The office she now leads — the Office of Equity Transformation (OET) — was created two years ago as part of the ‘roadmap’ for meaningful change in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, or EDIA. Its eventual formation (after several intermediate steps) fulfilled the ‘leadership’ recommendation of the UM community-led President’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion established in 2019 and chaired by Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Diane Hiebert-Murphy.

Chen believes equity and action are foundational for meaningful diversity and inclusion in community life.

What makes UM a vibrant community for her?

She says, “To me, a vibrant community is one of collective action, where we centre humanity and human dignity, and where we learn and work together to dismantle systems that marginalize, with the goal of making UM a place where all can flourish.”

The OET is holding its first Town Hall on Nov. 6, open to all students, faculty and staff. The event will provide a report to the community about the work of the office, along with an update on the status of recommendations by the task force.

• Join the conversation: Find out more about this exciting event!

There will also be opportunities for community input and engagement on the question of ‘What makes UM a vibrant community for you?’

“The Town Hall is a moment to celebrate!” says Chen.

“More than talking about the work that has been done,” she says, “it’s a moment to pause, to recognize the work being done at UM — and the people involved — as we advance equity, anti-oppression, anti-racism, 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion, anti-ableism, and diversity and inclusion.”

This, she says, “is also a moment to continue to build community and energize ourselves for the next steps.”

She adds, “Transformation speaks to the need to change the foundation, to go beyond surface changes — and to be bold enough to undertake the collective work to both dismantle forms of oppression and build new systems that are more equitable.”

Learn more about the Office of Equity Transformation and our commitment to fostering a vibrant community at UM.

Insights from Tina Chen, Vice-Provost (Equity)

Q: Why is this work meaningful to you?

Tina Chen: In this work, I’m able to bring together my research, community activism, teaching, and administrative experience in new ways.

I am pushed to move beyond meta-critique and to be part of imagining and implementing alternative futures.

This takes many forms — leading, partnering, supporting, advising — and doesn’t always appear to be a major or radical change in the short term.

But longer term, the combination of building new relationships, everyday actions, inviting people to think with me about the impact on systemically marginalized groups of how things have been done, and developing higher level strategic initiatives enables me to do my part in dismantling systems of oppression and fostering a vibrant community at UM.

Q: Do you think the community is ready for this work of transformation and why?

Tina Chen: Yes! For decades, many members of the UM community have been leaders for activism, advocacy, research, and teaching in areas of disability justice, human rights, 2SLGBTQIA+, anti-racism and social justice.

So many individuals have also participated in Task Forces, committees, consultations, and broader UM work to identify systemic inequities and make action plans for change. As we weave together this work, we can see a new tapestry forming, a vision of something different, and this builds energy to keep working toward change by, with, and for those who have been marginalized.

Q: What is something unexpected or that surprised you about OET’s engagement with the UM community over the past couple of years?

Tina Chen: I am so impressed by staff and student commitment, engagement, and creativity. There is a desire to learn and work together for transformative change. We see this in the strong demand for the EDIA Foundations course, the amazing participation in the full-day EDIA and Anti-Oppression Student Forum, the success of the Fellows in Equity, Anti-Oppression, and Social Justice program, and the types of projects, events, and activities led by UM community members.

Q: Why the name ‘Office of Equity Transformation’?

Tina Chen: Equity is about fairness and justice in both process and results. It requires that we identify systems, structures, and practices that exclude and marginalize, address barriers, narrow gaps, and mitigate harms.

This is why the Office takes equity to be a foundational principle. Transformation speaks to the need to change the foundation, to go beyond surface changes, and to be bold enough to undertake the collective work to both dismantle forms of oppression and build new systems that are more equitable. Put together, Equity Transformation signals a commitment to action.

About the Office of Equity Transformation Town Hall

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 6

Time: 10 to 11:15 a.m.

Location: Marshall McLuhan Hall, Booths: Room 205

Online and in-person

Doors open: 10 a.m.

Program: 10:15 a.m.

Please RSVP and register now at this link.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome! This hybrid event takes place in-person and will be live-streamed with closed captioning. The in-person event will also include ASL interpreters.

Join the conversation about the kind of university community we want to create together!

At the event, you can:

• Connect over light refreshments.
• Have your photo taken at the Vibrant Community Engagement Booth — adding to the many diverse faces of our community. (Or provide written feedback or send a selfie-video with your response to the question ‘What makes UM a vibrant community for you?’)
• Enjoy interactive booths that showcase current programs advancing equity, anti-oppression and transformation at UM.
• Receive a beautifully designed OET tote bag! (first 150 guests)
• