Jessica Fields

Biography

Jessica Fields is a Professor in the Department of Health & Society. She has a Master’s in English, a Master’s in Sociology, and a PhD in Sociology, all from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  In her role as Vice-Dean Faculty Affairs, Equity, & Success Jessica contributes to the Strategic Complement Planning and Faculty Recruitment & Retention, as well as oversees Faculty Human Resource (HR) support, consulting with Academic Chairs and Directors on departmental and unit governance. Professor Fields leads and coordinates equity initiatives and education, monitors implementation & outcomes of inclusion initiatives, while responding, as appropriate, to inequities in faculty affairs and trajectories. She also develops and implements faculty orientation, mentoring, and career development, in collaboration with the Vice-Principal Research & Innovation and other Vice-Deans. 

For administrative matters pertaining to the Vice-Dean's portfolio, including scheduling a meeting with the Vice-Dean Faculty Affairs, Equity & Success contact: Suma Philip, Executive Assistant to the VIce-Deans.

7 Questions with Vice-Dean Faculty Affairs, Equity, & Success, Professor Jessica Fields

1. What can you tell us about a project you are currently working on?  Our office has declared 2023-24 the Year of Mentorship. We’re working with the Mentoring Excellence and Diversity (MEAD) advisory committee to amplify the mentorship opportunities already in place though our office and to identify additional opportunities. We hope faculty and librarians will participate in writing groups, seeking out academic coaching, join workshops for academic administrators, and bring their ideas to us. The aim is to support faculty and librarian success and to give us all a chance to connect with and support one another after a challenging few years.
2. If you had to define yourself in three words, what would they be?  Loyal, collaborative, grounded
3. What do you enjoy most about your role?  I appreciate the opportunity to advocate for faculty members and librarians on a campus with an explicit and demonstrated commitment to addressing histories of exclusion and injustice in university education. UTSC struggles with those histories and we have plenty of work to do, but that commitment is an invaluable starting point.
4. Why U of T Scarborough? That commitment makes all the difference to me. In my research, teaching, and service and drawing on the work of educators like Paolo Freire and bell hooks, I’ve approached education as a place of liberatory possibility. I see that possibility at UTSC.
5. What important lesson have you learned in your current role?  To lean on and learn from the talented colleagues surrounding me.
6. What is the one thing people likely do not know about you?  I carry a deck of cards in my bag, just in case anyone’s up for a game of cribbage or euchre.
7. Which movie, book, or show makes you laugh the most?  Community