TEACHING ASSISTANT (TA) TRN312H1S: SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES IN ETHICS, SOCIETY, AND LAW

Term: January 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. Compensation: $53.44/hour (plus 4% vacation & subject to statutory deductions) for approximately 198 hours.

About the College

Trinity College is a vibrant and diverse academic community with a rich history and an excellent local and international reputation. Since its founding in 1851, the College has valued and fostered a high level of academic achievement with some 2,000 currently registered students, 450 of whom live at the College. The Trinity College campus grounds comprise spectacular historic buildings. The College is the smallest college on the St. George Campus of the University of Toronto, located in the central Toronto downtown core, steps from the Bloor – St. George subway station and Queen’s Park.

About the Course

Course Code: TRN312H1S: Sustainability Issues in Ethics, Society, and Law
Lecture: Wednesday, 3 – 5pm
Tutorials: Friday 10 – 11am, Friday 11am – 12pm, Friday 12 – 1pm
Enrolment: 90

This course examines sustainability through an energy justice lens, providing a multidisciplinary framework for understanding the ethical, socio-political, and legal dimensions of contemporary environmental challenges. As societies confront the accelerating impacts of climate change, questions of justice, equity, and responsibility have become central to sustainability debates.

The course begins by tracing the historical and theoretical development of sustainability and energy justice, exploring key concepts such as distributive, procedural, and recognition justice. Students will engage with foundational philosophical and ethical perspectives, examine the political structures that shape climate governance, and analyze legal frameworks that influence environmental decision-making at local, national, and international scales. Particular attention is given to how energy systems intersect with issues of inequality, Indigenous rights, environmental racism, and global development. We will examine how sustainability is anchored in the law, and analyze real-world implications through case studies spanning pollution, health, climate change, and food systems.

In addition to the weekly lectures, the course will have weekly tutorial discussions and insights from energy/environmental justice professionals (guest lectures). The course draws from a wide variety of materials—including book chapters, journal and newspaper articles, legal cases, reports, and policy briefs.

Prerequisites: TRN203H1, TRN204H1
Co-requisites: None
Exclusions: TRN321H1 (offered in Winter 2020)
Arts & Science Breadth Category: Society and Its Institutions (3)

Responsibilities

• Lead three weekly tutorials
• Attend weekly lectures
• Hold office hours (1 hour per week)
• Read assigned course materials
• Invigilate a midterm and final exam
• Grade all assignments (including essays and exams) for students in tutorial sections
• Respond to student questions by email outside of scheduled office hours
• Work with the instructor and second TA to maintain a Quercus course page
• Assist with other duties as determined by the course instructor and program director

Requirements

• Current doctoral students who have completed at least one year of their program or recent graduates of a doctoral program
• Likely programs of study include Political Science, History, Global Affairs, or Public Policy
• Strong academic teaching ability
• Excellent presentation and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a collegial manner with the course instructor