Assistant Professor​/Associate Professor; Social Work

With this designated search, the School of Social Work and Human Service within the Faculty of Education and Social Work welcomes Black, Indigenous, and racialized candidates (BIR) to apply for a Tenure-Track Assistant or Associate Professor position to teach in the Bachelor of Social Work program at Thompson Rivers University.

This position is part of the university’s ongoing commitment to decolonization, reconciliation, and Indigenization of social work education and practice as evidenced in the Faculty’s Strategic Plan. The School aims to correct historic underrepresentation; therefore, this position is restricted to applicants who identify as Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit), or racialized. Racialized refers to people who are socially categorized and treated as non-white within a given society, a term often used interchangeably with People of Colour to highlight that race is not biological but produced through social and institutional processes.

Scholars who bring significant social work practice and educational experience and a passion for preparing undergraduate students for ethical, relational, and justice-oriented social work practice are encouraged to apply.
The anticipated start date is August 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. The successful candidate will teach at the Kamloops campus which is located on the traditional lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc within Secwepemcúlecw, the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc.

Program Details:
The Bachelor of Social Work program builds on over 30 years of offering accredited professional social work education in Canada. The program prepares sought-after, competent practitioners to provide service and leadership within regional, national, and global contexts to achieve social justice, respect for diversity, and social change. Graduates work in relational and anti-oppressive ways across a full range of services within and beyond Secwepemcúlecw.

The program is committed to embodied learner-centred education that supports students in understanding the barriers preventing people from reaching their full potential, as well as how to work with social movements and programs aiming to eradicate such barriers. A post baccalaureate certificate and Master of Social Work degree are in the School’s future plans.
The School of Social Work and Human Service is committed to redressing the legacy of residential schools and to advancing the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, including Two Spirit people (NIMMIWG). Indigenous and racialized perspectives are integrated throughout the curriculum and within several required courses including Indigenous People and Human Services, Decolonizing Social Work Practice ne Secwepemcúlecw, Social Work Practice with Diverse Populations, and Race, Racialization, and Immigration Policy.

The program emphasizes:

• The advancement and meaningful integration of Black, Indigenous, and racialized perspectives, Ways of Knowing, and Two-Eyed Seeing in practice;

• advancing community-based and relational practice;

• a signature pedagogy of practice readiness and field education;

• advancing social justice and ethical responsibility to people, place, and the planet.

The School of Social Work and Human Service and the Faculty of Education and Social Work are engaged in ongoing work to advance decolonization and intercultural understanding, including curriculum review and professional learning for non-Indigenous faculty and staff. The School is committed to supporting the recruitment, retention, and development of faculty from equity-denied groups. All faculty in their first year of their appointment receive 3 credits of reassigned time to assist them in settling into the new appointment.

Additionally, all new tripartite faculty receive a $7,500 research start-up grant. The School acknowledges that members of designated groups often have higher academic administrative workloads and the Chair of the School commits to developing a documented process wherein…