TEP444H1 F - The Happy Engineer - Positive Psychology for Engineers

Course description: Humanities and Social Science elective Many disciplines have explored happiness - philosophy, anthropology, psychology, sociology, neurobiology, film, art and literature - to name a few.  Why not engineering?  During the first part of the course we will play catch-up, examining the scholarly and creative ways that people have attempted to understand what makes for a happy life.  Then we turn our attention to our own domain-expertise, applying engineering concepts like “balance”, “flow”, “amplitude”, “dynamic equilibrium”, “momentum” and others to explore the ways that your technical knowledge can contribute to a deep understanding of happiness.  This course is designed to challenge you academically as we analyze texts from a variety of disciplines, but it is also designed to challenge you personally to explore happiness as it relates to yourself, your own personal development and your success and fulfillment as an engineer. If the number of students electing to take the course exceeds the class size limit, selection of the final group will be made on the basis of an in-class assessment completed during the first class.

Posting end date: July 17, 2026

Number of positions (est): One (1) position

Estimated TA support: TBA

Estimated course enrolment: LEC 101 -150 students, LEC102 - 80 students

Class schedule: 1, 3-hour class per week, in person

Sessional dates of appointment: September 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026

Hours: 1 FCE (up to a maximum of 460 hrs) – 2 sections of course

Salary: CUPE minimum salary rates for a half course (HCE), inclusive of vacation pay, are: Sessional Lecturer 1 - $9,997.47; Sessional Lecturer 1 Long Term - $10,699.22; Sessional Lecturer 2 - $10,699.22; Sessional Lecturer 2 Long Term - $10,953.96; Sessional Lecturer 3 - $10,953.96 and Sessional Lecturer 3 Long Term - $11,212.15. Should rates stipulated in the Collective Agreement vary from rates  stated in this posting, the rates  stated in the Collective Agreement shall prevail.

Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must have extensive experience teaching both Positive Psychology and Leadership. The applicant must have experience and knowledge of evidence-based research that links a variety of positive psychology concepts to leadership effectiveness. Applicants should have a strong record of delivering engaging experiential lectures with an ability to explain concepts clearly and creatively as well as connect them effectively to the lived experience of the students. 

Preferred Qualifications: Experience teaching psychology, humanities and/or social sciences courses to engineering students. Preference will be given to candidates with a graduate degree in Positive Psychology, Leadership or related fields.

Description of duties: 

• Delivery of course material in an integrated lecture-practical format

• Creation of content that leverages engineering thinking in teaching positive psychology

• Assessment, feedback, and evaluation of student capability and improvement

• Ability to convert to online duties if required

Application Procedure:  Applicants should submit:

• Application documents must be submitted via the link found in the application form in one (1) file.

If during the application and/or selection process you require accommodation due to a disability, please contact Chanelle Small-Reid at  View email address on jobs.utoronto.ca.

This job is posted in accordance with the CUPE 3902 Unit 3 Collective Agreement. 

It is understood that some announcements of vacancies are tentative, pending final course determinations and enrolment. Should rates stipulated in the collective agreement vary from rates stated in this posting, the rates stated in the collective agreement shall prevail.  

Preference in hiring is given to qualified individuals advanced to the rank of Sessional Lecturer II or Sessional Lecturer III in accordance with Article 14:12 of the CUPE 3902 Unit 3 collective agreement. Please note: Undergraduate or graduate students and postdoctoral fellows of the University of Toronto are covered by the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 collective agreement rather than the Unit 3 collective agreement and should not apply for positions posted under the Unit 3 collective agreement.

Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities. and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the position. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.