Hoop 2: Faculties, Departments, and Programs

Hoop 2

Faculties, departments, programs

Indigenous curriculum and research development.

Explore Hoop 2

Why

While it is unlikely that all faculties will be able to hire Indigenous professors, this cannot be a barrier to including Indigenous epistemological and ontological knowledge and methodological approaches within their curriculums. Therefore, 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� encourages all teaching programs on campus to consider introducing Indigenous principles specific to their disciplines, because they have the potential to effectively support student learning while also promoting innovation through new forms of knowledge production.

For instance, the Faculty of Engineering could work with Indigenous knowledge holders to develop curriculum around the principles of canoe and kayak construction or around the issues of water conservation, management and protection by working with knowledge holders who carry the teachings related to water. The Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics’ expertise in climate change could be strengthened by the introduction of traditional knowledge around hydrology, changes in plant life and animal behaviours. Curriculums will be supportive of generative practice. Additionally, support should be provided to those professors, departments and faculties interested in curriculum revitalization and transformation in this fashion.

This dual strategy will engage Indigenous students more effectively and increase enrolment at 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ�.

When

Short term

How

Ensuring that there are appropriate support people in various sectors of the campus, such as the Indigenous community engagement officer at Mashkawazìwogamig (position already filled) who can assist with building the appropriate community connections faculty members need to pursue new research programs.

Additional support is required in the form of an Indigenous curriculum specialist within the TLSS to assist faculty members.

This additionally requires the creation of a place within the University where there is a critical mass of Indigenous scholars who can bring in Indigenous intellectual traditions, to rethink existing fields, disciplines and approaches across campus (see hoop 2.2 and 2.3). It is not feasible for each program or faculty to develop this capacity on its own.

There are also specific goals/targets that each faculty should meet to make this happen:

Each faculty should commit to seconding one or more of its professors to be trained as academic Indigenization leads.
Each faculty should establish a committee on academic Indigenization that will work with the Indigenous Affairs office and the academic Indigenization leads.
Training should be coordinated by the Indigenous Affairs office and the renewed Institute of Indigenous Research and Studies.

Cost

Hire, at a minimum, one Indigenous curriculum specialist within the TLSS (with a goal to hire others as need arises).

Potential for creation of new course code(s) as curriculum is redesigned due to research directions and outcomes.

Who

Provost | Deans | Vice-Provost, Academic Affairs | Vice-Deans

Update

Significant strides have been made across several faculties to create courses and programming with Indigenous-specific content. These faculty-led initiatives demonstrate a sustainable model where academic units incorporate Indigenous content through their regular curriculum development processes. Sharing successful approaches across faculties can help extend these practices throughout the institution.

Why

The program was created in 2004 at the behest of the Algonquin community with a view to making 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� a safer place for its young people and as such, it serves as the cornerstone of any 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� plans to Indigenize the campus.

Any Canadian university seeking to be a world-class centre for research innovation must have a strong Indigenous studies program because it is the intellectual space in which the exploration of traditional knowledge as a body of thought can be undertaken within the cultural contexts that created it, and not as a comparative form of study. Furthermore, for research and teaching to be truly thoughtful and innovative, it requires dedicated spaces where Indigenous scholars are pushing the boundaries of existing disciplines, identifying and questioning disciplinary practice, and remaking field after field. This must be done in our university.

When

Short term to start, long-term commitment

How

While preparing the paperwork to completely transform the program and its offerings by conceiving an Institute of Indigenous Research and Studies, the undergraduate EAS program underwent and is undergoing an external review. The external reviewers’ report supports the overall direction that the program is proposing—one centred on the hiring of a cohort of dedicated professors specializing in Indigenous studies and dedicated to Indigenous research methods and principles.

The revitalized institute and program can tap into the enormous potential in the National Capital Region by providing a professional master’s and a PhD program integrating Indigenous knowledge(s). Such programs will be of interest to people working in national Indigenous organizations and the federal government. Graduate-level programs build innovative research and the capacity that they build can help lead the academic Indigenization of 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ�. Furthermore, the addition of graduate studies to EAS will service a region with no obvious competition; the nearest Indigenous studies graduate program is at Trent University, which offers collaborative graduate studies programming with Carleton. There are no stand-alone Indigenous studies graduate program in eastern Ontario.

