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Search for a Dean, Faculty of Law 

UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY 

2500 University Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 

The University of Calgary (UCalgary), located in the heart of Southern Alberta, both acknowledges and pays  tribute to the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy  (comprised of the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations) as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation,  and the Stoney Nakoda (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations). The university recognizes  that the City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 & 6). By virtue of the signing  of Treaty 7 in 1877, the University recognizes that we are all treaty people. The City of Calgary is home to  a culturally diverse community. Together, we share this land, strive to live together, learn together, walk  together, and grow together in a good way. 

From unique experiential learning opportunities and courses that will prepare students for tomorrow’s  legal services market, to one of the highest articling placement rates in the country, UCalgary Law is producing some of the best graduates. 

Reporting to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic), the Dean of the Faculty of Law is responsible  for providing strategic leadership, academic direction, community engagement, fund development, and  administrative oversight to Canada’s most innovative law school. The Dean plays a pivotal role in  shaping the future of legal education at the University of Calgary. They will work creatively and  collaboratively to articulate the vision for the faculty and develop, implement and adapt strategies and  initiatives that meet the needs of students, staff, faculty, and stakeholders. As a champion of Indigenous  engagement and equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, they will elevate the faculty’s reputation,  scholarly excellence, and world-renowned research by adapting to current and future trends and  creating innovations that will advance legal education and practice.  

The Dean will engage and lead an experienced team that promotes collaboration, high impact academic  and research activities, and develops interdisciplinary partnerships through a shared vision with other  faculties and university stakeholders. As an open and trusted decision maker, the Dean will inspire and  cultivate relationships with students, faculty, staff, and alumni to sustain and enhance the reputation of  the Faculty of Law at University of Calgary. They will focus on deepening existing relationships and  building new relationships with internal and external stakeholders in the legal and business  communities, and with Indigenous, Black and racialized communities. The Dean will promote a vision  that will build partnerships, attract resources, and secure funding for sustainability and growth. 

The successful candidate will hold a Juris Doctor (J.D.), graduate degree in law, or PhD, and qualifications commensurate with an appointment with tenure at the rank of full Professor. They will possess a level  of scholarship and professional acumen that will allow them to speak to both scholarly communities and  the legal profession. The ideal candidate has the ability to lead change given the evolving environment  of legal education and practice, inspire intellectual curiosity and creativity, and balance internal and  external engagement. Candidates preferably have experience in a senior role as an academic leader including a Dean or higher, an Associate Dean, a Chair of a department or as a Director of an Institute or  Centre, or an equivalent academic framework. Candidates coming from industry or academia will have  a proven capacity to advocate, build trust, influence, and collaborate. They will demonstrate success in  support of academic productivity, participate in philanthropic and fund-raising efforts, and possess the ability to build strong relationships with local, national, and international communities, government,  and alumni.  

The successful candidate will provide leadership in creating space for diverse perspectives, a  commitment to freedom of expression, and will actively lead the local implementation of university  strategies including Indigenous (ii' taa’poh'to'p), Sustainability, Global Engagement, Mental Health, as  well as an emerging EDIA strategy. The appointment as Dean, Faculty of Law is for a five-year period  with the possibility of renewal. The successful candidate will be offered an academic position “With  Tenure” at the rank of Professor.  

About The University of Calgary 

UCalgary is a global intellectual hub located in Canada’s most enterprising city. UCalgary is a bold and  spirited institution, recognized as one of Canada’s top research universities, grounded in innovative  teaching and learning, and fully engaged with the community it serves and leads. 

“Great cities are built around great research universities and cities that successfully reinvent themselves do  so in partnerships with focused, world-class institutions. The fate of Calgary and UCalgary are inextricably  tied. Our community has supported us, and now is the time to show returns on those investments for the  benefit of our community. Our ambition is nothing short of UCalgary being a catalyst of economic growth  and quality-of-life improvements in this city and beyond.” 

