Undergraduate Research Assistant: Alter-Pedagogies: Neurodivergent Research-Creation and Learning Otherwise

OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we work, stand and create.

OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design.

It is an exciting time to join the OCAD U community. The University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles—driving positive impact, decolonization, indigenization, and equity, environmental sustainability, emerging as a vibrant hub, student-centered approaches, innovation in learning, teaching, and research, and financial stewardship.

Project Details: 
Alter-Pedagogies is a SSHRC-funded Connections project that explores neurodivergent research-creation and approaches to teaching and learning that challenge conventional educational norms. The project will establish a Neurodivergent Research-Creation Community of Practice and support a series of workshops, public events and digital knowledge mobilization activities that bring together artists, educators, researchers and students.

Drawing on disability studies, neurodiversity studies, accessibility, artistic research and research-creation, the project explores how neurodivergent ways of knowing, creating, learning and relating can contribute to new possibilities for teaching and learning. Project outputs will be curated and shared through an accessible digital platform designed to support ongoing dialogue and knowledge sharing within and beyond art and design education.

Responsibilities:

• Working under the supervision of Dr. Maria Belén Ordóñez and Dr. Laura Thrasher, the two Undergraduate Research Assistants will play a central role in supporting and facilitating the Neurodivergent Research-Creation Community of Practice
• Co-facilitating monthly Community of Practice gatherings focused on neurodivergent research-creation, disability culture, accessibility, artistic practice, and alter-pedagogies
• Collaborating with participants to develop and support participatory sessions, discussions, activities, creative explorations, and shared learning opportunities
• Assisting with participant outreach, communications, and accessibility check-ins
• Helping foster welcoming, accessible, and inclusive environments that support diverse ways of participating, communicating, creating, and learning
• Collaborating with project leads and participants to identify resources, themes, and ideas emerging from community conversations
• Contributing to documentation, creative reflection, and resource development in ways that align with their creative practice, research interests, or lived experience
• Participating in occasional project meetings
• Contributing to a safe and secure environment for all members of the University community and its facilities

Qualifications:

• Current OCADU undergraduate student and/or recent graduate
• Interest in disability studies, neurodiversity, accessibility, research-creation, pedagogy, community engagement, or social justice
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including an openness to diverse communication styles and ways of participating
• Interest in facilitation, community building and collaborative learning
• Experience in student leadership, facilitation, peer support, community organizing or creative practice is an asset, particularly where it engages with neurodivergence, disability, accessibility, or inclusive learning
• Lived experience of disability and/or neurodivergence is welcomed and valued

Hours of Work: Total of 40 hours, over the periods of November 2026 and January 4, 2027 to June 30, 2027

Work Environment:The position will be a hybrid arrangement and include both in-person and remote work.

Compensation: $23.54 (Undergraduate Rate) per hour with an additional 4% in lieu of vacation and 6% in lieu of benefits

Please note the following:

• Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada for any employer (with a valid work or study permit, SIN and Canadian bank account). 
• Current students at OCAD University will be given priority consideration for all Research Assistant positions, with the highest priority given to those not currently holding any other TA/RA positions at the University. 
• This appointment is conditional upon funding of the Project by OCAD U’s external funding partner(s)  
   

Application Process:  

Applications should include:

1. A one-page cover letter explaining the candidate’s interest 
2. A curriculum vitae 
3. The contact information for two (2) referees 

Interested applicants are invited to submit their application in confidence addressed toMaria-Belén Ordóñez, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts and Science and Laura Thrasher, Educational Developer, Centre for Learning and Teaching lthrasher@ocadu.ca, online by clicking the “Apply for this Position” button below.

The review of applications will begin onOctober 22, 2026, and will continue until the position has been filled.

As an employer committed to employment equity, we encourage applications from members of equity-seeking communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.

We encourage members of designated equity-seeking groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire. 

OCAD U is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact People & Culture for more information or refer to OCAD U’s Policy of Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities.

All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.