A cluster hire means that we will be hiring a cohort of faculty at the same time, in this case, eight, and whose start dates will align (August 2023) such that they can be supported as a community and share in a sense of community with each other.
Cluster hires have been a common practice at many universities and colleges in North America, originating as a practice in the United States in the 1990s with the goal of addressing the under-representation of equity-seeking groups among faculty. In the last few years, they have become a common practice at Canadian colleges and universities as a strategy to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action on Education by building capacity for the integration and teaching of Indigenous curriculum in postsecondary institutions.
Cluster hiring ensures that we take a thoughtful and intentional approach to hiring Indigenous faculty, developing the roles in dialogue with community partners, and fostering community for new faculty once they’ve been hired.
To support our new colleagues, the College will provide culturally appropriate on-boarding and transition supports including mentoring, an Indigenous faculty community of practice, and access to Traditionalists and Elders.
Section 14 of the Ontario Human Rights Code permits special programs that assist groups to achieve or attempt to achieve equal opportunity, which includes special hiring programs. The provisions in this section of the Code can be applied specifically to a hiring program for Indigenous applicants with respect to the historical and systemic discrimination and oppression, including legal and political, that has resulted in under-representation in postsecondary education.
The College’s objective with the Indigenous Faculty Cluster Hire process is not to hire on the basis of identity, but to address under-representation of Indigenous knowledge and expertise in curriculum and pedagogies which will be needed as we continue to undertake and anticipate changes to programs and the development of new Indigenous programs and areas of study. Each of the hires will support the development of opportunities for Indigenous learning, curriculum, and teaching, as well as the expansion and support of community programs.
While identity is intricately tied to Indigenous knowledges, new faculty will be hired for their qualifications with respect to the bona fide requirements of their roles, as is the case for any faculty hire, and they will be valued for the knowledges and ways of knowing they bring and that will enrich our curriculum and learning environments.
For each of the eight roles, the job postings lay out educational and professional qualifications that reflect the requirements of the roles and that are consistent with comparable roles in their fields, as well as standards set by the sector and professional bodies, including accreditation standards where relevant.
More importantly, the College continues on its journey to recognize and value Indigenous knowledge systems and ways of knowing and the avenues by which applicants have developed their knowledge and skills, often outside of or despite colonial institutions and practices, which includes traditional, community-based education systems as well as lived experience. For First Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants, lived experiences are bound up with and cannot be separated from their knowledge and expertise for Indigenous faculty roles.
The hiring committees will include and will be guided by Indigenous Centennial College colleagues who will help to assess community knowledge and lived experience, which will be considered in relation to and on par with all educational and work qualifications and experiences.
Yes and no. Individual hires will follow the same process and meet the same requirements (for example, as required by the Academic Employees Collective Agreement) as for any other faculty hire. This will ensure that our hiring process remains fair and equitable.
However, certain aspects of the Cluster Hire process will be coordinated across the eight hires, including such aspects as the job postings, community outreach, and start dates. The College will also provide culturally relevant onboarding and community supports for new hires once they join the College.
Training and professional development opportunities are also being organized for the hiring committees and academic leadership, as well as Indigenous and anti-racism learning modules for all managers at the College to roll out prior to the start dates of the Indigenous Cluster Hire.
The Cluster Hire does not supersede the Academic Collective Agreement. Priority consideration for full-time and partial load academic employees will be the same as with any other faculty selection process. If you have questions pertaining to this cluster hire, get in touch with your Local 558 representatives via phone, email, or their webpage.
Identity for Indigenous peoples and communities is complex. The College recognizes that in seeking to affirm the identity of Indigenous applicants, it risks reproducing or perpetuating historical and colonial policies, processes, biases, and cultural assumptions that are oppressive and may cause applicants harm. At the same time, we recognize how important it is for our Indigenous colleagues and communities to ensure that we hire faculty who represent the nations, communities, and identities they say they represent.
The College will work closely with and be guided by its Indigenous employees and Indigenous community partners to follow culturally appropriate protocols to affirm the identity of successful applicants prior to the start of employment.
The College welcomes applications from all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis applicants, including status and non-status, Afro-Indigenous applicants, those with strong connections to or formal affiliations with First Nations or Inuit and Métis communities across Turtle Island, as well as those who, as a result of the legacies of the Residential School System, the Sixties Scoop, and other colonial policies, are still coming to know their own identities and connections to community.
If you’re not directly involved in one of the hiring committees, the most important thing you can do to support your new colleagues is to educate yourself.
The Centre for Faculty Development and Teaching Innovation (CFDTI) hosts a wide range of Indigenous-focused learning and professional development opportunities, symposia and guest speakers throughout the year. The Innovation, Inclusion, Reconciliation and Healing (IIRH) division also offers regular programming and will soon launch an employee professional development program in anti-racism, the Fundamentals of Indigenous Education and Anti-Racism program. Watch out for updates in the CFDTI Compendium to register for workshops, events and learning opportunities.
You can also take courses to learn about Canada’s history with Indigenous peoples, the legacies of the Residential School System, Sixties Scoop, and other colonial policies and their ongoing implications for education. See, for example, the Indigenous Canada course offered by the University of Alberta.
Questions about the job postings can be directed to careerinquiries@centennialcollege.ca
If you would like to discuss the role and your eligibility confidentially with an Indigenous member of the Centennial community, you can email:
Seán Kinsella,
Director, The Eighth Fire
skinsella@centennialcollege.ca