A Moment with the Dean

February 1, 2023

Aanii. Boozhoo. Greetings!

My name is Jan Hare, and I am pleased to serve as Dean pro tem of the UBC Faculty of Education.

Recently, my research took me to a number of institutions across Canada to learn more about how other higher education institutions teach using Indigenous knowledge frameworks. I’d like to take a moment to tell you a bit more about my project, which forms a part of my work as Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Pedagogy. I am looking at instructor knowledge, beliefs and practices to help establish evidence-informed practices for improving how instructors teach and students learn from Indigenous knowledge traditions, including storytelling.

My research feels particularly relevant this month, which is Indigenous Storytelling Month, because Indigenous people, like other cultures, use stories as part of their pedagogy. Our Indigenous Teacher Education Program, NITEP, working in collaboration with the Tŝilhqot’in National Government, has gathered a collection of stories that illustrate the importance of Indigenous storytelling and demonstrate how land-based teaching strategies can be incorporated into digital forms. Check out the podcast collection—I promise you will be inspired.

February is also Black History Month. Here in the Faculty of Education, a team of faculty members and graduate students are taking us beyond Black History, towards Black Futures. Dr. Annette Henry, Dr. Bathseba Opini and their colleagues are aiming to expand post-secondary horizons for Black youth in grades 10, 11, and 12, especially students who may not currently have access to higher education or who may not have envisioned higher education or UBC as a possibility. The Black Futures project gives young people the opportunity to visit the UBC campus, interact with Black undergraduate students, attend lectures, and learn more about the application process. This hands-on experience will be documented as part of a larger research study taking place at five Canadian universities, contributing to knowledge about educational outcomes and experiences about Black youth. I believe this study will have a significant impact on campus policies and programming at UBC and beyond. Learn more about the Black Futures project.

These projects are just two of many research initiatives here in the Faculty of Education that I wanted to take a moment to share with you. I invite you to learn more about our research and its impact on learners, communities and society. Visit our Education research website to learn more.

Miighwech! See you next month.

Jan Hare, PhD
Professor and Dean pro tem
UBC Faculty of Education
@UBCDeanEduc