How do I apply to teach at the School?
Whether you wish to teach on occasion or become part of the Canada School of Public Service's faculty, you must first submit your CV to the Faculty Recruitment team at facultyrecruitment-recrutementcorpsprofessoral@csps-efpc.gc.ca. You will receive an overview of the recruitment process and be asked to complete a competency profile form. This form invites you to describe the depth and breadth of your experience in relation to the courses offered by the School in your fields of expertise.
How long will my application be kept active?
Your application to become a faculty member at the Canada School of Public Service will remain in our candidate inventory for two years from the date that it was submitted.
What is the difference between full-time, associate and visiting faculty members?
Full-time faculty members are hired on a two-year secondment basis. They:
- teach on a variety of courses from the School's catalogue
- deliver training in a virtual environment, up to two sessions per day (with the option to deliver some training in person)
- assist in the design and maintenance of courses and programs
- facilitate special events
- provide support and coaching to associate and visiting faculty members
- participate in professional development days for faculty members
- share their expertise with a wide network of full-time and occasional instructors
Visiting faculty members continue to work for their home organization. Their employment tenure does not change. They:
- commit to teaching one or more courses at the School for a specific number of days per fiscal year (average of 20 days)
- teach on a voluntary basis through a collaboration agreement between the School and the instructor's home organization
- there is no monetary exchange between the two organizations
- the agreement is renewable each year, in December.
Associate faculty members are employees of the Canada School of Public Service. They also:
- commit to teaching one or more courses for a specific number of days per fiscal year (average of 20 days)
- teach on a voluntary basis, through a collaboration agreement between directorates within the School
- the agreement is renewable each year, in December.
Do I have what it takes to teach at the School?
Individuals wishing to become part of the School's faculty must have recent and significant experience in one or more fields of expertise offered by the School. They must also have the potential to learn and apply the principles of adult education.
Candidates must:
- have demonstrated knowledge and experience in one or more fields of expertise offered
- have the support of their manager
- have excellent communication skills in either French or English or both
- be at ease with the learning technologies used at the School to deliver courses
Certification in one or more of the following fields may be an asset:
- coaching
- insights
- DISC
- project management
- Professional Scrum Master
- lean
How do I find instructor-led courses?
In the School's learning catalogue, under Browse by product type, select Courses. On the left-hand-side menu, filter your search by selecting Classroom and Virtual classroom under Delivery type.
Is there training I can take to develop my skills as a facilitator?
Yes. New School faculty are enrolled in a course entitled Training for New Learning Facilitators (COR138). This course, offered exclusively to new facilitators at the Canada School of Public Service, introduces best practices, facilitation techniques and classroom management skills for preparing and delivering learning activities such as courses or events. Through a blend of self-paced content and virtual classroom instruction, participants will be presented with opportunities to observe, interact with and learn from experienced instructors and their peers when engaging with an audience of adult learners.
This course consists of a series of modules that contain both self-study and group learning activities. The time commitment needed to complete this course is about 28 hours (15 hours of virtual instructor-led time and 13 hours of individual self-study) over a 4-week period for bilingual sessions and over a 3-week period for separate English or French sessions.
Topics include:
- reviewing adult learning principles
- identifying different behaviours commonly found in the classroom
- devising effective strategies for engaging with a learning audience
- practising facilitating in a virtual environment, including using the web conference learning platform
- exploring facilitation techniques and classroom management skills for use in traditional and virtual classrooms
At the end of the course, participants will be asked to prepare and deliver a sample lesson to demonstrate their newfound facilitation, presentation and communication skills. This lesson will be assessed and must be completed successfully to pass the course.
When will you be recruiting next?
Faculty recruitment is ongoing at the School. There are no set dates for recruitment, as our efforts are based on faculty turnover, new courses being launched, specific skill sets required and course demand. Check the School's website regularly for recruitment advertisements.
How long is the recruitment process?
The recruitment process may take 3 to 6 months. The time you take to complete your file, including the competency profile and collaboration agreement, as well as your availability to attend the Training for New Learning Facilitators (COR138) course may add time to the recruitment process.
What are the steps in the recruitment process?
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Step 1: The Faculty Recruitment team receives your CV.
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Step 2: The Faculty Recruitment team sends you a competency profile form to complete. The Faculty Recruitment team contacts individuals based on the recruitment needs in various fields of expertise.
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Step 3: Your CV and competency profile are shared with the School's relevant business line authority, who confirms your expertise and experience.
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Step 4: You may be invited to an interview and a simulation exercise.
