Ptarmigan Foundation Chair (Tenure-Track) – Indigenous Business & Economic Development 

The property

About MRU

Founded in 1910 and located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Mount Royal University grew into a vibrant college in the 1930s and became a mid-sized university in 2009. Mount Royal has carved out a distinct niche by offering smaller class sizes, a robust liberal education, and unique undergraduate programs. Currently, more than 14,000 credit students choose from 12 bachelor degrees and 36 majors.
 
Mount Royal University is located in the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of the Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut'ina, and the Iyarhe Nakoda. We are situated on land where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. The traditional Blackfoot name of this place is "Mohkinstsis," which we now call the city of Calgary. The city of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation.
 
Mount Royal University is committed to removing barriers and fostering the inclusion of voices that have been historically underrepresented or discouraged in our society. In support of our belief that diversity in our faculty and staff enriches the work, learning, and research experiences for the entire campus community, we strongly encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply and self-identify.
 

About the Faculty of Business & Communication Studies

The Faculty of Business and Communications Studies has a student body of approximately 3400 students and is composed of the Bissett School of Business and the School of Communication Studies. The School of Business hosts four departments: General Management & Human Resources, Accounting & Finance, International Business & Supply Chain Management, and Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Social Innovation. The School of Communication Studies consists of three departments: Public Relations, Information Design, and Broadcast Media Studies and Journalism.
 
The Bissett School of Business is an accredited member of EFMD, a global, non-profit, membership-driven organization dedicated to management development.
 

About the Department of Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Social Innovation

The Department currently offers a degree program in Business Administration with a major, minor, and certificate in Marketing, and minors and concentrations in both Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation. The Bachelor of Business Administration – Marketing program develops marketing professionals who can effectively blend insight, strategy, and creativity to bring extraordinary products, services, and campaigns to the marketplace. Students are exposed to marketing in many experiential learning settings and work with real-life clients, including non-profit organizations, marketing agencies, startups and large corporations, and in-house marketing teams across a variety of industries.
 
The concentration in Innovation and Entrepreneurship is designed to graduate curious and entrepreneurial minds who are innovative drivers of business development in dynamic, growth-oriented companies that they join or start. The minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship is offered to students across campus.  The concentration and minor in Social Innovation is designed to provide graduates with a clear practice to lead, design, and execute high-impact, transformative change in our communities. Empathy, creativity, consent, and courage form the bedrock of the science of social change and can be applied whether graduates envision joining the commercial sector in a values-driven organization, plan to participate in the public or civic sector, develop a new to world social innovation or enterprise that addresses a persistent systemic problem, or engage at the forefront of reconciliation and resurgence in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities across Canada.
 

About the Role

The Department of Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Social Innovation, Faculty of Business and Communication Studies invites applications for the position of Chair of Indigenous Business and Economic Development. This is a continuing, full-time tenure-track position, based at Mount Royal University and may require work at Old Sun College and in other Indigenous communities.
 
This Indigenous scholar is part of the Bissett School of Business, department of Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Social Innovation, and will play a critical role as the primary liaison with our partners at Old Sun Community College.
 
Old Sun Community College is a Siksika-led, Board Governed educational institution that operates as a comprehensive, non-profit organization on the Siksika Nation reserve. It is a multi-purposed, culturally based institution that offers accredited post-secondary courses, certificates, diplomas, and degrees via partnerships with recognized colleges and universities along with its own designed and developed Siksika Knowledge Courses. The College was named in honour of Chief Old Sun (1819-1897) who served as a medicine man, warrior, and leader of one of the largest of the Blackfoot Confederacy nations. In the Blackfoot culture, Chief Old Sun’s name NA TO SA PI translates to ‘Sun Elder’ or ‘Sun Old Man’ which implies ‘to see’, or ‘to gain insight’.
 
The successful collaboration between Old Sun and MRU which began in 1971, has led to a joint interest in creating an Indigenous Business and Economic Development concentration. This collaborative program would contribute to Siksika capacity building and align with Mount Royal University’s commitment to Indigenous economic development and to curricular Indigenization and Decolonization.
 
The Chair of Indigenous Business and Economic Development will play a critical role, building on the work already begun to move this important project forward.  To perform this role, it is essential that the person who holds the position has the lived experience and cultural orientation of First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit descent. Applicants must self-identify and are encouraged to demonstrate Indigenous community connection.
 
This is a teaching-focused role. Research and/or a program of scholarship is not a requirement.  However,  experience and expertise in research is welcome, and opportunities to engage in scholarship can be integrated into the role for the successful candidate.
 