UCalgary recently unveiled its Ahead of Tomorrow strategic plan, which articulates a 7-year vision out  to 2030. It's a bold vision that reflects our ambition to increase access to future-focused education, to  maximize the impact of our research and innovation, to put the community at the centre of all that we  do, and to make our operational processes clearer, simpler and better than any other university. To learn more about UCalgary’s strategic plan, visit: http://ucalgary.ca/about/ahead-of-tomorrow  

Despite its youth, at only 57 years of age, UCalgary is already one of the nation’s leading research  universities. It has five campuses in Calgary, one in Qatar, a University Innovation Quarter in Calgary,  and five research stations in Alberta, BC, and the Yukon. UCalgary is a global intellectual hub for high quality research and scholarship, one where students thrive in programs made rich by research, hands on experiences, and entrepreneurial thinking, grounded in innovative learning and teaching; it is fully  integrated with the community it both serves and leads. As a Comprehensive Academic and Research  University, we aim to produce the next generation of leaders who experience the best possible training  in acquiring and creating new knowledge.  

These foundational values and commitments enable excellence, discovery, creativity, and innovation  across the research ecosystem. With over 28,000 undergraduate students, 8,000 graduate students, 575  postdoctoral fellows/associates (postdocs), and 1,800+ faculty actively engaged in transdisciplinary  discovery, creativity, and innovation across 14 faculties and schools, and supported by 3,200+ staff, we  deliver over 250 degree and non-credit programs – undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees,  postdoctoral training, and continuing and professional education programs. We increasingly attract  domestic students from within Alberta and across Canada, and our knowledge and experience are  enriched by international students from over 119 countries.  

With over $545M in annual research revenue and more than 50 research institutes and centres, UCalgary  has become known as a research powerhouse in Canada. The scholarly environment at UCalgary encourages our students, faculty, and staff to take on the tough challenges facing our society and to draw  expertise from across all our domains to develop evidence-based solutions. We integrate research into  graduate and undergraduate curricula, equipping students with transferable problem-solving skills  tested in experiential and work-integrated learning scenarios to increase employability and  opportunities for professional advancement.  

UCalgary benefits from the ongoing support of our community, which rallies behind the university,  recently completing the third-largest fundraising campaign in Canadian history, surpassing $1.4B.  

UCalgary is a large and complex institution that drives tremendous value with an annual consolidated  budget of more than $1.6B, it is among Calgary’s largest employers, and generates over $16B annually  in economic impact to the province. Two-thirds of the university's 220,000 alumni live and work in the  Calgary area, effectively building a city of leaders and those dedicated to improving quality of life and  prosperity. 

UCalgary has been recognized for eight consecutive years as one of Alberta’s Top 75 Employers (2017– 2024) and Canada’s best diversity employer (2017–2024).  

To learn more, visit ucalgary.ca. You can also view the academic and research & innovation plans, as  well as the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility, Indigenous, mental health and sustainability strategies.  

About Calgary 

Recently ranked the most liveable city in North America and 5th in the world (2024) by The Economist  Intelligence Unit, and possessing one of the youngest populations of major cities in Canada, Calgary is  home to world-class attractions, sporting amenities and public infrastructure that supports a healthy  lifestyle, making it a great place to raise a family (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnh WugziiiHwMT44-sVwrA). Situated where the Canadian plains reach the sunny foothills of Canada’s  majestic Rocky Mountains, Calgary is a major urban centre surrounded by an area of profound beauty  with an awe-inspiring mountains, lakes, rivers and gorgeous prairie.  

Consistently rated by the United Nations as the world’s best country to live in, Canada is the world’s  second largest country by total area and is one of the most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations.  Canada ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil  liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education. 

To explore this opportunity further, please send your CV and Letter of Interest in confidence,  with the subject line “Dean of Law” to: apply@jssearch.ca  

The University of Calgary’s comprehensive benefits and pension program is designed to promote a  productive level of health and well-being to staff members. In Alberta, decanal salaries are provincially  regulated with the total compensation maximum set by the reform of Agencies, Boards, and Commissions  (Post-Secondary Institutions) Compensation Regulation. In alignment with this regulation the salary range  for this position is $260,000 - $350,000. To learn about our comprehensive benefits package for this  Calgary-based, English-speaking position, please visit https://www.ucalgary.ca/hr/benefits-pension.  

The University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning  and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing  barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success  while they are here; in particular, we encourage members of equity-deserving groups (women, Indigenous  Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities and diverse sexual orientation and gender  identities) to apply. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent  residents will be given priority. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any  stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding diversity at  UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for  accommodation can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).