Advertising & Outreach

Equity, diversity and inclusion are important considerations because: 

• students from equity groups learn better when they see themselves reflected in the faculty, and learning for all students is improved by bringing equity, diversity and inclusion to the classroom;
• scholarly research and creative activities are enriched by a diversity of perspectives, knowledges and experiences;
• a commitment has been made by Toronto Metropolitan University, as part of Truth and Reconciliation report, and the  (PDF file) Anti-Black Campus Climate Review report to increase the number of Indigenous and Black staff and faculty, respectively at TMU;
• universities across the country and around the world are starting to recognize the education, research, community engagement and competitive advantages associated with increasing diversity within the faculty complement; and 
• these values are an integral part of Toronto Metropolitan University's academic mission and plans.

Through the Employee Diversity Self-ID, launched in 2014 by the Office of the Vice-President, Equity & Community Inclusion (OVPECI), data has been collected and reported to identify progress in the representation of women, racialized people, Aboriginal Peoples, persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQ+ people in full-time faculty (LTF, tenured and pre-tenured) at Toronto Metropolitan University.

For more details on the 2018 representation of equity groups among full-time faculty, see the Diversity Data Visualization website.

Departmental consultation is required under the collective agreement at two points relative to the ad. Prior to developing the profile, the DHC is expected to consult with colleagues within the department/school on the requirements of the position. Some questions to ask might include:

• Keeping in mind our academic plan and the strategic goals of the department/school and taking into account the existing strengths in terms of research and teaching within our department/school, what in your view are some gaps that we should strive to close with this hire? 
• Based on your own experience, what knowledge and skills do you view to be critical for a new hire to be successful in our department/school? 
• What is unique about the teaching skills required for our department/school and at Toronto Metropolitan University generally? How should we assess them? 
• What questions might you want to ask the candidates about their philosophy towards teaching, research, service, etc?  
• Do you have any suggestions on unique avenues to pursue to find suitable candidates? How might you be able to help the DHC with spreading the news about our search? 
• What do you view to be the strengths of our department/school that you would want the new hire to help sustain and promote?

Template ads have been prepared for different types of faculty positions. You will notice that the ad consists of the following sections: 

• About Toronto Metropolitan University: this section seeks to embed equity, diversity inclusion principles including a land acknowledgement, contact info. for the Indigenous Lead, and a guide to considering employment at Toronto Metropolitan University that promotes the university as an employer.

• The Opportunity: details about the position, focus area, start date, school/department and collective agreement are provided here.

• Responsibilities:  duties of the position are outlined, which will typically emphasize teaching, SRC and service (except in the case of Limited Term Faculty (LTF) positions where the duties are normally exclusively teaching and service).

• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: this section elaborates on the University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and emphasizes our interest in receiving applications from a diverse pool of candidates.

• Qualifications: sample language is provided in the templates that reflect the responsibilities of teaching, SRC and service. EDI principles are also captured here. The qualifications section must establish what is minimally required with respect to education. If the DHC is willing to consider candidates who are ABD, it must indicate as such in the ad. Any qualifications that are mentioned as preferred or an asset could not be used to disqualify Canadian candidates in an effort to hire a foreign national who possesses the preferred qualifications (there are some exceptions to this rule; please consult with Zenab Pathan).

• How to Apply: application method, material, deadline, etc are indicated here. Please note that if your DHC chooses not to use the Faculty Recruitment Portal, arrangements will need to be made to ensure that the file (including all CVs) is available for a period of seven (7) years consistent with our Records Retention Schedule. Some DHCs prefer to indicate that they will continue to accept applications until the position is filled; this is okay, provided that they understand that in the event of a foreign hire, they may be required to demonstrate that they considered all Canadian applicants and found none to be qualified, up to the point of the hire. Alternatively a hard deadline could be provided and the posting can be extended depending on the applicant pool.

Ads are to be submitted to a central account at facultyads@torontomu.ca for feedback and approval.

The approvals from the Dean and the OVPFA are coordinated through the centralized process. Input is also acquired on the ads from OVPRI (for CRC positions), Indigenous Lead (for CRC and Indigenous focussed positions) and from OVPECI (for equity focussed and CRC positions).

When the ad is received, it will be placed in a google doc and shared with the DHC and relevant individuals. Feedback will be provided based on collective agreement, immigration and EDI considerations as well as to ensure that any other external requirements (such as for CRCs) are met.

The google doc outlining suggested changes will be shared with the DHC for review and any further modifications before approvals are sought.

Through the centralized process, advertisements on the Toronto Metropolitan University Careers page, CAUT and UA are also coordinated.

Yes however, Limited Term Faculty (LTF) positions must be advertised separately from tenure track positions.

The Collective Agreement requires that vacancies be advertised on Toronto Metropolitan University's careers page as well as on CAUT and University Affairs.

The posting process for these three outlets is coordinated through the centralized ad process.

Advertisements on any additional outlets are the responsibility of the Department/School; DHCs are advised to consult with their Dean’s Office for any administrative support that may be available in this regard.

Where the DHC expects to receive and consider applications from international candidates, the minimum length of time for advertisements is 30 calendar days.

Group ads allow for the simultaneous advertisement of multiple vacancies within a department or Faculty however, they typically do not allow for the full extent of details that are required in ads to meet collective agreement obligations as well as immigration requirements to permit foreign hires. They are therefore, supplementary.

Some additional posting outlets to consider include:

In order to assist DHCs meet their obligations under the Collective Agreement and facilitate the process for a potential foreign hire, Human Resources has assumed responsibility for coordinating the postings on CAUT, University Affairs and the Toronto Metropolitan University careers page.

Postings in any additional outlets are carried out locally through the department/school administrative support.

Here are some general tips: 

• Always be on the lookout. Whether or not you are recruiting, always be attentive to when you hear about strong, high calibre people in your industry, whether they are still a student, pursuing postdoctoral work or working in industry. 
• Strive to build diversity of networks over time that will aid in finding diverse candidates. 
• Use your networks and ask if they might know someone who might know someone suitable for the position.  
• Reach out to your colleagues within the department and across the University. Perhaps they have contacts from their previous institution of work or study. 
• Toronto Metropolitan University has various community networks. Reach out to them with a copy of your ad and they may be able to suggest contacts or places to advertise. 
• Promote the vacancy at professional events and conferences and through any listserve or job boards.  
• Explore LinkedIn or other online forums, social media and discussion groups.Twitter can also be very useful, especially if you use the correct hashtags during postings (#higheredjobs, #highered, #cdnpse).

Remember to also consider your timelines carefully as other institutions will be in the market at the same time. Consider whether you can start early.