Responsibilities

  • assist in the development and implementation of the Indigenous Business and Economic Development (IBED) concentration as well as other innovative curriculum options at the undergraduate level.
  • liaise with the Associate Vice-President of Indigenization and Decolonization to guide and support these efforts in the Faculty of Business and Communication Studies
  • collaborate with partners at Old Sun Community College and other stakeholders to advance Indigenization and Decolonization of the BBA curriculum
  • foster good relationships and facilitate partnership initiatives between BCS and the Indigenous Nations
  • course development, curriculum development, and teaching in the BBA program, OSCC and our role in developing courses for the IBED courses.
  • support the students of the program in their studies and their work, through their growth and development.
  • working within the practices and policies of the university, including various collective agreements, also working within the confines of First Nation Colleges/Universities Learning Policies, while keeping within the confines of each respective first Nation Ethical Principles and Cultural Protocols. 
 

Qualifications

A relevant PhD is preferred; a Master’s degree is required. A PhD in progress or DBA will also be considered.  The successful candidate should have a minimum of 7 years of experience working as an academic and/or a practitioner in Indigenous economies or Indigenous relations. In accordance with Section 11 of the Alberta Human Rights Act, this opportunity is limited to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. Candidates must self-identify (in their cover letter) in order to be considered for this position.
 
In light of false claims of Indigenous identity and in order to execute due diligence, short-listed candidates will be required to produce evidence of Indigenous identification, living within the community relations of family, community,and nation. This will require a letter of verification from the identifying community or supporting entities such as:
 
  • A letter from Band Council confirming that they are connected with the community;
  • Proof of status;
  • Proof of Indigenous/Metis identity.
 
In addition to the above, the applicant should demonstrate:
  • the ability to initiate and develop course material and other curricular content at the  undergraduate level;
  • a track record of accomplishment in two or more of the following areas:  teaching, curriculum development, professional service, community service, outreach, mentoring, and research training or collaboration;
  • the ability to produce scholarly outputs addressing the intersection of business and Indigenous communities (for example, Indigenous finance, management, organizational or community leadership, Indigenous economic development, entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary indigenous studies, and social innovation);
  • effective communication and interpersonal skill with a demonstrated ability to work in a collegial manner and contribute to the positive culture and aspirations of the University, Faculty, and Department;
  • appropriate service to First Nations Communities in the urban Indigenous context;
  • knowledge of appropriate protocols and Indigenous cultural norms;
  • commitment to continued practice of their culture(s), with evidence of strong ties to their ancestors, families, and/or traditional Knowledge Keepers as well as demonstrated experience building strong, positive relationships with a wide range of people, including Old Ones/Elders, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, and community leaders, Indigenous people living in urban settings, Indigenous and other scholars, and university community members;
  • experience and expertise in Indigenous pedagogies, research, and dissemination practices is valued. Non-traditional areas of research and/or research outputs are recognized in the assessment of a candidate’s research contribution. (This includes, for example, publication in non-peer-reviewed journals with greater reach into specific communities and peoples and other applied areas of scholarship such as community-based work or policy development).
  • candidates should also appreciate the diversity of our community, and exhibit skills as a consensus builder.
 
Career interruptions due to parental leave, family care, extended illness, or community responsibilities will not negatively impact the assessment of a candidate’s academic productivity.
 
Due to changing Covid-19 precautions, this role may possibly require the incumbent to temporarily work from home. Access to a secure personal computer and stable internet connection is required.
 
For further information, contact Donna Dumont Chair, Department of Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Social Innovation at ddumont@mtroyal.ca.
 

What We Offer

Talented and committed employees are the driving force behind student success. We strive to be an employer of choice among Canadian post-secondary institutions.
 
At Mount Royal University, we recognize that people are a combination of many intersecting identities; we work to cultivate an environment that welcomes the whole person and harnesses the strength that is available in our diversity, creating a rich and inclusive workplace.
 
Investing in the learning and development of our employees benefits the individual and the University. A variety of services, resources and programs encourage a healthy, productive workplace. Mount Royal University offers a competitive total compensation package, including health and dental benefits, pension, health and personal spending accounts, paid vacation, winter holiday closure, personal days, and a free membership in our fully equipped recreation centre.
 
Our campus offers the convenience of a full medical clinic, dentist, and pharmacy, as well as a variety of wellness services such as physiotherapists and massage therapists. Campus Recreation offers many activities, including personal training, fitness classes, climbing, aquatics, sports, tournaments, and certifications for students, employees,and the public.
 
Closing Date: Open Until the Position is Filled
 

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Listing Location

Calgary, AB, Canada

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The NAISA logo was designed by Jonathan Thunder, a Red Lake Ojibwe painter and digital artist from Minnesota. NAISA members inspired by canoe traditions among their own people sent examples to Thunder, who designed the logo with advice from the NAISA Council. The color scheme was chosen to signify those Indigenous peoples who are more land-based and do not have canoe traditions.