Professor, Social Work

The Invitation
Are you looking to make a difference in the field of Social Work and Social Work Education in the North? Are you passionate about reconciliation through education, community-engaged curriculum development, transformative education, and leading ethical northern research? If so, YukonU wants to hear from you. We are seeking a faculty member who is deeply committed to decolonial teaching, learning, and unlearning; practice, research, and scholarship; and program and curriculum development.
YukonU values equity, diversity, and inclusion—we invite all qualified persons to apply but will prioritize those who self-identify as Yukon First Nations, other First Nations, Métis, Inuit, or other Indigenous ancestry.

The Opportunity
Yukon University is at an exciting stage in its evolution. With a new Strategic Plan, Academic Plan, and Reconciliation Framework (Institutional publications, plans and reports | Yukon University), we are committing to providing Yukoners and northerners with more postsecondary education options close to home. This will include the development of a made-in-Yukon Social Work degree. In addition to significant engagement with Yukon First Nations, community organizations, and current and past students, this new degree will be informed by three decades of experience from our degree partnership with University of Regina. The successful candidate will be at the heart of this project, playing a key role at all stages of program development, in addition to providing high-quality learning experiences to students and engaging in research and scholarly activities relevant to the North.

YukonU’s Social Work program offers theoretical knowledge, experiential opportunities, and clinical and land-based practices that reflect the diverse cultures, historical contexts, systemic influences, and specific implications relevant to the field and practice of Social Work within a Yukon and northern context. The program also strives to identify and implement trauma-informed, decolonized practices that honor the important contributions, traditional knowledge, and lived experiences of Yukon First Nations and Indigenous peoples in Canada.
The successful candidate will teach, conduct research, engage in scholarly and/or creative activity, build curriculum, and work collegially with peers across YukonU’s academic community. Key responsibilities include:

• Teaching at the undergraduate level, including supervision of students;
• Developing program and course curriculum and ensuring it remains responsive to needs identified in collaboration with Yukon First Nations;
• Engaging in Indigenous peer review processes and recognition of Indigenous protocols when presenting research findings; and
• Cultivating an inclusive, equitable, and collegial work environment across all activities.

The qualifications for this opportunity include:

• A doctoral degree in Social Work;
• Strong scholarly and/or creative activity in the field of Social Work, preferably in partnership with Indigenous, northern, or rural/remote communities;
• Significant Social Work experience in direct practice and/or clinical settings, preferably in a Yukon, northern, and rural/remote context;
• Previous postsecondary teaching experience; and
• Demonstrated commitment to institutional service, whether within a university context or through community engagement.

Prior experience in any of the following areas will be considered assets:

• Mentoring emerging faculty;
• Teaching Indigenous students and/or students in remote communities;
• Developing curriculum and conducting program assessments; and/or
• Teaching through distance-education technologies.

Tell us Your Story
Interested applicants should submit their stories to: hr@yukonu.ca. Please include:

• Letter of application
• Curriculum vitae
• Professional dossier, which may include narratives about:

1. Your teaching philosophy
2. Your research interests as they relate to this opportunity
3. Your record of service to the academy or your community.

• Any other documents you feel will help us get to know you better.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Requests for secondment may be considered.

Who are We?
We are of the North.

Situated in twelve communities on the traditional territories of Yukon First Nations , YukonU is guided by the indomitable spirit of the Yukon wilderness and millennia of resilience and resourcefulness. Eleven of the fourteen First Nations in Yukon are self-governing, and they are shaping Yukon’s social, economic, and political landscape. For six decades, YukonU has worked with all governments, partner organizations, and Yukon citizens to respond to and lead change in the Yukon.

YukonU delivers what the North needs through trades training, certificates, diplomas, and degrees, as well as adult basic education and continuing education. Our community campuses play a vital role in creating access to education for Yukoners and providing opportunities for students from across Canada and internationally to learn about Canada’s North. We also affirm our commitment to Yukon First Nations; it’s why we continue to focus on making the necessary changes to help them heal from the past and revitalize their cultures, languages, and knowledge. We do this to support Indigenous self-governance and self-determination, now and for generations to come.

Imagine Yourself Here
This position will be based at YukonU’s Ayamdigut campus in Whitehorse. Built on the traditional territory of the Ta'an Kwächän and Kwanlin Dün First Nations, Whitehorse is known as the Wilderness City—and it’s easy to see why. Nurtured by the Yukon River, Whitehorse is surrounded by hike-able mountains and pristine lakes and streams, with a trail system you could spend a lifetime exploring. Whitehorse’s climate is, on average, milder than comparable northern communities, and with up to nineteen hours of daylight in summer, you have all the time you need to follow your passion for being on the land. With its healthy economy, small-town values, and safe environment, Whitehorse is a great place to raise a family, especially if you enjoy an active lifestyle. Several local schools offer French immersion and experiential educational opportunities, and the city is home to a vibrant arts community, great cafés and eateries, and excellent recreation centres. Whitehorse is also within driving distance of the Kluane, Tatshenshini-Alsek, and Chilkoot Trail regions, with opportunities for longer trips to historic Dawson City, the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska, and BC’s Northern Rockies. And the rest of the world is a short flight away, with daily connections to travel hubs in southern Canada.