JWAM Graduate Teaching Assistant Position for Journalism (JRNL 440 – 002 Imagine Journalism)

The School of Journalism, Writing, and Media seeks to fill 1 Graduate Teaching Assistant position for the 2026 Winter academic session. Current UBC 2-year Master of Journalism students are eligible to apply to assist with the following course: JRNL 440 – 002 Imagine Journalism Studio.

The GTA will need to be located in Vancouver and available to be on campus to perform duties as required.

Course	Term	Course Days	Hours per week	Positions Available
JRNL 440 – 002 Imagine Journalism	2 (Jan to Apr)	Wed 9:00 am to 12:00 pm	12	1 (full-time) GTA position

Please note that the GTA position is dependent on budgetary approval.

Qualifications:

Current student in the MJ Program, preferably an individual who has completed a year in the MJ program. The successful candidate must have content expertise in the section(s) they are assigned and be able to: take direction and then work independently; demonstrate organization and proficiency in managing multiple, complex tasks, some of which will be time-sensitive; communicate in timely and effective ways with students, instructors, and JWAM staff; undertake all responsibilities with integrity and professionalism, including working with student data.

The applicant will preferably have successfully completed coursework relevant to the particular course(s) they are applying for. Familiarity with the profession and practice of journalism required. Prior teaching experience is recommended. Knowledge of Canvas, online classrooms (Zoom), and video editing software are assets.

Duties will include the following:

GTA 1 or 2

Providing office hours for students in the course
Presenting material/lecturing (e.g., leading discussions/answering questions)
Conducting/holding review or tutorial sessions
Assisting students with activities during lectures
Corresponding with students via email; answering student questions on online discussion boards or by email; report issues observed during regular activities, such as academic misconduct, problems with assignments or students struggling with course material; monitoring and responding to student FAQs
Attend lectures and complete the corresponding readings
Supporting students to innovate with technologies
Participating in the development process along with students as they produce journalism projects
Creating, monitoring, and managing discussion forums
Tracking student attendance and/or participation and engagement on Canvas and in lectures
Marking/grading and managing formative and summative assignments; providing feedback on assignments (e.g., setting up discussion threads, quizzes)
Helping students deal with technical issues/liaising with JWAM Staff and Arts ISIT;
Helping instructor manage the course Canvas site, including creation of quizzes, rubrics, calendar entries, assignment submissions, module management, calendar
Compiling and interpreting data from student surveys and feedback forms

Hours of work: Varies by course, up to 12 hours per week for 16 weeks (192 hours) for a full-time TA position.

Note: For Imagine Journalism Studio – the ideal candidate would attend classes Wednesday for all of the three-hour session – as well as helping with feedback and editing as needed. Please note that TA positions can range from 25% to 100%, with hours and duties scaled accordingly.

Salary:

GTA 1 $40.16/hour, ($1,927.54 per month at 100%)
GTA 2 $38.65/hour, ($1,855.33 per month at 100%)

Application: A letter of application including your curriculum vitae, all contact information, your degree program and year of study, and description of experience in the discipline and specializations relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Deadline for applications is November 20, 2026.

Applications can be submitted here: https://jrnl.air.arts.ubc.ca/2026-gta-application-for-the-jrnl-440-002-imagine-journalism/

JWAM is committed to research and pedagogy that responds to and addresses historic inequities and therefore welcomes applicants who would contribute to our ongoing efforts to create an open and diverse community, one that fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged in the fields of journalism, writing, and academia in general.

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. We encourage all qualified persons to apply.

For questions, contact Prasad Rane, Administrative Coordinator at jwam.assistant@ubc.ca

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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.