Course Lecturer – School of Information Studies at McGill University – Peel 3661

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McGill’s School of Information Studies Master’s program (https://www.mcgill.ca/sis/home) is seeking Course Lecturers to teach courses for Winter 2025.

INFS 608 Classification and Cataloguing (3 credits)

• Tuesday 17:35 – 20:25, in-person
• Course Description: Cataloguing in depth with a view to such specialties as original cataloguing, catalogue maintenance, and administration of the cataloguing department. Investigation of alternative methods of library documentation. The study of developments in international cataloguing standards, codes, and formats. Includes laboratory sessions.
• Requirements: The course lecturer should have a master’s degree from an ALA accredited program, and a minimum of 2 years experience as a professional librarian, preferably conducting online searches for a variety of clientele and in different databases.  Ideally, the candidate will have had taught a course on museology. A Master’s degree is required.

INFS 629 Information Security (3 credits)

• Monday, 17:35 – 20:25, in-person
• Course Description: Introduction to information security. Topics include basic concepts of confidentiality, integrity, and availability; security threats; malware; operating systems security; access control; network security (encryption, decryption, passwords and digital signature); security policies and practices; risk assessments; common criteria; privacy threats and protection techniques; cybercrime and cyber forensics.
• Requirements: The course lecturer should have successfully completed courses in information security at the graduate level. The lecturer must have at least two years’ experience in information security.  Ideally, the candidate will have had taught a course in Information Security.  Candidate should provide evidence of teaching effectiveness as shown by course evaluations.  A Master’s degree is required.

INFS 641 Archival Description & Access (3 credits)

• Tuesday, 14:35 – 17:25, in-person
• Course Description: Advanced theory and practice of archival appraisal, arrangement, description, and the creation of access tools to archival records and collections, including the selection and application of appropriate archival descriptive standards, metadata schemes, management tools, and outreach programs including the creation and dissemination of finding aids.
• Requirements: The course lecturer should have at least five years’ experience as a professional archivist in a university setting.   Ideally, the candidate will have had taught a course in the archival description and access. Candidate should provide evidence of teaching effectiveness as shown by course evaluations.  A Master’s degree in Information Studies (or equivalent) is required.

INFS 656 Abstracting and Indexing (3 credits)

• Thursday, 11:35 – 14:25, in-person
• Course Description: Principles and practical methods of abstracting and indexing. Topics include pre- and post-coordinate indexing, concept analysis, vocabulary control, construction and evaluation of thesauri and of indexes for books, periodicals, and series; emphasis on the role of the computer in indexing.
• Requirements: The course lecturer should have successfully completed courses in librarianship at the graduate level, including courses on abstracting and indexing. The lecturer must have at least two years’ experience as a professional librarian, preferably in an academic library. Ideally, the candidate will have had taught a course in Abstracting and Indexing. The candidate should provide evidence of teaching effectiveness as shown by course evaluations. A Master’s degree is required.

INFS 660 Enterprise Content Management (3 credits)

• Friday, 8:35 – 11:25, in-person
• Course Description: Library & Information Studies: Management of an organization’s content in digital forms that relate to the organization’s operational processes for compliance, governance and decision-making purposes. Addresses principles, strategies, methods and tools used in the lifecycle management of the content, including capture, workflow, classification, metadata, collaboration, preservation, and delivery.
• Requirements: The course lecturer should have successfully completed courses in information studies at the graduate level.  The lecturer must have at least two years’ experience in content management and content management systems. Ideally, the candidate should provide some evidence of teaching effectiveness. A Master’s degree is required.

INFS 661 Knowledge Management (3 credits)

• Friday, 14:35 – 17:25, in-person
• Course Description: An introduction to knowledge management and its links to information systems and information professionals. A broad overview of the creation, capture, codification, sharing and application of knowledge in both tacit and explicit forms. Emphasis is placed on the tools and techniques as well as the role of organizational culture.
• Requirements: The course lecturer should have successfully completed courses in knowledge management at the graduate level including the complete knowledge processing cycle, KM tools and technologies, the role of culture in successful KM as well as knowledge of the current professional landscape of KM.  Ideally the candidate will have professional experience in the implementation of KM in an organizational setting. Candidate should provide evidence of teaching effectiveness as shown by course evaluations. A relevant Master’s degree is required.

INFS 680 Introduction to Cybersecurity and Cryptography (3 credits)

• Schedule TBD, online
• Course Description: A general introduction to cybersecurity and cryptography. This course examines the main threats that organizations face towards the protection of data and information concerning its customers and trade secrets. It also covers, at a high level, the basic control mechanisms and processes that can be put in place to protect against these threats and a general introduction to the concepts of cryptography as a way to secure communications. Learning outcomes: By the end of this course, the students will: explain the fundamental concepts of cybersecurity, such as threats, cryptography, and vulnerability; describe the types of cyber-attacks, how they are implemented, and propose commonly used security hardening techniques and controls; perform threat and risk assessments at the network system, operating system, and software application levels; assess the security readiness of an organization; manage cybersecurity incidents and how to communicate them to an organization; develop policies to meet current security standards for an organization to adopt; assess ethical concerns in terms of security, privacy, and information guidelines and policies within national and international contexts.
• Responsibility: Teach an 8-week online course in cybersecurity. Prepare and improve online video recordings, quizzes, assignments, and virtual lab materials. Guide online discussions. Answer students’ questions. Guide students to complete assignments and projects.  Grading.
• Requirements: Successful candidates should have:
  • At least 10-year industrial experience in IT with strategic vision and broad knowledge in cybersecurity, from cryptograph to access control, from malware to risk assessment, from information security policies to cloud security.
  • Excellent track record of hands-on experience in cybersecurity
  • A Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree or a Doctoral degree in the relevant area. 
  • Previous experience in creating and teaching cybersecurity course(s)
  • Prior online and in-person teaching experience
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Have passion to be a good teacher