The only viable alternative to re-creating EAS is to shut down the program altogether. This would be an unmitigated disaster in terms of our relations with the local Algonquin community, as well as other local Indigenous communities and organizations, one that would put at risk all of the University’s Indigenization efforts and its research with Indigenous communities.

Cost

Currently the program relies on the teaching of three cross-appointed professors in geography, history and political studies (and two of those three have direct contractual obligations and responsibilities to the program), a research chair whose courses are cross-listed to the program, an instructor on a limited-term contract and a range of part-time professors. The program was allocated two new positions and hiring has taken place, with a Tier 2 CRC and regular faculty member in place January 1, 2020 and July 1, 2019 respectively. The Institute also received permission to hire two additional faculty members for 2020–21. While these hires are in the right direction, in and of themselves they are not enough to support the teaching needs of the undergraduate program, let alone build a graduate program. Indeed, the program needs to continue to grow if the University is to keep these new hires.

Additionally, new tenure-track faculty members are needed to support the teaching program and the development of the institute’s research mandate. As recommended by the external evaluators, this must also include a senior Indigenous scholar with the administrative experience to develop a graduate program and to support the research junior faculty in establishing their careers.

Funding for an Indigenous expert council to advise and support the department is required; their role will be to ensure the quality of the program in relation to community needs and inclusion of traditional knowledge.

Support the establishment of a visiting scholar program, which will require space allocation and IT support but no other financial commitments.

A fellowship located at the Institute for Indigenous PhD candidates who are in the last years of completing their dissertation would give 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� an edge in recruiting new faculty (see hoop 1.2 and hoop 2.4.1).

Who

Provost | Dean of Arts (primary) | Other deans (secondary)

Update

The revitalization of the Institute of Indigenous Research and Studies (IIRS) has proven to be both essential and complex. The Institute has made notable progress in faculty hiring, which has strengthened its academic capacity.

The Institute continues to evolve its approach to fulfill its foundational mandate of serving Indigenous students and communities through research, teaching, and community-based collaboration. Moving forward, strategic coordination between the IIRS and Faculty of Arts can help maximize resources and identify collaborative opportunities to further the Institute’s mission.

Why

Undergraduate students have been asking for more experiential learning and research opportunities in, with, and for Indigenous communities. At this time, there are some opportunities available because of connections made by individual faculty members and their funded research programs, but there are a few course-based experiential learning opportunities. It is possible to create these types of courses through Indigenous Studies in particular, but also in the faculties of Education and Law, and the Social Work program, for example. Experiential, including (but not limited to) land-based courses, can provide students with immersion experiences in language and community history and politics. If properly done, they will strengthen the University’s relationships with Indigenous communities and increase possibilities for collaborations and research. Initial progress has been made towards expanding experiential learning opportunities that engage students with Indigenous communities, knowledge systems, and land-based practices. Ongoing collaboration with Career Development and Experiential Learning has established promising foundations.

When

Medium term

How

Creating these opportunities requires building capacity by hiring additional Indigenous faculty members as well as appropriate supports in the form of Indigenous Affairs personnel within faculties. Leveraging current faculty expertise and community connections can help develop culturally grounded experiences while exploring mutually beneficial community partnerships that align with institutional capabilities.

Cost

Set up a system of fee payment to communities. Students can pay additional tuition for experiential courses, but 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� needs to develop a policy for paying communities and/or knowledge keepers for their expertise, whether it is in the form of a sessional stipend to the additional instructors or a contribution agreement with the community, or both. This cost cannot be entirely assumed by students via tuition; this would be prohibitive for students.

Who

Provost | Vice-Provost, Academic Affairs | AVP, Student Affairs

Why

Recognizing that first-year students come to the University from a variety of backgrounds and informed by multiple experiences, our intent is to develop a pathway with academically grounded programming that builds the confidence, knowledge and skills to be successful. At the same time, we will connect them to one another and to our campus community. Students in this pathway will be brought together as a Learning Community. This Indigenous Learning Community will begin their university careers surrounded by students with similar interests and goals, be introduced to programs and colleges across campus related to their interests, and be assigned peer mentors—a team of expert learners—who will help first-year students develop the academic skills needed to flourish.

The University will establish this program through the shared participation of Indigenous Affairs and SASS, who can collaborate with the appropriate faculties to develop core academic support programs to nurture an annual cohort of Indigenous learners following admission and registration. Indigenous course components should be a core requirement within this pathway.

