The curriculum review is named as priority 1.2 (ii) in UTSC’s 2020-25 Strategic Plan, Inspiring Inclusive Excellence, part of a broader framework of curricular renewal and innovation outlined in strategic directions 1.1, 1.2, and 1.4. The review was launched in the Fall of 2020 with the goal of ensuring that programs and pedagogical approaches at UTSC reflect the diversity of our students and the histories, epistemologies, and pedagogies that have been devalued and violently erased by settler colonialism and systemic injustices. The review’s focus is on Indigenous knowledges and knowledge systems, Black knowledges, racialized perspectives, and international and intercultural perspectives. In addition to these named areas, the review has prioritized an intersectional approach, recognizing that individuals hold multiple identities that shape experiences of oppression, including gender, sexuality, and disability.
The curriculum review has been collectively led by a Working Circle made up of students, faculty and librarians, staff, and community partners. The circle-based framework has been foundational to the review, reflecting the importance of process for undertaking structural change. Members of the Working Circle have brought different perspectives and experiences to the areas of the review. This is true of the broader U of T Scarborough community as well. For some, these are topics that may connect closely to current pedagogical and curricular work and to lived experience; for others, these may be new ideas that also raise questions about how to engage. We welcome all perspectives as we work collectively to implement the 56 recommended actions that have emerged from our process.
