Assistant Professor - Black Visual Culture

Date Posted: 07/14/2025
Closing Date: 09/30/2025, 11:59PM ET
Req ID: 44059
Job Category: Faculty - Tenure Stream (continuing)
Faculty/Division: University of Toronto Mississauga
Department: University of Toronto Mississauga: Visual Studies
Campus: University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)

Description:

The Department of Visual Studies at the University of Toronto Mississauga invites applications for a full-time tenure stream appointment in Black Visual Culture. The appointment will be at the rank of Assistant Professor, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2026. 

Candidates must have earned a PhD degree in Visual Culture, Art History, Black Studies or Africana Studies, Cinema and Media Studies, or a closely related discipline by the time of appointment, or shortly thereafter, with a demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching. 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, and to establish an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program.

Candidates must provide evidence of research excellence which can be demonstrated by the quality of the writing sample, the submitted research statement, a record of publications in top-ranked and field-relevant academic journals and books, or forthcoming publications meeting high international standards, research collaborations, presentations at major conferences, fellowships, awards, and accolades, and strong endorsements by referees of high standing. 

Evidence of excellence in teaching will be demonstrated through teaching accomplishments and a teaching dossier, including a teaching statement, sample course materials, and teaching evaluations submitted as part of the application, as well as three letters of reference. The successful candidate will be expected to provide examples of innovative approaches to pedagogy and mentoring.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

The Department of Visual Studies (DVS) is home to five programs and one certificate option: Art History, Art & Art History, Cinema Studies, Visual Culture and Communication, Visual Culture Studies and Certificate in Curatorial Studies. Ideally, the candidate will teach primarily in the Visual Culture streams, though we understand all of these programs as importantly related. The candidate will be expected to help build the Visual Culture curriculum. DVS is also affiliated with the Blackwood Gallery (https://www.blackwoodgallery.ca/), a vital, on-campus gallery of contemporary art and a major pedagogical resource.

The candidate also will be appointed to and teach in a graduate unit at the University of Toronto St. George campus, such as Art History (https://arthistory.utoronto.ca/) or the Cinema Studies Institute (https://www.cinema.utoronto.ca/) The University of Toronto offers the opportunity to teach, conduct research, and live in one of the most diverse metropolitan areas in the world.

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 Brian Price: dvschair.utm@utoronto.ca.

All qualified applicants are invited to apply online by clicking on the link below. Applicants must submit a cover letter, a current curriculum vitae, teaching dossier (including a statement of teaching philosophy, sample course materials, and teaching evaluations supporting teaching quality and experience), a research statement outlining current and future research interests, and a substantial recent writing sample (e.g., an article or book chapter).

Applicants must provide the names and contact information of three references. The University of Toronto’s recruiting tool will automatically solicit and collect letters of reference from each referee the day after an application is submitted. Applicants remain responsible for ensuring that referees submit recent letters (on letterhead, dated and signed) by the closing date. More details on the automatic reference letter collection, including timelines, are available in the candidate FAQ  

Submission guidelines can be found at http://uoft.me/how-to-apply. Your CV and cover letter should be uploaded into the dedicated fields. Please combine additional application materials into one or two files in PDF/MS Word format. If you have any questions about this position, please contact Professor Brian Price at dvschair.utm@utoronto.ca. For more information about the Department of Visual Studies, please visit https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/dvs/.

All application materials, including recent reference letters, must be received by September 30, 2025.
 

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

Diversity Statement
The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

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.