JRNL Sessional Lecturer 2026/27

The School of Journalism, Writing, and Media (JWAM) invites applications for sessional lectureships to teach the following courses in the 2026-2027 academic year.

For more details on courses please see: https://jwam.ubc.ca/courses/

Course	Title	Credits	Schedule	Notes
JRNL 515C	Integrated Journalism	6	Tuesday 9:30 am -3:30 pm	Winter Term 1 and 2 (September – April)
JRNL 325	Fundamentals of Community Reporting	3	Monday 9:30 am – 12:30 pm	Winter Term 1 (September – December)

JWAM is committed to research and pedagogy that respond to and address historic inequities, and therefore welcomes applicants who would contribute to our ongoing efforts to create an open and diverse community.

Preference will be given to applicants with a terminal degree in Journalism (MJ or Ph.D.) but applicants without a Ph.D. who are ABD will also be considered. Preference will also be given to applicants with extensive journalism track record and experience teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

An excellent record based on relevant experience in journalism, journalism studies or related fields is required, as is experience working collaboratively. Preference will be given to an applicant with a background and expertise in digital/multimedia production, including experience with digital presentation/design/interaction and producing multimedia content.

Appointments are subject to budgetary constraints.

All applications must include:

Brief cover letter outlining your experience for the position and your commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion;
Curriculum vitae (CV);
Recent teaching evaluations or other evidence of teaching effectiveness;
Contact details of three referees who can speak to your teaching effectiveness.

Applications must be submitted online by August 19, 2026.

Please submit all application materials online as pdf files and follow the instruction provided on the application webpage: https://jrnl.air.arts.ubc.ca/sessional-lecturer-jrnl-2026-27-academic-year/

Applicants must be physically located and legally able to work in Canada for the duration of the appointment. All positions are subject to funding and are governed by Part 7: Conditions of Appointment for Sessional Lecturers.

The current minimum salary is $10,538.94 per 3-credit course.

Inquiries may be addressed to Dr. Kamal Al-Solaylee at jwam.director@ubc.ca.

In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. The University of British Columbia hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. We encourage all qualified persons to apply.

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, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

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Writing and Communication Capstone with Dr. Katja Thieme: WRDS 400

WRDS 400, the capstone course for the Writing and Communication minor, returns in the upcoming 2026 Winter term.

WRDS 400: Writing and Communication Capstone marks the completion of the WRDS minor, a relatively new program in the School of Journalism, Writing and, Media. The course is designed to be a culmination of the student’s writing and communication journey within the school. Students focus on both previous academic accomplishments and on how the knowledge gained from the minor can be used in their next career or academic plans.

Like the minor itself, WRDS 400 is an interdisciplinary course and is open to a wide array of students including those from the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science. Interdisciplinarity is a feature of the course, allowing for a regular exchange of ideas between disciplines and examination of the different forms of writing within. This enables students to develop a far more holistic understanding of writing principles and to extend their understanding of writing and communication outside the confines of their individual disciplines.

Interdisciplinarity is a feature of the course, allowing for a regular exchange of ideas between disciplines and examination of the different forms of writing within.

In preparation for the class, the students will be asked to assemble a portfolio of their past projects. This allows them to critically assess their own writing and identify links, patterns, and themes which can be further developed in their capstone project.

The WRDS 400 capstone project is unique in that the students’ work is not confined to one format or procedure. Students decide what form they want their project to take and how they will go about it. While students are encouraged, at first, to approach the capstone project like a conventional research assignment, the final product can evolve into a form that is different from what students might have imagined. The capstone project has also been designed to be flexible. There is no one fixed process for the development of the capstone project, and students work at their own pace.

Throughout the term, students’ work in the capstone project will be supported by collaborative activities such as regular class discussions and engagement with each other’s work. Additionally, students will be encouraged to present their work at the end-of-the-year WRDS Student Conference which will serve as a motivator and a key milestone in their writing and communication journey.

Dr. Katja Thieme, the current instructor for the course, shared that past students have chosen business reports, infographics, or film reviews for their capstone. She describes how vastly different the research and writing process were for each individual project undertaken by the students.

“They imagine the scope and then keep chipping away at it until it shifts and morphs, while still staying very research informed,” says Dr. Thieme.

The capstone project is central to the WRDS Minor program, and Dr. Thieme looks forward to guiding this year’s group of students through this process.

WRDS 400 will be taught by Dr. Katja Thieme in Winter Term 2. Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30 to 2:00 pm at Buchanan B208, from January 05 to April 08.

