"Teaching Professor in American Sign Language"

About the Team
The Faculty of Arts is a diverse and inclusive academic community spanning the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Through innovative research, teaching, creative expression, and strong community partnerships, the Faculty of Arts advances knowledge and drives positive societal change. It provides students with the tools to think critically, engage meaningfully, and contribute to a more just and thoughtful world.

Description
This position is part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).
While this position welcomes applications from individuals external to the university, current Academic Teaching Staff are first notified of available positions and will receive first consideration in accordance with the terms of the Schedule D Academic Teaching Staff Agreement before considering external candidates for positions with a term 8 months or longer. Please login to verify your internal candidate status.
This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, and the salary will be commensurate with experience in accordance with the Schedule D Academic Teaching Staff Agreement.

Location - This role is in-person at North Campus Edmonton.
The Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies of the University of Alberta is seeking to hire a full-time Teaching Professor at the rank of Assistant, Associate, or Full Lecturer, to teach all levels of American Sign Language. This is a continuing Career status position. Anticipated start date is July 1, 2026.

Responsibilities

• Teach eight class sections across different levels of ASL per academic year, in person on our Edmonton campus. Normally, these courses are taught in the Fall and Winter, with the possibility of offering them in Spring and Summer, as negotiated.
• Coordinate the ASL program.
• Take primary responsibility for language assessment and placement for new students entering the ASL program.
• Encourage and support all students, from a diverse array of backgrounds and identities.
• Establish connections to the ASL community.

Qualifications

Required:

• A Master’s degree in Linguistics, Second Language Teaching, Education or related field, from an accredited Institution.
• Completion of Signing Naturally Instructor Training courses in Level 100, 200, and higher.
• Native or near-native fluency in American Sign Language and attainment of ASL Proficiency Level of 4 or Higher.
• ASL Instructor Certification, such as that offered by Sign Language Institute of Canada (SLIC) or American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA)
• A minimum of 3 years of ASL Instruction at the post-secondary level, including teaching experience at the intermediate/advanced level of ASL.
• Superior knowledge of second language teaching pedagogy.
• Demonstrated collegiality and excellence in working with undergraduate students as both an instructor and mentor.
• Experience with technology-based teaching tools; experience teaching in a remote environment is an asset

In addition to the above requirements, the below are qualifications that are considered an asset:

• Living with deafness or being hard of hearing is preferred. Applicants are encouraged to self-identify in their cover letter.
• Strong teamwork skills
• Excellence in the design and development of instructional materials
• Pedagogical innovation
• Familiarity with recent developments in the field of language pedagogy and a record of applying these advances

Application Instructions

To have your application considered, please select the Apply Online icon and submit the following:

• Cover letter describing your fit for the above qualifications (2 pages max, attach under Cover Letter)
• Curriculum vitae that includes the names of three referees (CV, attach under Résumé)

Letters of reference, teaching dossier, portfolio, and other supplementary materials may be requested of candidates after the initial review of applications.
Review of applications will begin on December 15, 2025, and the posting will close January 5, 2026.
Inquiries regarding this position can be addressed to the Chair of the Advisory Selection Committee, Dr. Victoria Ruétalo, at vruetalo@ualberta.ca with the subject line, “Career Teaching Professor, American Sign Language.”