Your Paper Sucked but it will Change the University

In this episode, we sit down with Maíra Tavares Mendes, Assistant Professor at OISE, cross-appointed in both the Educational Leadership & Policy and Higher Education programs. She traces her journey from teaching in Brazil's cursinhos populares to pursuing a Master’s degree in search of a framework for her practice. Confronting a lack of research, she turned to ideas associated with Paulo Freire to reframe these grassroots programs as sites of popular education rather than remedial support. While imperfect, one of Maíra's conferences paper became a pivotal means of recognizing her own pedagogy.

In this episode, we are joined by Meng Shu, a Graduate Programs Strategist for the University of British Columbia's school of biomedical engineering. We talk about the symbiotic - and sometimes divisive - relationship between faculty and staff in universities. Faculty have to manage academic demands, while staff face administrative burdens, which can either be complementary or constraining for either party. Join us as we chat with Meng about what she's learned on the topic, and how we see these relationships play out in our own experiences.

In this episode, we are joined by Kamadchi Karunanandan – Supervisor of Residence Community Development at University of Toronto’s beautiful Mississauga campus. She introduces us to the challenges that face first-generation students - a term we use to refer to those who are the first in their family to access post-secondary education - and considers how this research can help us actually made a different for these students at Canadian universities. 

Our next guest is Stefan Thomas, an Academic Advisor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, whose work centres on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Stefan has supported programs aimed at improving Black student success and brings deep insight into the financial realities students face, offering a nuanced look at what it really takes for students to access and persist in university. We discuss his paper on how Black students fund their post-secondary education, the policy questions raised by cost sharing, and the broader intersections of race, affordability, and access in higher education.

In this episode, we are joined by Huma Shaafie, an instructor in the Accounting program at George Brown College here in Toronto. Huma has worked in Canada and Dubai, and knows the challenges of getting graduates ready for the world place. We sit down to discuss accounting programs at Ontario’s colleges, where she provides several important suggestions for improving graduate employability.

In this episode, we sit down with Dave Fenton, Assistant Director of External Relations at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Dave has built partnerships that bring work-integrated learning to life in Canada, Rwanda, Botswana, and South Africa. We dive into his experiences, the lessons he’s carrying into his PhD at the University of Cambridge, and what’s next for this growing movement.

In this episode, we talk with James Roussain, the William D. Sharpe Chief Librarian and Director of Special Collections at the John M. Kelly Library at St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto. In both his paper and our discussion, James critiques the invisibility of academic librarians and explains the barriers faced as they sought to professionalize their field, helping us understand the complexity of information sciences and how universities really can’t function without librarians. 

In this episode - instead of chatting with one of Grace's former students - we sit down with a mentor and former dean of OISE, Glen Jones!We discuss Glen's introduction to the field of Higher Education, alongside his early work on the Manitoba Project and 1990 editorial, "Imminent disaster revisited, again: The crisis literature of Canadian higher education" in The Canadian Journal of Higher Education.

In this episode, we sit down with Imani King, Academic Advisor for Equity & Outreach at Victoria College, at the University of Toronto. Imani introduces us to the University of the West Indies (UWI) and its one-of-a-kind open campus initiative - a transnational university system operating across three campuses in three different Caribbean countries, fostering regional connection and educational access.We also discuss how UWI successfully navigated the shift to distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what lessons emerged from that experience. The conversation lastly highlights Imani’s work at U of T, where she reflects on the state of Black student supports and the ongoing efforts to foster equity, inclusion, and community on campus.

In this episode, we discuss nursing programs in Ontario with Kate Savelberg, a Senior Manager at the Centre for the Enrichment of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and Professor of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Technology (NMMIT) at The Michener Institute of Education at UHN.Kate and Grace discuss the emergence of nuclear medicine and its current education at institutions such as Michener. They also discuss the difference in accreditation offered for nursing and medical imaging programs across Ontario and Canada - from diplomas to Bachelors degrees - and the "legitimizing" processes through which private institutions must traverse to offer them. Kate highlights how this can - and does - impact the future of healthcare in Ontario with how hospitals and medical centres hire based on not just accreditation and experience, but also geography.

In this episode, we discuss students and their decision-making processes when choosing a post-secondary institution with Carrie Ngo, the Student Success Counsellor and Post-Secondary advisor at Holy Trinity School.A booming area for both current and future research, students transitioning between secondary and post-secondary school weigh several factors when deciding where to go, from prestige to programs to proximity. Carrie and Grace discuss their own experiences with making these decisions, while discussing several relevant theories such as Bordieu's theory of capital.

Continuing our International Education Week series, we sit down with Laurie Lockington-Wong, a Professional Engineer and the Engineering Ethics Coordinator and Lecturer at the Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership & Innovation at Western University. Laurie sheds light on her classroom observations, noting that international students can benefit not only from increased integration into the university, but also from increased collaboration with their domestic peers. For engineering students, the classroom is a microcosm of their future workforce, where all types of students should be encouraged to engage in public speaking and teamwork in order to succeed.We also discuss efforts to increase enrolment of international students coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and strategies to accordingly support them as needed. Not only do international students contribute to visible diversity on campus; they also enrich the knowledge economy with diverse perspectives and ideas.

Mental health struggles and isolation were already two major issues that student affairs practitioners were helping international students tackle prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. For International Education Week, we chat with Clayon Levy, formerly the Quarantine Accommodations Officer at the University of Toronto, about how these issues were elevated for international students during the pandemic.Now Assistant Dean, Administration & Operations at the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto, Clayon discusses the lessons we can learn from the pandemic as practitioners. He also outlines some areas of improvement that universities should capitalize on to best support international students as we recover and higher education continues to evolve.

In this episode, we dive into the world of university rankings, exploring the criteria and metrics used to evaluate and rank institutions worldwide. From academic performance to student satisfaction and research output, we break down the key factors that contribute to these rankings. The episode also examines how these rankings influence student decision-making when choosing a university and whether they are truly reflective of the student experience. Tune in as we chat with Hannah Bild-Enkin, the First Year Advisor, Student Success & Transition at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering here at the University of Toronto, and gain insight into the pros and cons of relying on rankings for higher education choices!

Universities contribute to our economy in all sorts of ways  - from start-up companies in the local neighbourhoods to advising on national economic policy. But what about their global impact? Agnes Mak,  joins the show to explain how universities are actually essential players in what scholars are referring to as the global knowledge economy. How can universities quantify their societal impact and make their graduates  adaptable to technology changes? Agnes explains.

There is a high rate of burnout for student affairs professionals and this increases when we look at the experiences of those who identify as people of colour. The emotional load and compassion fatigue are unsustainable. Tiara De Koning joins me in her role at Hart House, University of Toronto.We need to tackle staff attrition and Tiara has some strategies to improve our working conditions and decrease the emotional load we place on our BIPOC colleagues. 

What are Open Educational Resources (OERs) and what do you need to know when your college says they are creating the “no-cost” textbook?Jeremy Lucyk, long-time editor and professor of publishing at Centennial College, joins me to talk about OERs in Ontario, the opportunities and challenges they pose.Jeremy explains how no textbook can be "no-cost" but low-cost options can benefit everyone. He also challenges professors to learn more about copyrights so they can share and protect their own intellectual property. 

Returning to university for grad school is so intimidating, especially after you’ve been out of school for several years. We all bumble around attempting to understand complicated articles and trying to sound articulate in class. The worst part?  That first essay. But imagine how much worse it is when you’ve actually worked at a college or university for several years. After designing the programs and supporting the students you find yourself a student again. And yet this time you’re older and wiser and your final essay is about something that really matters, something that will change the university. This podcast is about the people who make post-secondary institutions tick. Join me as I talk to university and college administrators who have returned to grad school for their Masters and made it past that first paper. They may have serious work to do to improve their writing but their ideas are first rate. In this podcast, they share their research studies from my intro class and discuss how we can improve post-secondary education. Their papers aren’t perfect but they will change the university.