Photo by Haley Owens on Unsplash

1. Upcoming sessions: 
        a. Indigenous Scholars Panel: Decolonization, Indigenization, Reconciliation within STEM -- November 18
            2:00pm-3:30pm
        b. Exploring Complex Classroom Dynamics Using Case-Studies – December 1 10:00am-12:00pm
        c. CTLT Indigenous Initiatives Virtual Coffee Drop Ins
2. CTLT Indigenous Initiatives Staff Updates: Welcome Keirra Webb and Freda Maideen
3. We’re Hiring! Accepting Applications for an Educational Resource Developer & an Educational Programs Coordinator
4. What I Learned in Class Today Renewed Project Student Voices: We Are All Part of This Conversation by Keirra Webb
5. Fall 2021 Update from the Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning Team
6. Across Our Desks: news and articles related to Indigenous engagement in teaching and learning

Co-presented by Equity and Inclusion in Action: STEM Series and CTLT Classroom Climate Series, a panel of Indigenous scholars within STEM at UBC will share about their work in decolonizing or Indigenizing science and teaching. There will be a discussion about how to deepen your own engagement with UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan and identify your own actions in terms of research, service and teaching. While this session focuses on STEM disciplines, it is open to all UBC faculty, staff, and students.

This workshop will explore complex classroom dynamics, such as microaggressions and tensions when students have conflicting world views. Participants will work in breakout groups to unpack scenarios and discuss how they resonate with our current classroom contexts and climates. Concepts and topics that may be raised include: tokenism, conflicting world views, burden of representation, course topics that impact students personally, and self-determination. 

Participants who have taken other workshops within the Anti-Racist Teaching Workshops will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned to their analysis of cases and come up with practical strategies

Do you have questions about how to thoughtfully integrate Indigenous content and representation into your course work? Curious about how to offer meaningful land acknowledgements in online meetings or events at UBC? Indigenous Initiatives‘ Virtual Coffee Drop-ins are a great place to explore these topics, connect with others on the same learning path, or just get to know our team.

Please register for any of the drop-ins below. Looking forward to seeing you! 
    a. Thursday, November 4 from 1pm-2pm -- Register 
    b. Tuesday, November 16 from 11am-12pm -- Register
    c. Wednesday, December 1 from 11am-12pm -- Register
    d. Tuesday, December 14 from 11am-12pm -- Register 

CTLT Indigenous Initiatives is pleased to welcome two new team members this month: Keirra Webb and Freda Maideen.

CTLT Indigenous Initiatives is searching for an Educational Resource Developer that will develop, support, and create digital learning resources that support, sustain, and align with other strategic work within the Indigenous Initiatives portfolio. This role involves the application of specific skills and expertise to develop educational resources using digital, new media tools, learning technologies, and knowledge in working with Indigenous-focused topics and materials. This is a 2 year contract position.

Applications will be accepted until October 29th at 11:59pm

CTLT Indigenous Initiatives is searching for an Educational Programs Coordinator (EPC) to support the evaluation, planning and delivery of professional development programs, services, and special projects within the Indigenous Initiatives team. The EPC will be responsible for coordinating requests and services associated with the II Team support for Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP) implementation, as well as provide support for other areas of the Indigenous Initiatives portfolio. This is a 0.6FTE, 18 months term position. 

 Applications will be accepted until November 4th at 11:59pm

This is the first of several articles in the new WILICT Student Perspectives series exploring the stories of positive and problematic experiences with interpersonal and institutional racism shared by Indigenous and non-Indigenous student participants in the renewed iteration of the project.

The author centers student voices to begin answering the question of how national and university-wide Indigenous initiatives are impacting the felt experiences of Indigenous peoples at UBC. By providing personal narratives into UBC classrooms and campus spaces, this first article in the Student Perspectives series continues the conversation and provides an avenue towards action in collectively creating a UBC environment the meaningfully engages with Indigenous histories and realities.

Beginning in 2020, The Anti-Racist Teaching Series (A-RTS) consisted of workshops for UBC faculty, staff, and educators who wished to cultivate teaching and facilitation practices that support anti-racist solidarity. The Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning team has written an update on the they have been working on within the Anti-Racist Teaching Series, upcoming programming and learning opportunities, and additional resources for supporting anti-racist pedogogy to supplement their workshop offerings.

In this episode, Dr. Tara Mayer interviews Dr. Jasmine Harris, where she challenges the ideology of objectivity by referring to it as a white normative framework that problematically validates the positions of researchers and educators who do not have lived experience with or personal connections to the communities whom they research. When teaching and learning about decolonization and anti-racism, it is necessary to centre emotion and lived experience because these topics are in fact emotional, human topics. As educators, it is imperative that we critically reflect on our own identities and how they manifest in learning environments in order to challenge notions of objectivity in higher education which favour whiteness.

Watch Here 

Best Wishes, 
CTLT Indigenous Initiatives