INFS 681 Modern Software Exploitation and Defence (3 credits)

• Schedule TBD, online
• Course description: This course examines modern exploitation and defense techniques for binary executables and web application and the practices that compromise modern protective techniques. The course is divided in two parts. The binary executable section covers a wide range of topics including reverse engineering, string format vulnerability, and code injection while the web security section will explore tools used against web applications such a cross-site scripting, session hijacking and SQL injection. Learning outcomes: By the end of this course, the students will be able to: compare vulnerabilities in binary applications; implement modern defence techniques against exploitation and understand the possibility of bypassing; conduct independent vulnerability analysis against binary applications; describe security issues and modern attacks against web application; perform independent security analysis against web application; examine the practices of software security development lifecycle and risk assessment.
• Responsibility: Teach an 8-week online course in cybersecurity. Prepare and improve online video recordings, quizzes, assignments, and virtual lab materials. Guide online discussions. Answer students’ questions. Guide students to complete assignments and projects.  Grading.
• Requirements: Successful candidates should have  
  • At least 3-year teaching experience in IT with expertise knowledge in software security and malware. 
  • Excellent track record of teaching experience in cybersecurity 
  • A doctoral degree or doctoral candidate in the relevant area 
  • Previous experience in creating and teaching cybersecurity course(s) 
  • Prior online and in-person teaching experience 
  • Excellent communication skills 
  • Have passion to be a good teacher 

INFS 682 Network and Endpoint Security (3 credits)

• Schedule TBD, online
• Course description: This course will cover network security and the various technologies, policies, and procedures that are used in combination to create multiple layers of protection within an organization’s computer network. The various vulnerabilities and threats to networks will be explored in detail, as well as the many network security controls that are currently available. Learning outcomes: By the end of this course, the students will be able to: describe the purpose of primary hardware and software components of computer networks; explain the fundamental concepts of common network and endpoint threats and attacks; evaluate modern defense techniques against exploitation and understand the possibility of bypassing at the network level; develop skills to manage security in network environments involving endpoint devices; conduct security analysis of a network system and its endpoints; assess network and endpoint security management approaches, security lifecycle, and risk assessment.
• Responsibility: Teach an 8-week online course in cybersecurity. Prepare and improve online video recordings, quizzes, assignments, and virtual lab materials. Guide online discussions. Answer students’ questions. Guide students to complete assignments and projects.  Grading.
• Requirements: Successful candidates should have  
  • At least 10-year industrial experience in IT with strategic vision and broad knowledge in network cybersecurity, endpoint security, and cloud security
  • Excellent track record of hands-on experience in cybersecurity 
  • A Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree or a Doctoral degree in the relevant area.  
  • Previous experience in creating and teaching cybersecurity course(s) 
  • Prior online and in-person teaching experience 
  • Excellent communication skills 
  • Have passion to be a good teacher 

INFS 683 Windows and Linux OS Hardening (3 credits)

• Schedule TBD, online
• Course description: Introduction to operating system hardening techniques for Windows and Linux. This course will cover both fundamental and advanced topics in operating system security. OS-related vulnerabilities and hacking process will be discussed. This course will cover access control management, credential management, process protection, memory protection, confidentiality and integrity policy, vulnerabilities, malware mitigation, logging, security auditing, system recovery, firewall configuration, intrusion detection tools, design principles, and security checklist. This course aims at arming students with the awareness of potential OS security breach and practical skills of securing a modern operating system. Learning outcomes: By the end of this course, the students will: understand the important components to be protected for an operating system; understand the modern hacking process and the attack surface for an operating system; develop analytic skills to evaluate the security setting of a Windows-based or Linux-based OS; be capable to enhance the security configurations of a Windows-based or Linux-based OS; master operational practices to secure an operating system from prevention to recovery; be capable to work against system vulnerability and malware; understand the basic design principles; be aware to human factors and recent trends in OS security.
• Responsibility: Teach an 8-week online course in cybersecurity. Prepare and improve online video recordings, quizzes, assignments, and virtual lab materials. Guide online discussions. Answer students’ questions. Guide students to complete assignments and projects.  Grading.
• Requirements: Successful candidates should have
  • At least 8-year teaching experience in IT with broad knowledge in cybersecurity. 
  • Excellent track record of teaching experience in cybersecurity 
  • A doctoral degree or doctoral candidate in the relevant area 
  • Previous experience in creating and teaching cybersecurity course(s) 
  • Prior online and in-person teaching experience 
  • Excellent communication skills 
  • Have passion to be a good teacher 

Please note the Faculty of Arts has standardized Course Lecturer contract start and end dates: the course lecturer contract will be from January 3, 2025, to May 10, 2025 inclusively. Please keep in mind the course start and end dates will not follow the contract dates. 

Salary will be commensurate with the salary scale for Course Lecturers, as described in the McGill Course Lecturers and Instructors Union Collective Agreement (https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/files/hr/mcliu_collective_agreement_-_final_version_for_printing_0.pdf).

McGill University is committed to equity in employment and diversity. It welcomes applications from indigenous peoples, visible minorities, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, women, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities and others who may contribute to further diversification.

The language of instruction at McGill is English, but a working knowledge of French would be an asset.

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, [email protected].

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.