Humanities and Social Sciences - Assistant Professor (Distance Education)

Guided by Like No Other, Athabasca University’s (AU) strategic plan, AU’s approach to accessible yet transformative education and research is truly distinctive. Our academic mission is to remove barriers to post-secondary education for learners, regardless of their age, location, career, or educational background. 

Based in the beautiful region of Athabasca, Alberta, AU is one of four Comprehensive Academic and Research Universities (CARUs) in the province. We are a public, board-governed, open, and online university serving more than 35,000 students across Alberta, Canada, and around the world. 

AU seeks to be an agile and inclusive workplace in which all team members can grow, make their highest contribution, and each make a difference to our academic vision and mission.

Led by President Dr. Alex Clark, AU is embarking on an exciting new chapter. Drawing from five decades of growth in distance and online education, we aim to grow our position as Canada’s foremost innovator in flexible, online and accessible learning. With an inclusive Senior Leadership Team dedicated to empowering every team member to contribute, learn and thrive, AU stands poised for an exciting and ambitious next stage of development. 

Athabasca University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is recruiting for an Assistant Professor, Distance Education (tenure-track).

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is the largest Faculty in Athabasca University and offers a wide range of online courses and programs in the areas of education, humanities, interdisciplinary studies, and social sciences.

In the words of the Dean of the Faculty, "We offer a diverse range of courses and programs in education, distance education, humanities, interdisciplinary studies, and social sciences. Our undergraduate and graduate offerings are designed to equip you with critical thinking skills, information literacy, theoretical knowledge, and other essential competencies to navigate our rapidly changing world and deepen your understanding of both current and historical issues.

We are committed to fostering an environment of respect, inclusiveness, collegiality, openness, and cultural awareness, and furthering access, belonging, and accountability within the Faculty and beyond. Our Faculty includes accomplished scholars and instructors with expertise in innovative research and teaching, supported by a dedicated team of staff.

We take great pride in being a student-centered Faculty, focused on ensuring that your academic journey is rich, meaningful, and memorable."

The Position: 
The Open, Digital, and Distance Education Programs, in Athabasca University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, invites application for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor. This is a full-time position commencing May 1, 2026, located in Alberta.

We are seeking a candidate with Indigenous lived experience and expertise in Indigenous knowledge systems in the land known as Canada. As well, the successful candidate will have an active research program in one or more of the following areas: methodologies in distance education; blended or online rural education; and blended or online education for Indigenous, remote and/or underserved populations.

The successful candidate is expected to teach in the Master of Education and Doctor of Education programs. All teaching is fully online. The candidate will be expected to develop new courses as determined by the needs of the program and their research interests and also coordinate and revise existing courses in the program. All faculty members are expected to participate in administrative committees, including those pertaining to centre, faculty, or university-wide endeavors.

Additionally, members are expected to participate in service to the greater external community.

Qualifications:
A completed Ed.D. or Ph.D. in Education, Educational Technology, Instructional Technology, or a related field is required with extensive experience working for/with Indigenous communities/nations and peoples.

Experience with online systems of course offerings and distance education are required. Experience teaching online in graduate programs is required. Experience supervising graduate students is preferred. Evidence of research excellence at the graduate level, i.e., a robust research portfolio and a successful record of securing tri-agency or similar funds, is required.

Awareness and knowledge about open education is an asset.

A demonstrated connection with Indigenous communities/nations and peoples is required.

All educational credentials must be recognized in Canada.

The full job profile can be viewed at: AU Academic Role Description

How to Apply:
All qualified candidates will be considered. Applications will only be received and accepted through our online recruitment system. When applying, please include:

• A letter of application
• Curriculum Vitae
• Evidence of research effectiveness including
• A research statement
• A published article
• One or more research outputs (formal or informal knowledge dissemination that you want to highlight based on the CV)
• Evidence of teaching effectiveness, ideally a teaching dossier including
• A teaching philosophy statement
• Teaching or course evaluations if available
• A sample syllabus
• Artifact of teaching initiatives (e.g., websites, videos, podcasts)
• Names and contact information of three referees

Please note that applications from those with incomplete doctorates will not be reviewed.

Contact Information: For further information regarding this position, please contact Dr. Shabnam Inanloo Dailoo, Associate Dean by phone at 1-855-337-8590 or by email at [email protected].

To apply, please visit our Career Opportunities page.