Position Description

The Department of Computer Science in the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver invites applications for up to two tenure track Assistant Professors of Teaching with an expected start date of July 1, 2024.  The position has a primary focus on contributing to the delivery and further development of the Master of Data Science (MDS) program, while also contributing to other departmental programs. The MDS program is a collaborative effort of the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Statistics, and the Faculty of Science.

Applicants with expertise in all areas of Computer Science will be considered.  However, the following focus areas are of interest to the committee:

o   Web and cloud computing

o   Core computer science topics, including databases and data structures applied to data science

o   Machine learning

The position requires a minimum of a Ph.D. in either Computer Science, Statistics, Biostatistics or a related field.  In exceptional cases, applicants with other advanced degrees and/or relevant experience may be considered.

Candidates must provide evidence of excellence in, and commitment to, undergraduate and graduate teaching and have the ability to work collaboratively as well as independently and to supervise the work of others.

Demonstrate the promise of educational leadership at UBC, nationally or internationally and the potential for creating innovative instructional environments.

Demonstrate experience with evidence-based teaching methods, curriculum development, course design, and other initiatives that advance the university’s ability to excel in its teaching and learning mandate.

They will have a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, to create a welcoming community for all, particularly those who are historically, persistently or systemically marginalized.

These positions provide the opportunity, with strong institutional support, to pursue a career based on excellence in teaching and educational leadership, while participating in the intellectually exciting atmosphere of two top-tier departments jointly supporting the first comprehensive MDS program in Canada. Successful candidates will have an opportunity to make an impact on education both within and beyond the classroom, as well as both within and beyond UBC. Assistant Professor of Teaching is the first rank in UBC’s Educational Leadership Stream, followed by Associate Professor of Teaching (with tenure), and then Professor of Teaching. This path is analogous to the Research stream faculty progression of tenure-track Assistant Professor, tenured Associate Professor, and Full Professor. Faculty members in the Educational Leadership stream are eligible to apply for Study Leave (sabbatical) under similar terms to faculty members in the Research stream.

Location description

UBC Computer Science ranks among the top departments in North America, with over 60 tenure-track faculty (Including nine Educational Leadership Faculty), approximately 250 graduate students, and over 2,700 undergraduate students.

The Vancouver campus of UBC is situated on traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam).

           How to apply

Applications must include the following:

o   Cover letter including where possible, hyperlinks to one or two examples of your teaching materials

o   Curriculum vitae including a list of publications if applicable

o   A statement of teaching philosophy and teaching experience

o   Evidence of teaching effectiveness

o  A short one-page statement describing your vision for data science education

o   A one-page diversity statement describing your lived background experience (if comfortable), and your past experience and future plans regarding working with a diverse student body, and contribution to a culture of equity and inclusion.

o   The names of three referees who have been asked to upload their reference letters to your application

The closing date for applications is November 7, 2023

The application site may remain open past the closing date at the discretion of the committee. 

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence.  An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged.  Inclusion is built by individual and institutional responsibility through continuous engagement with diversity to inspire people, ideas, and actions for a better world. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuk, or Indigenous person. In assessing applications, UBC recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement. These leaves will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority, and members of historically marginalized groups will be given special consideration.

Also, within this hiring process we will make efforts to create an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities).  Confidential accommodations are available on request for applicants who are short-listed by contacting Jessica McKay at recruit-admin@cs.ubc.ca 

Questions about the search can be directed to the committee chair, Dr. Norm Hutchinson norm@cs.ubc.ca