Assistant Professor in Rural Planning and Development

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The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) at the University of Guelph invites applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level. The earliest anticipated start date is July 1, 2025, or another mutually agreed-upon date in 2025.

SEDRD is actively involved in Canadian and international rural planning and development, with a focus on rural, remote, and Indigenous communities and territories. Rural Planning and Development (RPD) at the University of Guelph has an established international reputation, offering one of Canada’s leading planning and development programs. For more than 40 years, RPD has produced planning and development graduates who practice across Canada and around the world in the full spectrum of the discipline. RPD offers two graduate programs – Master of Science (MSc – https://www.uoguelph.ca/programs/msc-in-rural-planning-development/) and a Master of Planning (MPlan – https://www.uoguelph.ca/programs/master-of-planning/). SEDRD invites applications from individuals who want to join as a colleague to work collaboratively in continuing to advance and grow rigorous academic instruction and research and create genuine intere5st in rural planning and development in Canada and globally.

The most common distribution of effort for SEDRD faculty is teaching (40%), research (40%) and service/outreach (20%). The ideal candidate will be an early career professional with the following qualifications:
1. A PhD degree in planning or a related discipline or a masters degree in planning or a related discipline with a minimum of five years of planning experience;
2. Registered Professional Planner or eligible for accreditation with the Professional Standards Board (https://psb-planningcanada.ca/) within 3 years of appointment;
3. Teaching and student training experience;
4. Demonstrated ability to conduct research successfully, including obtaining funding and engaging with communities;
5. Evidence of knowledge outputs, such as academic, scientific or professional publications;
6. Work experience and/or educational background appropriate to teach courses and to supervise graduate student interests in at least two of the following subject areas:
• Local/municipal planning practice,
• Indigenous planning,
• Rural housing planning,
• Rural transportation planning,
• Public administration and finance.

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD)
Part of the Ontario Agricultural College (http://www.uoguelph.ca/oac ), SEDRD (http://www.uoguelph.ca/sedrd/) reflects the imperatives in building authentic communities where the skills, knowledge and practice of facilitators, designers/architects, leaders, communicators, planners, informed citizens and politicians all play important interdependent roles in building capacity and ensuring innovative solutions to complex problems facing individuals and their communities. The faculty strive to create a work environment that emphasizes a cooperative, collegial approach to teaching, research and outreach. In addition to the MSc and MPlan, SEDRD offers the following programs: Bachelor of Landscape Architecture; Master of Landscape Architecture; MSc in Capacity Development and Extension; and PhD in Rural Studies.

The University of Guelph resides on the traditional lands and territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and Huron Wendat. These lands are now home to a rich diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. We offer our respect and gratitude to our Indigenous neighbours and affirm our responsibility to realize our commitments to reconciliation through ongoing action. We are guided in this work by Bi-Naagward hiringnearme.org It Comes into View (https://indigenous.uoguelph.ca/strategy), the Indigenous Initiatives Strategy.

The University of Guelph is the third largest employer in Guelph, a city of approximately 144,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across over 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our university community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.

Application Process

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page to be considered as an internal applicant.

Assessment of applications will begin on March 2, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Interested individuals should create an account on https://careers.uoguelph.ca/ and apply for the advertised faculty position (Requisition ID #1081) by submitting the following materials (in an integrated Single PDF file):

(1) a cover letter;
(2) a curriculum vitae;
(3) a 1–2-page statement of current and future interests in teaching, research and outreach.

The cover letter should speak directly to the qualifications listed above. References are only required at the short-list stage. Please state in the subject line of your cover letter the position title you are applying for and the position reference Requisition ID 1081. Applications should be addressed to the attention of:

Sean Kelly
Director
School of Environmental Design and Rural Development
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1

APPLY ONLINE – Assistant Professor in Rural Planning and Development (https://bit.ly/3Eg0yi0)

This position is represented by the University of Guelph Faculty Association (UGFA – https://ugfa.ca/).

The University of Guelph commits to fostering inclusive excellence through promoting Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Inclusion is a core pillar of Our Time (https://www.uoguelph.ca/president/strategic-plan/#strategic-priorities-2), our strategic plan, which pledges to “transform our human resources, governance and student services and practices across the University to enable us to recruit a diverse student, faculty and staff body and support them in achieving their personal, professional and scholarly goals.” The University commits to creating and maintaining “equitable work environments that empower us in our pursuit of student, faculty and staff success, research excellence, innovation and impact.”

The University of Guelph invites applications from all qualified individuals; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. We strongly welcome and encourage applications from members of designated groups in employment, including Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, racialized persons, women, and 2SLGBTQIA+ persons.

The University of Guelph recognizes that career paths can be diverse and career interruptions may occur. We encourage applicants to note in their applications whether they would like considerations given to the impact of any circumstances, such as (but not limited to) those due to health and/or family reasons, that may have affected an applicant’s record of achievement. You are not required to disclose these circumstances in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these circumstances do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.

The University of Guelph is committed to ensuring all applicants have fair and equitable participation in the hiring process. If you anticipate needing accommodations during the recruitment or selection processes, confidential assistance is available on request by contacting Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674. If you have any questions regarding accommodations or accessibility during the hiring process or for more information and support, please visit the University’s Occupational Health and Wellness (https://www.uoguelph.ca/hr/about-hr/occupational-health-and-wellness) or contact OHW at ohw@uoguelph.ca.

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