Dear colleagues,
In accordance with our University values and strategic plan (Aspire: Together for Tomorrow), I am pleased to issue this call for a special advisor to the provost on sustainability.
Aspire articulates a strategic commitment to fostering an Engaged, Healthy, Safe and Environmentally Sustainable Campus. This means "the University will accelerate and embed sustainability measures in research, teaching, and operations while fostering a culture that values the stewardship of natural environments, and social and environmental sustainability. The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals and the Principles for Responsible Investing will provide a strong framework for planning, enabling alignment with campus operations, research and creative activity, teaching, and community engagement, advancing our existing strengths in environmental research."
As announced late in 2023, the University has already set forth an ambitious institutional goal and timeline for carbon neutrality and developed campus actions to reflect broader sustainability goals.
The role of the Special Advisor to the Provost on Sustainability provides a highly motivated tenured faculty member with the opportunity to advance this work further. The Special Advisor will collaborate across the campus to move forward on a series of academic initiatives aligned with a commitment to sustainability. The exact nature of these projects will be determined in conversation with interested parties and by the interests and skills of the person who takes up the position. Initiatives may include working on a curricular project related to sustainability, playing a lead role in advancing our partnership with Wayne State on the United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development in the Detroit-Windsor region, or other relevant work. The larger aim will be to engage fully the core academic mission of the University to accelerate already existing work and branch into new areas aligned with our strategic plan.
To compensate the work, the provost's office will fund one (1) course release for the incumbent during each year of the two-year appointment (or equivalent workload reduction in case the successful candidate who doesn't have teaching as part of their workload, e.g. an AAS or Librarian). The special advisor will also receive a research grant fund in the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per year, which will be placed in a research grant account for the advisor's use. The grant will remain accessible for five (5) years after the end of the term and be governed by University policies on expenditure of research grants. During the appointment, the incumbent will accrue sabbatical leave credit.
To apply for this position, please submit a short brief (no more than two pages) outlining your relevant experience or interest in this area as well as your hopes and dreams for the position. Of particular value will be evidence of collaborative work that brings various parties productively to the table to advance key initiatives.
Please send your short brief and a CV to vpacademic@uwindsor.ca no later than Friday, March 29, 2024.
Thank you,
Robert Aguirre