OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work and create
OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work, and create. OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world.
The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design. The University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles— driving positive impact, decolonization, indigenization, and equity, environmental sustainability, emerging as a vibrant hub, student-centered approaches, innovation in learning, teaching, and research, and financial stewardship.
The Faculty of Arts and Science at OCAD University invites applications for a tenure-track or tenured position in Media Studies and Essay Writing (open rank).
The ideal candidate is a visionary scholar whose interdisciplinary teaching and research intersect areas such as media studies, game studies, essay writing, literature, digital culture, and cultural policy.
This position is part of OCAD U’s ongoing commitment to curricular innovation, interdisciplinarity, and equity-informed teaching and research. The successful candidate will bring a critical and applied lens to contemporary and historical media practices, with a focus on how media and technologies shape (and are shaped by) cultural, political, and ethical frameworks.
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) Honours program in Visual and Critical Studies (VCS) is defined by a global, critical, decolonial vision of art history and visual culture. The Faculty of Arts & Science invites applicants for a full-time, tenure-track or tenured position in Media Studies and Essay Writing (open rank). Candidates may specialize in any subject area or period, but their scholarship and teaching experience should support the unique global and decolonial vision of the VCS program and the Liberal Studies program. We are open to a broad array of specializations grounded in media studies and visual culture, with a special focus on games and animation theory, writing, and the humanities. This position offers an exciting opportunity to join an interdisciplinary research community at a leading art and design university, and to work alongside the Faculty of Arts & Science's other degree programs in Creative Writing, Criticism and Curatorial Practice, Digital Futures, as well as Indigenous Visual Culture.
The appointment is expected to commence on August 1, 2026 and is subject to budgetary approval.
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SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The successful candidate will teach five courses per year at all undergraduate levels, in a broad framing of media studies to include media, communication, English and writing, culture, and humanities more broadly, including first-year survey courses, with a primary home in the Visual and Critical Studies and Liberal Studies area.
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Course assignments will depend on the candidate’s areas of expertise. Possible undergraduate courses include (but are not limited to):
- The Essay and the Argument
- Culture and Communication
- Intro to Games Studies
- Critical Play
- Animation: Critical Perspectives
- History of New Media Art
- Technologies of Writing
- Future Cinema: Digital Narratives
- Web Theory
- Contemporary Documentary Media
- Teach a graduate course, when available, in one of OCAD U’s six graduate programs (which will reduce the undergraduate courseload proportionately). Graduate courses will most likely be available in the programs for Contemporary Art, Design, and New Media Art Histories (MA); or the Interdisciplinary Master's in Art, Media and Design (MA, MDes, and MFA)
- Contribute to the development of the undergraduate and graduate curriculum.
- Contribute to undergraduate and graduate thesis supervisions.
- Maintain an active research profile and professional practice within art history, media studies or related area
- Be responsible for all aspects of course outline development, course preparation, and curriculum delivery, and meeting academic and curricular requirements and deadlines
- Provide service to the program, Faculty, and University-wide governance system, as well as participate in building the University community and promoting the quality of student life and University culture
- Contribute to a range of service activities, including supporting student projects and outreach initiatives that support the Visual and Critical Studies program and the University
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will have:
- A PhD or terminal degree in Media Studies, Digital Humanities, Cultural Studies, Game Studies, English, Art History) or a related discipline (or equivalent professional experience.
- Experience teaching visual culture and media studies courses or experience teaching within related disciplines, or equivalent work experience
- A strong record of research, scholarship and publication.
- A research and/or creative practice with demonstrated impact in the field, as evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, exhibitions, artistic works, policy contributions, or equivalent professional recognition. An active curatorial practice is considered an additional asset.
- Experience advancing decolonization, diversity, equity, and sustainability in research, teaching, curriculum development, creative practice and service.
- An aptitude for innovative curriculum development. Experience teaching in interdisciplinary programs will be an asset
- Experience teaching and supervising student projects, thesis students or graduate students
- A demonstrated commitment to the principles of equity and diversity with a proven record of promoting a respectful and inclusive work and learning environment for students, staff, and faculty.
REMUNERATION
Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications with access to full benefits and pension contributions after one year of service.
APPLICATION PROCESS and DEADLINE
Applications must include the below materials as one continuous document in PDF format with a table of contents. The PDF file must include the following:
- A cover letter stating the candidate’s experience and qualifications in the areas of teaching, research/professional practice, and service pertaining to the job posting.
- A curriculum vitae, including relevant links to recent work and publications. All electronic supplemental materials (journal articles, professional website pages/social media accounts, podcasts, interviews, conference presentations, etc.) must be hyperlinked in your CV in the appropriate areas.
- A research statement. Please include sample publications in the body of your application and/or via links. Applicants are also welcome to include a digital portfolio of recent work/publications.
- A teaching dossier that includes teaching philosophy and evidence of teaching effectiveness (such as sample assignments, course outlines, relevant teaching materials, etc.) pertaining to the job posting.
- Names and contact information of three referees.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.- Please upload your resume and cover letter as one PDF. Please name your upload: FirstName_LastName-Job Code
Interested applicants are invited to submit their application in confidence, addressed to Chair, Tenure-Track/Tenured Search Committee, Faculty of Arts & Science.
The review of applications will begin on September 1, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled.
As an institution committed to art, design, digital media and related scholarship, OCAD University (OCAD U) recognizes the profound and essential value that diversity brings to the creation, reception and circulation of creative practices and discourse. OCAD U understands that valuing diverse creative practices and forms of knowledge are essential to and enrich the institution’s core mission and vision as an art and design university with a local and global scope. As an employer committed to employment equity, we encourage applications from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.
We encourage members of designated equity-deserving groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire.
In order to alleviate the under-representation of racialized and Indigenous administrators, priority in hiring will be given to qualified racialized and Indigenous persons who self-identify as such in the application process. This initiative is a special program under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
OCAD University is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact People & Culture for more information or refer to OCAD U’s Policy of Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities .
All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.
