"Assistant Professor or Associate Professor (Tenure-Track) - First Nations, Métis, or Inuit (FNMI) Scholar"

The Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work (FSW) at Wilfrid Laurier University invites applications for one Assistant Professor or Associate Professor tenure-track First Nations, Métis, or Inuit (FNMI) scholar faculty position commencing July 1, 2026, subject to budgetary approval. The position is based at Laurier’s Kitchener site and includes teaching (4 courses per academic year), research, and service responsibilities within the Master of Social Work (MSW) Indigenous Field of Study (IFS).

Indigenous Field of Study
The MSW-IFS is the first MSW program in Canada rooted in a wholistic Indigenous worldview and contemporary social work practice. The IFS currently has an entirely Indigenous faculty. The program centres Indigenous ways of knowing and learning, including Indigenous Elders; traditional circle processes; Indigenous ceremonies, and Indigegogy as central to delivery. We offer full-time and part-time programs.

The program is currently delivered in a hybrid format, with in-person culture camp and reflection camp, and select in-person weeklong courses at the Kitchener site or other locations. Other courses are delivered through virtual synchronous delivery using circle pedagogy. Please see Program information and IFS courses for more information.

During 2018–19 and 2022–23, the FSW piloted an Indigenized PhD in Social Work designed for FNMI learners. Building on this seminal work, the IFS has a vision toward developing an Indigenous PhD program centred on Indigegogy.

Position
The successful candidate will contribute to teaching in the area of Indigenous wholistic social work practice and embrace Indigegogy. We are particularly interested in candidates whose research and practice seek wholistic wellbeing and social justice with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities.

The substantive area of the candidate’s research program is open; however, it is expected that their research contributes to the IFS’s commitment to Indigenous research methodologies, community-engaged scholarship, reflexivity, relational accountability, and decolonizing research practices.

Successful candidates must:

• Be Indigenous and complete Laurier’s Indigenous identity verification process for consideration.
• Demonstrate the ability to teach Indigenous wholistic courses and apply contemporary Indigenous approaches to current social work contexts.
• Have lived experience and demonstrated engagement with Indigenous FNMI communities from a wholistic perspective.
• Be strongly rooted in their FNMI Indigenous identity, culture, and practice.
• Demonstrate an understanding of wholistic practice.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will: hold a PhD or have a scheduled defense date; hold at least one degree in social work; have a minimum of three years of social work practice with Indigenous communities; an understanding of land-based practices; have teaching experience in social work utilizing Indigegogy with a demonstrated record of excellence appropriate to rank; and have a program of research evidenced by publications and funding appropriate to rank.

Application Materials
Applicants should submit:

1. A letter of application highlighting accomplishments and strengths, as well as a list of IFS courses the applicant could teach.
2. Curriculum vitae.
3. Teaching dossier.
4. A 1–2-page statement of research.
5. Two samples of scholarly outputs.
6. Two academic letters of reference sent to fswrecruit@wlu.ca by the application deadline.

To Apply
Submit the application package through the Wilfrid Laurier University job portal by clicking on the APPLY NOW button. The full application package should also be sent to fswrecruit@wlu.ca no later than the deadline.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 pm EST on April 8, 2026.

Anticipated Salary Range: Assistant Professor: $89,919 - $115,000. Associate Professor: $110,356 - $135,000. Actual salary to be commensurate with experience.