Writing Practices for Publics and Publication with Dr. Alexis McGee: WRDS 450

WRDS 450: Writing Practices for Publics and Publication, is a new course being offered in the upcoming 2026 Winter Term.

In a world where virality is the standard by which the quality of a work is often judged, Dr. Alexis McGee wants to help her students discover the value of long-form writing projects. Her new course WRDS 450: Writing Practices for Publics and Publication, is designed to equip upper-level undergraduate students with the necessary skills to hone their writing and prepare them for their next phase of life, school, or career.

For many students, the process of writing for publics and publications can seem quite daunting. This course works to demystify that process and familiarize students with writing over time and to prepare them for their future academic or professional careers.
Students bring research focus or interests that they would like to expand upon to the course. It is unique in that it places emphasis on the process of writing for public consumption rather than on producing a final product. Though the course lasts only a semester, the students are encouraged to start with a work already in progress and continue their projects beyond the end of term.

Dr. McGee wants students to stand on level ground with professors and view themselves as scholars and knowledge-makers.

The focus on writing for public and publications also enables the students’ writing to evolve outside the confines of assignment instructions and classroom expectations. Here, students will be taught how to take ownership of their writing while simultaneously engaging the public; finding common ground between their own interests and that of the public.

WRDS 450 is a perfect transitional course for students with the aim of furthering their academic and professional careers.

Writing Practices for Publics and Publications is an interdisciplinary course, perfect for students from across a wide range of disciplines who are looking to publish their research in academic journals or want to craft a writing sample for graduate school applications. The focus is to teach students how to refine their arguments, write about a topic for a sustained period of time and lay the foundations for a project that will likely continue beyond the course. Dr. McGee hopes that this course will give students with a better understanding of the work and time that goes into writing.

WRDS 450 will be taught by Dr. Alexis McGee in Winter Term 2. Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 11:00 to 12:30 pm at Buchanan B309, from January 05 to April 08.

Writing Disability with Dr. Jennifer Gagnon: WRDS 390

WRDS 390: Writing Disability is being offered for the first time in the upcoming 2026 Winter Term.

Though Disabled people are often the subjects of research, they are rarely centred as researchers and knowledge makers themselves. As of 2026, UBC does not have a dedicated program for Critical Disability Studies. WRDS 390: Writing Disability asks students to reflect on their positionality in relation to disability, making them conscious of accessibility and inclusion in creative and research processes.

We spoke with instructor Dr. Jennifer Gagnon about the approach to the course, who shared that “the course centres learning from Disabled writers and centering the intersectional multiple identities they hold”.

As is the case with critical disability studies in general, the course explores scholarly research as a form of activism and advocacy, which makes it perfect for students who are passionate about intersectionality, human rights and social justice. A Disabled scholar herself, Dr. Gagnon is keenly aware that her choice to be so frank and public about her identity is a form of activism in and of itself. Her experiences working with students who felt like UBC syllabi and courses did not adequately represent their experiences as disabled people, was one of the key motivations behind the creation of WRDS 390.

WRDS 390 does not limit writing to conventional textual writing. Instead, students are encouraged to negotiate their subject position in relation to disability and consequently, embrace the multiplicity of writing practices (image, video, art, comics, etc.) by giving them the freedom to adapt their writing and choose the style of composing that best suits their needs and purposes.

“Experiences of disabled folks can be something that is of benefit to everybody, because it is part of our shared humanity.” – Dr. Jennifer Gagnon

True to the tenets of critical disability studies, the course pushes the envelope on existing academic structures by interrogating how academic ableism is embedded in existing scholarly research and assessment practices.

Highlighting and bringing marginalized voices to the forefront, questioning conventional ways of knowing and expertise, and prioritizing the lived experiences of Disabled people are integral aspects of the course. The instructor recognizes that there is no one way of learning and demonstrating knowledge. “When we prioritize one way of doing,” says Dr. Gagnon, “we actually penalize other ways of doing that are equally valid.”

The course is ideal for those with lived experiences of disability as well as for any students who are interested in the topics of disability justice, accessibility, advocacy, intersectionality and other similarly relevant subjects. The course explores the concept of disability as identity and as diversity, and it invites those who do not currently identify with disability to reflect on how ableism already impacts their lives. Essentially, this course is relevant for everybody. Raising awareness and taking into account the experiences of Disabled people is a collective responsibility that falls on the shoulders of everyone.

WRDS 390 will be taught by Dr. Jennifer Gagnon in Winter Term 1. Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm at Buchanan B209, from September 08 to December 03.

JRNL Sessional Lecturer 2026/27