Sessional Lecturer, INF2236H - Freedom of Information: Skills for Professional Practice

University of Toronto•Toronto, ON

10d•Onsite

About The Position

This course focuses on the ethics and practices associated with information access compliance for current and prospective public sector employees. The emergence of Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation over the latter half of the 20th century established a broad obligation for public sectors to engage in disclosure compliant information practices. Despite this the political logic that grounds FOI legislation is still a contested ideal, and the infrastructure required to operationalize findable and accessible records is unevenly distributed across public sector entities. This course engages students in the political theory and operational practice of FOI compliance for information professionals. Course topics include the political philosophy of FOI legislation as well as practical limitations to its scope and application; implementation of FOI in the context of public administration; and strategies to enhance compliance at individual, divisional, and sector-wide scales of practice. The vocational skills developed in this course will be instrumental for all students in the Masters of Information, in addition to enhancing the methodological skills of research interested students. The course can be used to fulfill the “Professional Values” Professional Requirement.

Requirements

Completed, or nearly completed, PhD degree in an area related to the course or a Master’s degree plus extensive professional experience in an area related to the course.
Teaching experience is preferred.
Must be located in geographical proximity to the applicable University premises in order to attend and perform duties on University premises as of the Starting Date.