To Ron Clifton: please post on your WWW for American Studies / Connections.
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA
NATIVE LITERATURE * TENURE-TRACK POSITION
The Department of English, University of Alberta, invites applications for
a tenurable position in native literature, beginning in the 1997-98 academic
year. Applications from persons who have lived experience of native culture
and a substantial background in more than one area of the discipline (for
instance, drama or writing), who have interdisciplinary expertise, and who
are able to teach generalist as well as specialized courses are particularly
welcomed. In most cases the appointment will be at the floor of the
Assistant Professor level (1995-96 salary: $39, 230). The University of
Alberta is committed to the principle of equity in employment and welcomes
diversity in the workplace by encouraging applications from all qualified
women and men, including aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, and
members of visible minorities.
The University of Alberta, founded in 1908, has an enrollment of about
30,000 students, including 4,000 graduate students. The Department of
English at the University of Alberta has more than 60 tenure-track members,
approximately 135 graduate students of whom half are in the Ph.D. programme,
100 Honours programme students and over 700 Arts and Education majors.
Professors and students employ a great variety of critical and scholarly
approaches, including new historicist, cultural materialist, textual,
psychoanalytic, feminist, deconstructionist, game theoretical, Marxist,
psychological, biographical, history-of-ideas, "close reading" old and new,
semiotic, rhetorical, and postcolonial. Numerous visiting speakers each
year help make this an exciting place to study.
Edmonton is a city of some 600,000 people, situated in the centre of
Alberta on the North Saskatchewan River. With a rapidly growing native
population that exceeds 5% of the total population, the province is home to
many talented and active native leaders in native culture, particularly art,
drama, film-making, and writing. For those interested in film, Edmonton is
the site of the Great North Productions film-making company and
Dreamspeakers, an annual week-long celebration of international Aboriginal
films. Nearby on the Hobbema Reserve is the Muskwachees Cultural College,
owned and operated by four local bands. Numerous other educational programs
exist, particularly to promote the use of Native languages. Local support
for language learning is provided in the public school system, which offers
an immersion language program in Cree for elementary children. Native
organizations are an active and important presence in the cultural life of
the city and surrounding areas.
To serve this significant native population, the University of Alberta
implemented in 1990 the Aboriginal Student Policy, which encourages full
access and participation of aboriginal students in all faculties. The
objective is to increase the current Aboriginal student population of
approximately 800 students to no less than 5% of the total University
enrollment. In the last two years, the Aboriginal student population has
nearly doubled. Many successful Aboriginal programmes are available
throughout the University to provide exciting new opportunities for study:
Ph.D. in Education: First Nations Focus The University of Alberta is
the first university in Canada to offer masters' and doctoral degrees in
First Nations education to prepare students to work in either mainstream
universities or in aboriginal settings. Courses are taught by permanent
staff and by adjunct indigenous faculty, including Howard Adams and Paula
Gunn Allen.
School of Native Studies This four-year programme leading to a Bachelor
of Arts fosters respect for aboriginal cultures and prepares students to
address current native issues. Courses are taught by a team of professors,
community leaders and elders.
Indigenous Law Program The Indigenous Law Program in the Faculty of Law
seeks to address the under-representation of aboriginal lawyers in Canada
and to provide a means to articulate aboriginal claims and rights.
Aboriginal Health Care Careers Program Health care faculties in
medicine, dentistry, dental hygiene, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy and
medical laboratory science encourage aboriginal applicants by reserving
places for applicants who meet the minimum admission requirements.
The Transition Year Program This university credit entrance program
prepares students for admission to various faculties by providing a
combination of degree credit courses, tutorial classes, counselling, and
study skills instruction.
Aboriginal Student Council As the official representative body of
aboriginal students at the University of Alberta, this peer support and
advocacy group provides a voice for aboriginal students and sponsors a
variety of events, including Native Awareness Days.
Candidates with expertise in the field of native literature who are
interested in applying for this position should direct their applications to:
Dr. Patricia Demers, Chair
Department of English
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
T6G 2E5