Working with the Ancestors Coordinator

Department: Student Affairs

Position supervisor:  Rachel Barreca - Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Contract length: 5 months

Hours of work per week: 36.25 (note: we have flexibility to potentially consider a more part-time arrangement. If needed, please flag to the hiring manager in your application)

Position type: Short-term Temporary

Rate of pay: $38.81/hour

About Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more about our work environment, colleagues, leaders, students and innovative educational environment, visit www.torontomu.ca, check out @TorontoMet and @ECItorontomet on Twitter, and visit our LinkedIn company page.

About the Department 

This role is a member of the department of Student Affairs, and it will also work closely with staff and students in Indigenous Student Services.

Housed in the Office of the Vice Provost, Students, Student Affairs is a team of educators, learners, and professionals responsible for responsive, dynamic, and expert-led programs, events, and services that support students’ persistence and success and contribute to the academic endeavours of the university. We put student success at the centre of all we do. 

Our department provides academic, professional, and personal development opportunities for all students in a variety of formats including online, in workshops and 1:1 appointments, through peer support and professional advising, and in partnership with faculty and other campus partners. In communities of care, we share power with students and support their journeys as they create their own meaningful experiences. We ensure the voices and experiences of all students are heard and incorporated into our services, events and programs, and we work with students to co-create a more just, equitable, and inclusive experience for all at TMU.

Gdoo-Maawnjidimi Mompii Indigenous Student Services (GMISS) is a department within the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI). Indigenous Student Services provides a culturally supportive environment to promote academic excellence and serves as a place to balance academic learning with traditional teachings and culture. The role of this office is to provide specialized services for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students on campus and to develop a mutually productive relationship between TMU and the Indigenous Community.

The opportunity

Mi’kmaw Elder Albert Marshall defines Two-Eyed Seeing as: “To see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing, and to see from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing, and to use both of these eyes together” (Marshall as quoted in Peltier, 2018).

The Working with the Ancestors Coordinator will take a Two-Eyed Seeing approach to facilitate the co-creation of a framework for student success rooted in Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing for students at TMU. This framework will guide the Students Affairs department’s ongoing journey towards Indigenization and decolonization, including the collaborative work we do with GMISS, through to 2030 and beyond. This project will include:

1. Co-creation of the framework - based on the Student Life Cycle that informs TMU’s Strategic Enrolment Management plan as well as Indigenous teachings and ways of knowing, doing, and being;
2. Consultations with Indigenous students to inform the framework;
3. Creating a plan for the training and experiences the Student Affairs team will need to operate in a good way within the framework;
4. Creating a list of current good Two-Eyed Seeing and Indigenized practices in Student Affairs and opportunities for improvements;
5. Creating a list of new opportunities for ways the department can better support Indigenous student success at TMU; and
6. Co-creation of a plan to share the framework with the broader TMU community.

We are looking for candidates that identify as Indigenous with lived experience and are interested in supporting students from a shared background. Please note that the current work model is hybrid (2-3 days on campus per week), this may fluctuate depending on the project’s needs and is subject to change with appropriate notice.

Qualifications

Please outline in your resume/coverletter how you meet the following required qualifications: 

• Completion of a post-secondary degree in education, social work, sociology, Indigenous studies or a related discipline is required to gain relational, organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• A minimum 2 years’ experience in a post-secondary program coordinator role, coordinating the development, delivery and evaluation of support programs and services. 
• Lived experience of Indigenous Education issues as they relate to holistic development and Indigenous students in post-secondary education.
• Experience recognizing, understanding, empathizing, and working with diverse belief systems and ways of being.

• Experience with project management and student engagement.

• Experience conducting training and learning sessions.

Required skills and demonstrated knowledge

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build reciprocal relationships and deal with conflict through Indigenous models.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of adult learning processes and facilitation skills are required.
• Knowledge of a holistic learning approach in working with Indigenous learners.
• Knowledge of Indigenous learning methodologies, ways of knowing, and assessment.
• Knowledge of the intergenerational impact of Indian Act policies, specifically, Education policies (contemporary and historical).
• Organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong attention to detail and time management skills.
• Strong project and program planning, delivery, and assessment skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge of computer (MS Office, Google Suite, custom databases) and web/social media based applications.
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently.

How to apply

Submit a cover letter and resume via email to Rachel Barreca <rbarreca@torontomu.ca> with the subject line “Application for Working With the Ancestors Coordinator”. This posting will remain advertised until filled, with applications being reviewed on a rolling basis.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

• We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications. If you are an Indigenous applicant and require support during the recruitment process, please reach out to James McKay, Indigenous HR Lead at james13@torontomu.ca.
• Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and aims to ensure that independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity are embedded in all aspects of the university culture.
• We will provide an accessible experience for applicants, students, employees, and members of the Toronto Metropolitan University community. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the recruitment process. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to fully participate in any phase of the recruitment process,please reach out to Human Resources: 
  • Current employees can contact HR by logging into AskHR to submit a request.
  • External candidates who do not have TMU login credentials can contact HR by visiting torontomu.ca/human-resources/askhr/.
• All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.