The University of Windsor’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (FAHSS) seeks applications for the position of Head, Department of Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies, for a term of up to five (5) years, commencing July 1, 2025. The candidate must hold a tenured position at the rank of Associate or Full Professor, Learning Specialist, AAS III or IV in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Windsor with some expertise in Interdisciplinary Studies, and must be qualified to fulfil the duties and responsibilities of Head as stipulated in Schedule A of Senate Bylaw 5 and the WUFA Collective Agreement Article 31:02.
The Department of Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies is a dynamic and student-centred environment empowering positive change through regionally and globally engaged inquiry, teaching, research, and scholarship, as mandated in the University of Windsor’s Aspire Strategic Plan 2023-2028. The Department is engaged in innovative and important scholarship and education that transcends traditional academic disciplinary boundaries. Programming, primarily at the undergraduate level, is cooperative and shared across other FAHSS and University departments.
The Department of Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences has 7 full-time faculty and 1 Sessional Lecturer with broad research interests. For further details about the Department of Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies visit our website at https://www.uwindsor.ca/interdisciplinary-criticalstudies/.
The Department is searching for a scholarly leader who supports a continuing commitment to research, education, applied training, and experiential learning, and values collegial collaborations, community capacity building, and professionalism. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated capacity to build programming across transdisciplinary avenues including the development of the Black Studies program. They must also have a clear innovative vision for extending the Department’s regional, national, and international reach in research, public scholarship, teaching, and community engagement. The candidate will advocate on behalf of the Department and be committed to the growth and development of faculty and students as well as cultivating a robust and flourishing community of transdisciplinary scholars that center equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigeneity in all that they do.
This hire aligns with the bold imperatives of the University of Windsor strategic plan, Aspire: Together for Tomorrow, ratified Spring 2023. The University embraces a people-first philosophy grounded in a culture of academic excellence and deep belonging. Among key strategic priorities are advancing the journey towards truth and reconciliation; building a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive university; ensuring a high-quality teaching, learning, and student experience; engaging in impactful research, scholarship, and creative activity; fostering a safe, welcoming, and sustainable campus; and engaging in local and global partnerships. The University has already made significant strides on many of these key files, and we are seeking applicants interested in working alongside us to advance them even further. Driven by the University’s commitment to anti-racism, the Black Scholars Institute was established in 2023 supported by a historic cohort hiring initiative that has brought thirteen Black scholars to UWindsor across several of our faculties. The recent cohort of new faculty joining the University (over 50) is among the most diverse in our history.
Our campus is situated on the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations: the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi. We are making steady progress on the Indigenization of academic programming, an Indigenous Strategic plan, and a cohort hire of Indigenous faculty in 2018-19 followed by additional hiring. Our students mirror the extraordinary cultural richness of our region, one of the most diverse in all of Canada. And we have strong global partnerships and commitments, which are reflected in the increasing number of graduate and undergraduate students we attract from across the world. The University is a signatory to the Scarborough Charter and participates in the Federal 50/30 Challenge.
The University of Windsor is a Canadian public, comprehensive research university enrolling 15,676 students, including 4,709 graduate students. It offers more than 280 academic programs and certificates, including 70 master’s and doctoral degrees across its nine faculties: Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering; Graduate Studies; Human Kinetics; Law; Nursing; and Science. It also houses a medical program through the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. Tenured and tenure-track faculty number about 600.
Application Requirements
- a letter of application, including a statement describing the applicant’s continuing research, teaching, and learning program (up to 1 page) and a statement of teaching philosophy and academic program development experience (up to 1 page);
- a curriculum vitae;
- a one-page statement of commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigenization and how this approach informs their leadership and academic program development (up to 1 page);
- a preliminary vision for the Department, including recruitment and retention of faculty and students and creating a scholarly, collaborative, and mutually supportive environment that prioritizes public scholarship (up to 1 page); and
- names and contact information for three (3) contacts for references, with at least one being internal to FAHSS. These referees will be contacted only for shortlisted candidates.
The short-listed candidates may be invited to provide further information in support of their applications. To ensure full consideration, complete an online application (http://www.uwindsor.ca/facultypositions) found on the job advertisement by April 7, 2025 (UPDATED). Applications may be considered after the deadline date; however, acceptance of late submissions is at the discretion of the appointments committee.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE APPLICATION
When completing the online application, please reference
Position Number: # 002612ADM60-2025- IACS
Any questions may be sent to:
Dr. Cheryl Collier, Chair, Department of Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies Head Search Committee
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Windsor
Email: Jessica.Hatt@uwindsor.ca
In pursuit of the University's commitment to employment equity, members from the designated groups (women, Indigenous/Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) persons, racialized persons/visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity) are encouraged to apply and to self-identify.
For an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator (recruit@uwindsor.ca). Should you require further information on accommodation, please visit the website of the Office of Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and Mediation (http://www.uwindsor.ca/ohrcrm).
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. This position is subject to final budgetary approval.
