Campus Curriculum Review | Vice Principal Academic & Dean

University of Toronto Scarborough

The Curriculum Review Working Circle will be embarking on listening sessions the week of May 3rd, beginning with UTSC graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are invited to provide feedback and input into the campus-wide curriculum review process that is currently underway to ensure that UTSC’s commitment to inclusion, Indigeneity, and anti-racism is reflected across our programs and embedded in our pedagogical approaches and supports. Our goal is to work in dialogue with students and postdoctoral fellows to gather information about courses and related initiatives that are prioritizing inclusive, accessible, and anti-racist pedagogies. We honour multiple ways of knowing, with particular emphasis on Indigenous ways of knowing and knowledge systems, Black knowledges, racialized perspectives, and international and intercultural perspectives, while also recognizing the importance of intersectionality (including gender, sexuality, and disability). The survey and listening circles invite graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are based at UTSC, including TAs and course instructors teaching on this campus, to reflect on your pedagogical and curricular experiences, as well as ways in which departments, and the campus as a whole, might better support you in the future.

Listening circles will take place Tuesday, May 4th from 1:30-3 PM (Graduate Students) and next Wednesday, May 5th from 1:30-3 PM (Postdoctoral Fellows). For those unable to attend the listening circle, a survey inviting interested graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to contribute feedback to the curriculum review, is being offered. Your input will directly help to shape our assessment of the existing curricular and pedagogical context at UTSC and will also help to inform the working circle’s recommendations. We would ask that survey responses be submitted by Monday, May 17.

For more information, please send inquires to curriculum.utsc@utoronto.ca

Dear members of the UTSC community,

A campus-wide curriculum review will be running this year to assess our current standing with respect to our commitment to inclusion, Indigeneity, and anti-racism articulated in U of T Scarborough’s Strategic Plan, Inspriring Inclusive Excellence, and to inform a plan for action. The focus of this review will be on Indigenous ways of knowing, Black knowledges, racialized perspectives, as well as international and intercultural experiences.

A Working Circle has been established to collectively assess pathways to ensuring that U of T Scarborough’s commitment to inclusion, Indigeneity, and anti-racism are reflected across our programs and embedded in our curriculum and in our pedagogical approaches and supports. See the Working Circle membership below.

The Working Circle will meet monthly throughout the year, and a report summarizing its learnings and recommendations will be submitted to the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean in July 2021. For more details about the context and goals for the review please see the Working Circle Terms of Reference.

A priority for the process will be dialogue and consultation, and especially to hear from Indigenous, Black, and racialized students, faculty, staff, and community members. More information about consultations will be circulated in the winter term.

We welcome your feedback and input throughout the process. Questions and comments can be sent to curriculum.utsc@utoronto.ca.

Warm wishes,

Professor Katherine R. Larson

Vice-Dean Teaching, Learning & Undergraduate Programs

November 2020

The members of the Working Circle are as follows:

Students:

Sarah Abdillahi, President, Scarborough Campus Students’ Union
Leah Lee, Secretary, Graduate Student Association at Scarborough
Olashile Adeyoyin, Centre, Critical Development Studies and Department, Arts, Culture, & Media
Halle Borland, Department of Biological Sciences and Department of English
Emma Chan Matthews, Department of Psychology
Taylor Tabobondung, Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences

Faculty:

Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of English
Aarthi Ashok, Professor, Teaching Stream, and Associate Chair, Department of Biological Sciences
Iris Au, Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Management
Kyle Danielson, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Psychology
Husseina Dinani, Assistant Professor, Department of Historical and Cultural Studies
Mark Hunter, Professor, Department of Human Geography
Danielle Kwan-Lafond, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of Sociology
Randy Lundy, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Department of English
Laura Risk, Assistant Professor, Department of Arts, Culture, & Media
Nirusha Thavarajah, Lecturer, Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences
Karina Vernon, Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Department of English

Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean and Office of the Vice-President & Principal:

Katherine R. Larson, Professor and Vice-Dean Teaching, Learning, & Undergraduate Programs (convenor)
Mary T. Silcox, Professor and Vice-Dean Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
Natalie Elisha, Equity Project Specialist, Office of the Vice-President Human Resources & Equity (designate for EDIO)
Kelly Crawford, Assistant Director for Indigenous Initiatives
Karen McCrindle, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Associate Dean Teaching & Learning, and Director, Centre for Teaching & Learning
Tina Doyle, Director, AccessAbility Services
Kimberley Tull, Director, Community & Learning Partnerships & Access Initiatives
Nadia Rosemond, Assistant Dean, Student Affairs & Student Life
Varsha Patel, Assistant Dean, Student Success
Sarah Shujah, University of Toronto Scarborough Library
Zahra Bhanji, Director, Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean (ex officio)
Sarah Chaudhry, Programs & Curriculum Coordinator and Project Manager (ex officio)