When

Medium term

How

Planning will be undertaken and managed by Indigenous Affairs, the Office of the Registrar, and SASS and will involve those faculties such as Arts, Social Sciences, and Science with BA and BSc programs to negotiate the right course structure.

Cost

Tuition can be the vehicle to support this program and the mentorship/tutoring supports, but there may be some costs associated with the administrative startup. We will consult with FNMI governing bodies to ensure that the pathway developed is fundable based on their financial procedures/requirements.

Who

Provost | Academic and administrative support units as required

Update

This hoop point is at an early conceptual stage but remains a priority for some FNMI communities.

Relevant stakeholders will be invited to continue discussions to explore how current academic support frameworks might be adapted to better serve FNMI students.

Why

There are practical, ethical, and moral considerations involved in working with First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities, which have cultural and procedural requirements based on their own governing practices and expectations. Faculty and students at 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� should be aware of these considerations when developing their Indigenous-focused research projects.

Within Indigenous communities, the most widely referenced framework for governance over research, community knowledge and data, is known as :

Ownership: Indigenous communities have ownership over their information and cultural knowledge.
Control: Indigenous communities have control over how their information is used or accessed—and must be consulted and give informed consent to all stages of the research cycle.
Access: Indigenous communities must have access to their own information and ultimately decide on group and individual access rights based on cultural needs and protocols.
Possession: Indigenous communities are stewards of their own information and data and responsible for its security.

Many FNMI communities have developed research protocol agreements that any researcher working specifically with them is required to consult and/or follow, but there are also university-specific statements, as well as the .

Currently, 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� does not have a clear statement or protocol about how to undertake research with Indigenous communities, and that gap must be closed.

When

Medium term

How

During summer 2020, the academic delegate for Indigenous engagement and the Indigenous Affairs team will undertake a survey of best practices regarding Indigenous research protocols as developed by Indigenous communities/governing bodies, universities, and agencies that oversee institutional research, in order to begin developing a 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� Indigenous research protocol guide. Following that, we will work to implement this IRPG with the University of Ottawa’s Office of Research Ethics and Integrity.

Cost

TBA

Who

The academic delegate for Indigenous engagement will begin a consultation with the director of the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity.

Update

Productive conversations with the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity and the Library have taken place to discuss how to better support Indigenous research at 91��Ʒ��ϳԹ� and prepare faculty and students for the research environment with and for Indigenous nations.

Further development of a framework is necessary to ensure researchers engaging with Indigenous communities do so in a culturally appropriate, transparent, and respectful manner.

Learn more

Hoop 1: The institution

Hoop 3: The physical space

Hoop 4: Indigenous community

Hoop 2

Explore Hoop 2

2.1: Within each faculty, explore and implement inclusion of appropriate, traditional and contemporary Indigenous epistemological and ontological knowledge and methodological approaches into curriculums arrow_drop_down

2.1.1: Encourage the development of Indigenous microprograms arrow_drop_down

2.2: Revitalize and support the Institute of Indigenous Research and Studies arrow_drop_down

2.2.1: Creation of an Algonquin Research Chair arrow_drop_down

2.3 Create experiential learning opportunities for student arrow_drop_down

2.4: Indigenous graduate student support arrow_drop_down

2.4.1: Create pre- and postdoctoral positions for Indigenous graduate students and/or a series of dedicated scholarships and bursaries arrow_drop_down

2.5: Create Indigenous first-year student pathway arrow_drop_down

2.6: Create Indigenous student mentorship programs arrow_drop_down

2.7: Create a visiting Indigenous scholars program arrow_drop_down

2.8: Indigenous Research Preparedness, Protocols, and the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity arrow_drop_down

2.8.1: Make available Indigenous research guidelines and training for students and professors, as well as data collection and storage protocols arrow_drop_down

2.9: Enchanced coordination and collaboration between the Office of Indigenous Affairs and faculties and services arrow_drop_down

2.10: Indigenous graduate student support arrow_drop_down

2.11: Greater Indigenous inclusion in campus recreation and varsity sports arrow_drop_down

2.12: Decolonize the Library arrow_drop_down

2.13: Ensure awareness of the Indigenous support services across 91��Ʒ���ϳԹ� satellite campuses arrow_drop_down

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