/maintain partnerships, obtaining partner agreement.

Creativity and Innovation – Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes.

Working Relationships and Conflict Resolution – Treats colleagues and partner groups with respect; demonstrates creative conflict resolution, negotiates effectively, and provides effective feedback to colleagues/employees.

Communication – Clearly presents written and verbal information; writes with clarity and purpose; communicates effectively in both positive and negative circumstances; listens well.

People Development – Fosters learning and development of others through coaching, managing performance and mentoring; has a genuine desire to develop others and help them succeed; formally and informally recognizes deserving staff and colleagues.

Student Focused – Anticipates and attends to the needs of internal and external partners; keeps student interests in the forefront.

COMPENSATION:

A competitive compensation package will be provided including an attractive base salary, family tuition waivers, excellent benefits, and research and professional development funds. The salary range for the Full Professor appointment is $138,918 to $198,290, plus a $50,000 administrative stipend for the decanal appointment.