Assistant Professor - Visual Studies, Race and Militarization

The Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (ICCIT) at the University of Toronto Mississauga invites applications for a full-time tenure stream appointment in the area of Visual Studies, Race, and Militarization at the rank of Assistant Professor. The expected position start date is July 1, 2022, or shortly thereafter. 

Applicants must have a program of research and experience in visual and cultural production with a focus on south Asian and Middle Eastern diaspora, empire, and militarization. Candidates are required to be working on visual narratives and critical media studies at the intersection of race, gender, and/or class. Areas of study and approaches may include critical engagements with archival research, narrative practices, visual politics, state surveillance and artistic and media production. We seek candidates whose research and teaching interests complement and enhance our existing departmental strengths . The successful candidate will be expected to pursue innovative and independent research at the highest international level and to establish an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program.

Candidates must have a PhD in cultural studies, communication, media studies, visual studies or ethnic studies or related fields, with a demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching. Candidates must show excellence in research as demonstrated by an active research program and demonstrated ability to attract external research funding and/or research awards; publications in top-tier peer reviewed journals within the above-mentioned fields, the submitted research statement; and strong recommendations from referees of international standing.

Evidence of excellence in teaching will be provided through teaching accomplishments, the teaching dossier (with required materials outlined below) submitted as part of the application, as well as strong letters of reference.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

At UTM we are committed to fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion. With an enviable diverse student body, we especially welcome applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, Black, or racially visible (persons of colour), and who have experience working with teaching or mentoring diverse groups or students. Candidates must demonstrate, in their application materials, an ability to foster diversity on campus and within the curriculum or discipline, and must show evidence of a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and the promotion of a respectful and collegial environment. Candidates must submit a statement describing their contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion, which might cover topics such as (but not limited to): teaching that incorporates a focus on underrepresented communities; efforts undertaken to develop inclusive pedagogies, collaboration, and engagement with underrepresented communities; and mentoring of students from underrepresented groups. If you have questions about this statement, please contact Professor Tracey Bowen, Acting ICCIT Director at iccit.utm@utoronto.ca .

ICCIT focuses on teaching and research excellence in its three undergraduate programs: Communication, Culture, Information and Technology, Digital Enterprise Management and Professional Writing and Communication. The successful applicant will join a vibrant intellectual community of world-class scholars at Canada’s leading university. For information, please visit www.utm.utoronto.ca/iccit .

To be considered for this position, all application materials, including reference letters, must be submitted online by January 4, 2022.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply online by clicking the link below. Your CV and cover letter should be uploaded into the dedicated fields. Please combine additional application materials in PDF/MS Word format. Applications must include the documents listed below, formatted as 5 attachments with naming convention LastnameFirstname_CV.pdf, LastnameFirstname_Writing.pdf, etc.:
  • Attachment 1: Cover Letter
  • Attachment 2: CV
  • Attachment 3: Research statement and statement of contributions to equity and diversity (see details above)
  • Attachment 4: Writing Sample (ONE peer-reviewed, first- or sole-author scholarly work demonstrating significant contribution to the field of Race and Militarization; do not submit entire doctoral theses)
  • Attachment 5: Teaching Dossier (Max. 20 pages, to include a list of courses taught, sample syllabi, course evaluation data summary, and statement of teaching philosophy)


  • Applicants must also provide the name and contact information of three references. The University of Toronto’s recruiting tool will automatically solicit and collect letters of reference from each after an application is submitted (this happens overnight). Applicants remain responsible for ensuring that references submit letters by the closing date, January 4, 2022. Letters of recommendation (on letterhead, signed, dated and scanned) should be addressed to Professor Tracey Bowen, Acting ICCIT Director.

    Submission guidelines can be found at http://uoft.me/how-to-apply . If you have any questions about this position, please contact iccit.utm@utoronto.ca .

    All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

    Diversity Statement
    The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

    As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP .

    Accessibility Statement
    The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

    The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

    If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact uoft.careers@utoronto.ca .