The School of Planning invites applications for a sessional lecturer position for the courses listed below. This is an important role that is highly valued by the School.
These positions require a minimum qualification of a Bachelors degree in Planning or allied discipline, a Master’s degree in Planning or a closely related field is preferred. Evidence of prior teaching experience and/or training should be provided. PhD candidates are welcome to apply, and should normally have completed their comprehensive exam, and research proposal degree milestones, to be candidates for these positions.
Typical duties include developing and delivering course content and assessments (including a course syllabus), 3 hours of classroom time per week, weekly office hours, course administration and regular communication with students regarding course content and special circumstances, developing assignments and/or tests, grading of student work, and the preparation and posting of final grades.
Some courses include TA allocations, depending on studio components and enrollment. If applicable, sessional lecturers are responsible for managing assigned TAs. Usually, these courses are delivered in the classroom at the University of Waterloo main campus. However, this may change depending on circumstances related to the pandemic. The sessional compensation rate per course for 2024-2025 is $8,910 (+4% vacation pay) for the term.
Applications are accepted via the webform only, multiple submissions are accepted. Applications need to include a detailed CV or resume, and a short letter outlining teaching qualifications and fit with the proposed course (1 page max). Offers will be made on a rolling basis. Applications are accepted until the position is filled. Deadline for fall courses - July 28, 2024 | Deadline for winter courses September 30, 2024.
Note: Additional information about the programs can be found: Undergraduate program requirements, Graduate program requirements.
Mandatory safety training includes Employee Safety Orientation (SO1001), Workplace Violence Awareness (SO1081) and WHMIS (SO2017).
Please contact Environment School of Planning to obtain the most recent course outline as a general guide.
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as Indigenous peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis, Inuit/Inuk), Black, racialized, people with disabilities, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+).
The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Mark Seasons, Director, School of Planning (mark.seasons@uwaterloo.ca).
Fall 2024 Term
- PLAN 309 Site Planning and Design Studio | STU 0.50
This course introduces students to the site planning and design process for individual or small-scale urban sites. Through focused site visits and analysis exercises, students develop skills in common site planning research and design procedures including the inventory and analysis of a site's natural, built, and social conditions; programming and concept development; and the development of technical drawings that are part of the site plan approval process. Lectures and studio discussions and critiques will help students develop a critical understanding of the economic and policy contexts that inform site planning solutions.
Additional Fees: This course may have additional fees.
Prerequisites: PLAN211 - Design Studio Foundations
Held with: PLAN 646 - PLAN 320/GEOG 319 Economic Analyses for Regional Planning | LAB, LEC 0.50
This course will focus on the analytical tools and techniques used to inform planning and economic development decisions. Students will build on knowledge from prior courses to think critically about analytical techniques and identify their pros and cons in understanding the workings of local economies. Students will develop their understanding of employment and demographic forecasting, economic strength analysis, and cost-benefit analysis. Students will enhance their ability to analyze and evaluate local economic and demographic change. Students will also learn specific local economic analysis techniques and understand their role in informing public policy.
Prerequisites:ENVS278 - Applied Statistics for Environmental Research - PLAN 451 - Environmental Planning in Rural and Regional Systems | SEM 0.50
This course explores environmental planning in rural and regional systems. Students will learn how planning can help address environmental problems (e.g., climate change, biodiversity loss) in distinct rural contexts, how regional approaches to planning help improve capacity to address environmental issues, and how planning tools can be adapted within rural and regional systems. Students will also develop skills in participatory rural appraisal, collaborative planning, and stakeholder analysis.
Prerequisites:Students must be in level 3A or higher
Winter 2025 Term
- PLAN 110 - Visual Communication and Design for Planners | LEC, STU 0.50
This course explores multiple forms of visual communication and design. Students will be introduced to two and three-dimensional drawings that are relevant for urban planners and designers. Students will gain practical design skills using both hand drawing/sketching and computer software. A key component of this course is student development of a critical understanding of the role of planners as producers and consumers of visual imagery. Students will also learn and experience design as an iterative process.
Additional Fees: This course may have additional fees.
Prerequisites:Students must be in level 3A or higher - PLAN 203 - Transportation Planning and Mobility | LAB, LEC 0.50
This course explores transportation planning in the broader context of human mobility, including the history of transportation systems (passenger and freight), transportation planning tools and techniques, transportation demand management, and transportation system sustainability. Students will learn about the factors shaping transportation systems over time, the connections between transportation systems and broader societal trends, and the specific techniques used in transportation planning. Students will develop skills in how to evaluate the utility of different transportation modes, examine system performance from different perspectives, and conduct demand forecasting and analysis. The course helps students deepen their understanding of the complex interplay among land use, transport systems, and equity explored in prior courses.
Prerequisites: Students must be in level 3A or higher - PLAN 211 - Design Studio Foundations | STU 0.50
This is a studio-based course through which students will examine contemporary urban design challenges and apply theory and technical knowledge to the development and presentation of design interventions. The course emphasizes the development of qualitative and quantitative visual analysis skills, as well as the expression of design ideas through a range of manual and digital visual communication techniques. Students work in both individual and group settings to perform research and analyze a small-scale study area and, through studio discussions and critiques, develop creative design solutions.
Additional Fees: This course may have additional fees. See the academic unit for details.
Prerequisites:Students must complete the following,PLAN210 - Community Design Fundamentals for Planners
Special Consent Required to Add: Instructor Consent
- PLAN 401 - Conflict, Negotiation, and Tribunals in Planning | LEC 0.50
The course will explore the concept, causes, and roles of conflict, noting potential positive as well as negative characteristics of conflict in planning practice. Various conflict resolution strategies will be examined, including alternative dispute resolution (ADR), negotiation, and mediation. The roles of formal planning tribunals will be discussed through a review of tribunal mandates and practices in Canada and abroad. The course will use simulations to develop students' skills in approaching difficult conversations and active listening.
Additional Fees: This course may have additional fees. See the academic unit for details.
Prerequisites:Students must complete the following, level 4A or higher, Enrolled in H-Planning
Held with: PLAN 601 - PLAN 483 - Land Development Planning | LEC 0.50
This course provides a planning perspective on the design, economics, and financing of land development projects (e.g., residential high-rise condominium, low-rise residential subdivision, infill, intensification, brownfield redevelopment, and/or industrial/commercial land development). The perspectives and roles of public and private sector planners will be examined in this course. Students will learn about sources of financing, review land use planning principles and policies, and discuss the environmental and engineering aspects of land development. Students will acquire skills in project risk analysis and pro forma calculation. This course may include a field component.
Additional Fees: This course may have additional fees. See the academic unit for details.
Prerequisites: Students must be in level 3B or higher.
Held with: PLAN 602/ECDEV 612 - PLAN 703 - Planning Professional Practice | LEC 0.50
Professional practice responsibilities and ethics, administration methods, financing, and organization are considered in the context of the nature of organizations, politics and economics.
Prerequisites: Enrolled in GDip in Planning, MA in Planning, MA in Planning-Aeronautics, MES in Planning, MES in Planning-Aeronautics, Master of Planning (MPlan), or PhD in Planning - PLAN 705 - Design in Planning | Online 0.50
The foundation of this course is the intersection of the strong relation between urban design as the shaping of urban space and urban planning as the strategic and regulatory mediation of urban change. Establishing the basis of this relationship, the course critically explores contemporary issues in urban design and their implications for urban futures, planning, the environment, and the public realm. Case studies drawn from around the globe are featured.