Legal Studies - (2) Assistant or Associate Professors

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 invites applications for two tenure-track academic positions in the field of Legal Studies. 

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is the largest Faculty at Athabasca University and is home to a diverse community of educators, researchers, and learners committed to excellence in online education. As the Dean notes:

"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 Positions:
Applicants must clearly indicate in their cover letter whether they are applying for Position A or Position B.

Position A
This position at the rank of Assistant Professor commencing December 1, 2026, is a full-time position located in Alberta.

Athabasca University is a fully accredited and comprehensive academic and research post-secondary institution with a commitment to facilitating open access to education.

The Legal Studies area which includes the Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting program is housed within the largest Faculty, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, in Athabasca University's Centre for Social Sciences.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop and teach new courses, based on their research expertise and as determined by the needs of the program. The candidate will also teach, coordinate, and revise the existing courses in the program. Evidence of a strong research record and teaching excellence is required, and experience in supervising graduate students will be considered an asset. When opportunities arise, the successful candidate will be required to teach in the graduate program(s). Commitment to exploring and advancing the use of contemporary digital technologies in online teaching and learning is preferred.  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:
The successful candidate will hold a PhD in Law and have demonstrated excellence in teaching, a robust research record, and success in securing Tri-Agency or comparable external research funding. Applications are particularly encouraged from those whose scholarship critically addresses law in society. We are seeking a candidate with an active research program in one or more of the following areas: commercial law, dispute resolution, Indigenous laws, jurisprudence or legislative drafting. Candidates should address their areas of course specialization and preferred areas of course development and research in their cover letter.  Experience in distance learning and familiarity with digital teaching technologies would also be preferred assets.

Position B
This position at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor commencing December 1, 2026, is a full-time position located in Alberta.

Athabasca University is a fully accredited and comprehensive academic and research post-secondary institution with a commitment to facilitating open access to education.

The Legal Studies area which includes the Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting program is housed within the largest Faculty, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, in Athabasca University's Centre for Social Sciences.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop and teach new courses, based on their research expertise and as determined by the needs of the program. The candidate will also teach, coordinate, and revise the existing courses in the program. Evidence of a strong research record and teaching excellence is required, and experience in supervising graduate students will be considered an asset. The successful candidate will be required to teach in the graduate program(s). Commitment to exploring and advancing the use of contemporary digital technologies in online teaching and learning is preferred.  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. In addition to teaching in the undergraduate Legal Studies program, the successful candidate will teach in the Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting and will serve as its Program Director. This administrative responsibility includes a stipend and a partial teaching release.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will hold a PhD in Law and will have demonstrated excellence in teaching, a robust research record, and success in securing Tri-Agency or comparable external research funding. Applicants must demonstrate scholarship that critically addresses law in society, with expertise in legislative drafting, statutory interpretation, public law, or a closely related field. Experience in legislative drafting would be viewed as a strong qualification. Candidates should address their areas of course specialization and preferred areas of course development and research in their cover letter. Experience in distance learning and familiarity with digital teaching technologies would also be preferred assets.   

This full-time position is located in Alberta.

The institutional academic job profile can be viewed at: Academic Role Description

Application Requirements:
Applications must be submitted through our online recruitment system. Include the following:

• A letter of application
• Curriculum Vitae
• Evidence of research effectiveness, such as:
  • A research statement
  • A published article or other research output
• Evidence of teaching effectiveness, ideally in a teaching dossier, such as:
  • A teaching philosophy statement
  • Teaching or course evaluations
  • A sample syllabus
  • Artifacts of teaching initiatives (e.g., websites, videos, podcasts)
• Names and contact information for three referees

Contact Information:
For further information regarding this position, please contact Dr. Marc Nesca, Associate Dean  by phone at 1-866-441.5459 or by e-mail [email protected].

Athabasca First
Wherever possible, AU seeks to attract and hire qualified team members to reside in the Athabasca region. We will offer relocation assistance for the right candidate should you decide to relocate to the Town of Athabasca. As a resident of the town or county of Athabasca, you can choose to work on and from our beautiful campus in Athabasca.

To discover the Town and Region of Athabasca, go to: Visit Athabasca.

Athabasca First
Wherever possible, AU seeks to attract and hire qualified team members to reside in the Athabasca region. We will offer relocation assistance for the right candidate should you decide to relocate to the Town of Athabasca. As a resident of the town or county of Athabasca, you can choose to work on and from our beautiful campus in Athabasca.

To discover the Town and Region of Athabasca, go to: Visit Athabasca.

To apply, please visit our Career Opportunities page.