Courageous Conversations
EDI Trends in the Canadian Post-Secondary Sector
September 21, 2023
Explore equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility trends in Canada and the US during this fall’s Courageous Conversations Speaker Series. Join the inaugural senior leaders in EDI from Alberta’s post-secondary institutions in discussion, for the first time, about challenges, opportunities, and innovations in EDI in the post-secondary sector.
Featured speakers include, Dr. Moussa Magassa, Mount Royal University, Martha Mathurin-Moe, University of Lethbridge, and Dr. Carrie Smith, University of Alberta. The conversation will be guided by Dr. Malinda Smith, UCalgary’s vice provost and associate vice president research (EDI) and will focus on each speaker’s experiences and aspirations in promoting equity initiatives throughout Alberta’s and the wider post-secondary sector.
Blessings will be provided by Elder Colleen Sitting Eagle in the spirit of equity and reconciliation.
Dr. Malinda Smith is the inaugural Vice Provost and Associate Vice President Research (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) and a full professor of political science at the University of Calgary. Prior to joining the UCalgary she was a full professor of political science at the University of Alberta, where she held various roles including Provost Fellow (EDI Policy) in the Office of the Provost, and Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) in the Department of Political Science.
Dr. Smith has served on numerous higher education governance committees, including as Vice President (Equity Issues) for the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, and as Chair of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion External Review Committee for the Canada Research Chairs. Currently, she serves on SSHRC Governing Council and Executive; as Vice Chair of the Inter-Institutional Advisory Committee for the Scarborough Charter, on Statistics Canada’s Immigration and Ethnocultural Statistics Advisory Committee; and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s External EDI Advisory Board.
Dr. Smith is the coauthor, editor, or coeditor of 7 books, numerous articles, book chapters and reports and has given dozens of invited keynotes and public lectures in the areas of equity, diversity, human rights, and decolonization in higher education, African political economy, and international relations. Dr. Smith is the coauthor of The Equity Myth: Racialization and Indigeneity at Canadian Universities (2017); coeditor of Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics (OUP 2023); the Nuances of Blackness in the Canadian Academy (UofT Press, 2022); States of Race: Critical Race Feminism for the 21st Century (BTL 2010). and three books on Africa, including Securing Africa: Post-9/11 Discourses on Terrorism (2010).
Dr. Smith is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including Calgary Black Chambers’ Lifetime Achievement Award (2023), an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Simon Fraser University (2021), Compelling Calgarians (2021), the International Studies Association’s Women’s Caucus’s Susan S. Northcutt Award (2020), 100 Accomplished Black Women Honouree (2020), the ISA-Canada Distinguished Scholar Award (2018-19), P.E. Trudeau Foundation Fellow (2018), the HSBC Community Contributor of the Year Award (2016); and the Canadian Association of University Teachers’ Equity Award (2015).
Dr. Magassa is the Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Mount Royal University, Calgary. His mandate is to lead, in collaboration with key university stakeholders, the development of comprehensive institutional EDI/A strategies, processes and evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that center the experiences of equity-deserving people and ensure that EDI/A values are embedded in day-to-day operations of the university, its decision-making, and strategic planning. His approach to EDI/A is rooted in an intersectional and trauma-informed framework that draws on the lived experiences and voices of equity-deserving people and their allies.
Previously, he worked as the Principal Strategist, Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-racism Education and Community Engagement at UVic. Dr. Magassa is an associate faculty in both the UVic social justice program and the M.A in global leadership program at Royal Roads University. He also is an instructor in the UVic Intercultural Studies & Practice program and the UBC Centre for intercultural communication.
He holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction (UVic) with special focus on critical race theory, anti-racism, Islamophobia and human rights education; an MA in human security and peacebuilding (Royal Roads university); a BA (Hons) in conflict resolution and peace studies (Kwazulu Natal University, South Africa); and various advanced certifications in human rights and humanitarian law (UNITAR), conflict mediation (UNISA), and intercultural competency development (Portland).
Dr. Magassa has an extensive background in humanitarian peacebuilding and non-violence work as well as an integration program coordinator with immigrant and refugee settlement.
Dr. Moussa Magassa was born in Senegal and speaks many languages in addition to English and French.
Martha Mathurin-Moe, born and raised in Saint Lucia, West Indies, holds a BA degree from the Universidad Central de Las Villas, Cuba; a Master of Education in Educational Psychology from the University of Regina and is a doctoral candidate in Curriculum and Instruction. Mathurin Moe's experience consists of 10 years in Banking and Finance, over 7 years in Human Resources Development and 8 years in International Education. Previous roles include Manager of Talent Development at the Public Service Commission, Government of Saskatchewan, Associate Director of Study Abroad & Mobility at UR International at the University of Regina. Mathurin-Moe’s work in international education has afforded her the possibility to participate in several educational forums in Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, Norway, Mexico, Germany, Italy, and the United States. She is a recipient of the 2016 University of Regina’s President’s Award for Service Excellence. She is a skilled facilitator, values-based leader who advocates for equitable and inclusive workplaces for all. She is very keen on developing learning opportunities that create an environment where all students no matter race, gender/gender expression, neurodiversity or ethnic background feel represented in their learning space. During her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and traveling with her partner Jared.
Dr. Carrie Smith is the inaugural Vice-Provost for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Alberta; previous academic leadership positions include Vice-Dean of Arts and Department Chair. She is currently serving as President of German Studies Canada. Her research covers topics in critical university studies, feminist leadership practices, and digital feminism. She is author of two monographs, including the co-authored Awkward Politics: Technologies of Popfeminist Activism (2016) and has coedited eight peer-reviewed essay collections, most recently Transverse Disciplines: Queer-feminist, Anti-racist, and Decolonial Approaches to the University (2022) and Indigenous & German Studies (2019). She has been co-managing editor of three international journals, co-directs the Digital Feminist Collective research group, and has received awards for teaching and research.
Oki Niistowoak Siipiyanatohkomiaaki.
Kitohkanaiksimmatsimmohpowawa.
Elder Colleen Sitting Eagle has worked with young people all their working years in many different but similar aspects. From being a Youth Camp Coordinator,Youth Prevention Juvenile Counsellor, Crime prevention with Gleichen R.C.M.P. and Blackfoot Tribal Police, Researcher for Siksika Culture and Heritage to being a Language Teacher/Liaison for Siksika Schools.
Colleen learned her Siksika history from her late parents and the honour of working with knowledgeable elders. She was one of the first groups from Siksika to be integrated to start her schooling in Strathmore, AB. She previously attended and continues to take courses from the University of Calgary.
She is gifted with two beautiful children with loosing her son last year (2022). She has six grandchildren ranging from 7-21 years old.