Associate or Full Professor, Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography and Director of the Kule Folklore Centre

Competition 1602

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The Department of Modern Languages and the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta invite applications for the position of Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography and Director, Kule Folklore Centre. The successful candidate will take up a tenured appointment at the rank of Associate or Full Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies in the Faculty of Arts and assume the role of Director of the Kule Folklore Centre for a three to five-year, renewable term.

Position Summary

The Kule Chair in Ukrainian Ethnography is a professorial position established in 2004 through a major donation from Drs. Peter and Doris Kule to the University of Alberta. The research focus of the Kule Chair is on collecting and sharing observations related to Ukrainian folklore, customs and traditions, experiences, perspectives, and everyday practices in Ukraine and the diaspora. The Kule Chair is also responsible for teaching Ukrainian folklore, media studies, and related courses in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies (MLCS). The position comes with an annual research allowance funded by the endowment.

The Director of the Kule Folklore Centre is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Centre, including its governance, finances, programming, archives and events. The Director engages with diverse communities of donors, researchers, students and other stakeholders.

The successful candidate will:

• Hold a PhD (or equivalent) in Folklore or a related discipline (such as Cultural Studies, Ukrainian Studies, Slavic Studies, or other)
• Demonstrate familiarity with the diversity and interdisciplinary nature of contemporary folklore theories, methods, and fieldwork techniques, as well as knowledge of social, material, and oral Ukrainian traditions and cultures in the 21st century and their foundations in earlier times.
• Have expertise in one or more of the following areas of folklore studies: material or visual culture, diaspora studies, archiving, ethnographic methods, and general folklore. Folklore-inflected approaches to cultural studies/theory, gender and sexuality studies, critical race studies, (post)coloniality, popular culture, health humanities, and/or human ecology are also welcome. Intersectional approaches are encouraged.
• Have a record of research excellence in relevant field(s) of scholarship
• Have a strong record of teaching excellence and demonstrated ability to teach in the Folklore program and the broader program in Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, including the Slavic program.
• Be fluent in Ukrainian, both oral and written
• Demonstrate administrative and academic leadership skills, including providing leadership in organizing events, financial planning, and human resources management
• Have experience collaborating with academic and community partners and institutions
• Be willing to take an active part in the life of the University of Alberta community

Department and Centre Summary

The Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies (MLCS) is a multilingual multidisciplinary unit in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. The Department's history goes back more than 112 years and is closely intertwined with the foundation of the University of Alberta. MLCS is strongly committed to excellence in the research and teaching of literature, culture, and languages and has a rich array of specialists in applied linguistics, cultural studies, folklore, language and literature. Our wide variety of academic programs, both undergraduate and graduate (MA and PhD), encourage cultural literacy and multilingual proficiency.

The Kule Folklore Centre at the University of Alberta was established in 2001 as the Canadian Centre for Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography and received its current name in 2006. Its mission is to foster research and teaching in Ukrainian and Canadian folklore and ethnology at the University of Alberta, across Canada, and internationally and to connect Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Canadian communities globally. The Kule Folklore Centre aspires to become the most important centre for studying Ukrainian culture outside of Ukraine. The Centre also houses the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives.

Its current strategic priorities are:

• Conducting ground-breaking research in Ukrainian and Canadian folklore studies
• Maintaining and growing the Bohdan Medwidsky Ukrainian Folklore Archives
• Supporting undergraduate and graduate courses in Ukrainian folklore and vernacular culture
• Supporting researchers and students with scholarships and awards
• Engaging with diverse communities through publications, exhibits, lectures, workshops and more.

Working at the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Arts has 285 faculty members and more than 750 graduate students working in 16 departments and programs and 15 research centres and institutes. The faculty of Arts boasts diverse interdisciplinary research expertise and supports many outstanding and internationally recognized individual and collaborative research projects.

Edmonton and the University of Alberta are situated on Treaty 6 territory, the homeland of the Méts, and the traditional meeting ground and home for many Indigenous Peoples, including Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Dene, and Nakota Sioux. Established in 1908 as a board-governed public institution, the University of Alberta has earned the reputation of being one of the best universities in Canada based on strengths in teaching, research, and service. Edmonton, a city of nearly 1.5 million people, is the sixth-largest metropolitan area in Canada and has the second-largest Indigenous population. About 12% of Edmonton’s population is of Ukrainian descent, the largest percentage of any Canadian city. Edmonton has several Ukrainian pre-schools and Saturday heritage language schools, and the Edmonton Catholic Schools District offers Ukrainian Bilingual Programs from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The city offers the benefits of an urban lifestyle combined with high-quality schools, varied restaurants, excellent theatre, year-round festivals, reliable public transportation, and ample recreation opportunities.

Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications in accordance with the Faculty Agreement as per the negotiated salary scale. This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, which can be viewed at https://www.ualberta.ca/faculty-and-staff

How to Apply

To apply, please select the Apply Online icon below and submit the following:

• A detailed cover letter that includes:
  • highlights of the candidate’s career and qualifications
  • A statement regarding their interest in this position
• A curriculum vitae (CV), including the names/titles of three referees who could be asked to submit confidential letters of reference (please note that we are not requesting letters of reference in the initial application)
• A two-page research statement that outlines the applicant’s main areas of current and future research (Submit under “Research Plan”)
• A one-page statement of teaching philosophy. Please note that a teaching dossier may be requested at the next stage of candidacy (Submit as an attachment under “Statement of Teaching/Research Interests”)

Questions about the director position and Kule Chair can be addressed to the attention of Dr. Victoria Ruétalo, Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, via vruetalo@ualberta.ca, using Kule Chair and KFC Director position as the email’s subject.

Review of applications will begin on November 30 and continue until the position is filled.