The Faculty of Forestry at the UBC Vancouver campus is seeking to hire part-time sessional lecturers in the new Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship (BILS) program. This is an interdisciplinary, four-year undergraduate program created to prepare students to design and implement comprehensive land stewardship systems that are grounded in Indigenous earth-based land ethics – systems that can operate in complex dynamic environmental systems, and inter-governmental environments to foster our next generation of land stewards.
The program includes innovative and diverse courses in areas such as Indigenous ways of knowing, ecology, law and governance, economics, communication, business management, research and data management methods, and community capacity building.
The majority of the courses in the program are multi-access — offered in-person and online — with mandatory in-person attendance for three field courses that occur at the beginning of years 1, 2 and 3.
The successful candidates will deliver core lectures in-person or online; coordinate with guest lecturers; organize and run lab sections if required; develop tests and assignments; mid-term exams, and grading; and hold office hours weekly.
In-person teaching would happen at the UBC Vancouver campus, and online teaching would only be possible should the successful candidate reside in Canada during the duration of the course. For non-Canadian/Permanent residents, you will be responsible for ensuring that you are legally entitled, pursuant to Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s requirements, to work at UBC.
The expected salary range for these positions is $3,000 to $4,500 per credit.
We are seeking to hire sessional lecturers in the following courses in 2025W Term 1 and Term 2 (September 2025 to April 2026).
| Course Number | # credits | Course title | Short Description | Dates Offered |
| ILS 101 | 3 | Introduction to Natural Resource Stewardship | Introduction to the principles of ‘caring for the land’ and integrating this ethos into natural resources management, including topics on caretaking for the land, animals, and future generations; sacred places; and the principle of interconnectivity of all living things. | Multi-access offering – Sept to Dec, 2025 |
| ILS 103 | 3 | Decolonization and Natural Resources | Introduction to Indigenous People’s history, cultures and experiences, and the effect on control over natural resources, drawing from local to international perspectives, with a focus on how decolonization, as an analytical lens, can transform institutions and Indigenous People’s everyday lives. | Multi-access offering – Sept to Dec, 2025 |
| ILS 106 | 3 | Holistic Resource Stewardship | Introduction to holistic resource stewardship and the interconnectivity of all living things. A holistic resource stewardship approach is taught, and students learn to operationalize a holistic stewardship plan | Multi-access offering – Jan to April, 2026 |
| ILS 108 | 3 | Plant Identification and Dendrology | Introduction to structure, diversity and development of trees and other plants, drawing from Indigenous and western knowledge systems. | Multi-access offering – Jan to April, 2026 |
| ILS 200 | 3 | Field Measurements | Introduction to different techniques commonly used in field surveys, including assessments of landforms, soils, vegetation patterns and cultural features. This is a one-week field school to be held in late Sept/early October at UBC Forestry’s Malcolm Knapp Research Forest. | In-person offering – Late Sept to early Oct, 2025 |
| ILS 201 | 6 | Ecology 1 – Foundations | Foundations of ecology, the interaction of organisms and the environment, drawing from Indigenous and western perspectives. Topics include organismal, population, community and ecosystem theories | Multi-access offering – Sept to Dec, 2025 |
| ILS 204 | 6 | Ecology 2 – Disturbance and Climate Change | Foundations of disturbance from Indigenous and western perspectives. Topics includes natural (fire, wind, flood, climate) and anthropogenic (logging, dams, mining, climate) disturbances in both intact and altered landscapes. | Multi-access offering – Jan to April, 2026 |
| ILS 300 | 3 | Interventions on the Land | Interventions on the land, drawing from Indigenous and western perspectives. Topics covered include problem diagnostics and the design and implementation of holistic interventions. This is a one-week field school to be held in late Sept/early October at UBC Forestry’s Malcolm Knapp Research Forest. | In-person offering – Sept to early Oct, 2025 |
Applicants should apply via UBC Workday JR20002 . Applications should include a cover letter, a CV and the names and email addresses of three employment references. Please indicate in your cover letter which courses you are applying for.
Review of applications will begin March 17th, 2025, and continue until the positions are filled.
Questions about the positions may be directed to Dr. Carlos Ormond, Program Director, Bachelor of Indigenous Land Stewardship Carlos.ormond@ubc.ca.
All positions are subject to enrolment, funding and will be governed by UBC’s Agreement on Conditions of Appointment for Sessional and Part-time Faculty Members.
The University is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are accepted, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process, we will make efforts to create an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates). Accessibility requests or other accommodations are available on request for all applicants. To confidentially request accommodations, please contact the Faculty of Forestry Associate Dean Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Hisham Zerriffi (Hisham.Zerriffi@ubc.ca).
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.