Educational Developer, Decolonial and Indigenous Ways of Knowing (Designated Position)

Centre for Learning and Teaching, Dalhousie University; Halifax; Hybrid; CAD 78,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Centre for Learning and Teaching at Dalhousie University is seeking an Educational Developer to lead decolonization and Indigenous ways of knowing initiatives across courses and programs. You will design, facilitate, and review professional development experiences for instructors, collaborating with Indigenous communities and academic units.

You will stay current with the literature on decolonization, support scholarly work, and help implement respectful, reciprocal learning experiences

Qualifications

• Master’s degree with 3–5 years university teaching or educational development experience.
• Grounding in Indigenous ways of knowing and Indigenization in teaching and resource development.
• Mi’kmaw/Indigenous education experience with engagement in scholarship and related work.
• Strong interpersonal, facilitation and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Experience with online and blended formats and educational technologies.
• Commitment to continuous learning and to supporting Centre research and publication.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate consultations on teaching theory and technique through a Mi’kmaw/Indigenous and/or decolonial lens.
• Co-create a program of professional development for instructors across modalities.
• Support program and unit teams in integrating Decolonial and Indigenous Ways of Knowing within curricula.
• Collaborate with Indigenous leaders, Elders, and campus/community partners to ensure respectful initiatives.
• Maintain currency in literature on decolonization and Indigenous knowledges to support scholarly work.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Facilitation

Indigenous knowledge

Online teaching/learning

Education

Master’s degree in a relevant field

Job description

The Centre for Learning and Teaching (CLT) works in partnership with academic units, faculty members, and graduate students to enhance the practice and scholarship of learning and teaching at Dalhousie University.Reporting to the Director, CLT, the Educational Developer, Decolonial and Indigenous Ways of Knowing will be responsible for creating and facilitating CLT programming relating to decolonization and Indigenous ways of knowing within Dalhousie’s courses and programs, creating impactful learning experiences for those who teach.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate one-on-one and group consultations on teaching and learning theory and technique through a Mi’kmaw/Indigenous and/or decolonial lens, as allocated by the Director.
• In collaboration with the team, and coordinated by the Director, co-create a program of professional development for Instructors of Record, working across all modalities.This may include the design, facilitation and review of workshops, seminars, labs, retreats, and sustained learning experiences.
• Work with academic unit leads to support program and unit teams with their collective approach to the work, and the integration of Decolonial and Indigenous Ways of Knowing within and across program curricula.
• Work collaboratively with Indigenous leaders, Elders, faculty members, departments on campus, and community to ensure that CLTs decolonization initiatives are respectful, responsive, reciprocal, and relevant to communities’ expressed concerns and interests.
• Maintain a comprehensive grasp of contemporary and emerging literature related to decolonization and Indigenous knowledges to support and conduct scholarly work.

Note

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. In keeping with the principles of reconciliation and with Dalhousie’s Employment Equity Plan, the position is designated to candidates who self-identify as Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq).

Note: To be considered, you must self-identify as an Indigenous Person of Turtle Island. Applicants may be asked to provide additional documentation during the search process to validate self-identification. For more information, including details related to our Employment Equity Policy and Plan and definitions of equity-deserving groups please review our Employment Equity information.

The successful applicant will be eligible for hybrid work (combination of in-person work on campus and remote work from within Nova Scotia) as agreed by all parties based on operational requirements and university guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field with lived and academic experience, including approximately three to five years’ experience in university teaching and/or educational development (or equivalent combination of training and experience). Candidates’ lived experiences are valued and honoured, as is the importance of connection to and being in community.
• Educational background and grounding in Indigenous ways of knowing, learning, worldviews and pedagogies with a demonstrated knowledge of Indigenization and its application to teaching and resource development.
• Mi’kmaw/Indigenous education experience, with demonstrated engagement in scholarship related to teaching and learning and/or Indigenous scholarship (through publications and presentations) as well as highly knowledgeable about the legacy and ongoing impacts of Canadian colonialism, including the intergenerational impact of the Indian Act, residential schools, and the 60s Scoop, with the ability to apply the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report and Calls to Action within an educational context.
• Superior interpersonal, team-building, facilitation and communication skills appropriate to Indigenous ways of knowing along with the demonstrated capacity to engage members of diverse communities and skilled in a variety of consultation techniques, protocols and strategies.
• Demonstrated experience with online and blended formats and other educational technologies, including methods that are consistent and appropriate to the transference of Indigenous ways of knowing.
• An ability to maintain continuous on-the-job, independent learning to stay current in the field of educational development and teaching and learning and to support on-going Centre research to enhance practice and for publication.