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Step 5: If you are preselected by the business line authority, you will be asked to complete a collaboration agreement and to participate in the training and evaluation for new facilitators joining the School.
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Step 6: Once you have successfully completed the training, you will be asked to observe a seasoned faculty member delivering the courses you will facilitate prior to facilitating on your own.
What is a collaboration agreement?
A collaboration agreement is completed by an associate or visiting faculty member, and signed by their manager and the School. It is a voluntary, ex gratia agreement to provide pro bono services for the purpose of delivering courses on behalf of the School for the benefit of public service employees. Associate and visiting faculty members agree to provide an average of 15 to 20 instruction days per fiscal year. The agreement is renewable each year, in December.
What does an associate or visiting faculty member commit to?
Each faculty member must commit to:
- attending the Training for New Learning Facilitators (COR138) and successfully completing the evaluation activity
- signing a collaboration agreement each year
- attending a session of the course or courses they have been recruited for as an observer
- allocating enough time to prepare to teach the course (for example, one preparation day per teaching day when you teach the course for the first time, and half a day for subsequent times)
- reviewing course evaluation content to identify areas for improvement
- abiding by the instructor code of conduct and responsibilities and the minimum technical requirements included in their collaboration agreement
- delivering the course content as provided
Is my collaboration agreement still valid if I change departments or agencies or change positions?
No. Your collaboration agreement is no longer valid if you leave your department or agency or if you change positions within your department or agency. If you want to continue teaching once you are in your new position, you and your delegated manager will need to sign a new collaboration agreement. The collaboration agreement ensures that your manager supports your development as an instructor and allows time in your schedule to commit to teaching the courses assigned to you.
What should I do if my situation changes once I have signed an agreement?
If your work situation changes, you will need to notify the School's Faculty Recruitment team immediately at facultyrecruitment-recrutementcorpsprofessoral@csps-efpc.gc.ca.
Which platform is used to deliver virtual training?
Webex Meetings or MS Teams are the platforms used to deliver all virtual instructor-led courses.
Are all courses delivered virtually?
For the most part, yes. In August 2020, instructor-led courses began to be delivered virtually. A limited number of courses are delivered in person. Consult the School's learning catalogue for more information on virtual and classroom courses.
What are the minimum technical requirements for faculty?
Delivering quality virtual training requires access to a computer with an internet connection. High-speed broadband access is highly recommended to create the optimal learning experience. Suggested minimum requirements will be provided for hardware, software and connectivity to deliver effective virtual training.
What if I do not possess the minimum technical requirements for faculty?
You will have the option to use the equipment and classroom provided in your region's Learning centre, when available.
How are visiting and associate faculty members assigned their course schedule?
The School's planning team proposes a selection of upcoming dates, 6 to 9 months in advance, to visiting and associate faculty members. Each member has the opportunity to select the course dates that work best with their individual work schedule.
How do I prepare to teach the courses I am assigned?
Faculty members must first observe other faculty members teaching the course they have been assigned. This is an opportunity to take notes, become familiar with the course flow, and get an idea of the type of questions learners may ask during the course.
Faculty members also have the opportunity to contact the business line representatives for the courses they have been assigned to get additional insights into the course.
Most importantly, faculty members must also allocate sufficient time to prepare to teach the course (for example, one preparation day per teaching day when delivering the course for the first time, and half a day for subsequent times).
Is my performance as a facilitator monitored?
Yes. Your performance as a facilitator is monitored through observation and feedback.
Quality assurance observations: On a yearly basis, a Quality Assurance (QA) team representative will attend one of your assigned classes. The mandate of the QA team is to ensure that faculty members engage learners, are knowledgeable in the subject matter and provide a safe and inclusive environment that is conducive to learning. You will be notified ahead of time when a QA observation is scheduled for one of your deliveries.
Participant feedback: Participants receive a request to complete an evaluation questionnaire following each course they complete. This questionnaire is used to measure and record learners' level of satisfaction with the instructor's teaching ability and knowledge of the subject matter, as well as their overall satisfaction with the training. You will receive the results and comments each quarter or sooner, as required.
What is the self-declaration information used for?
Candidates have an opportunity to self-identify in the competency profile, for example as an Indigenous person, a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, a racialized person, or a person with a disability. This information is used for the sole purpose of assessing instructor fit and assigning courses to instructors who best meet the course design and learning objectives within a field of expertise.
You may self-declare as belonging to both the Indigenous peoples group and the racialized peoples group if you are of mixed ancestry, such as having a parent who is Indigenous and a parent who belongs to a racialized peoples group.
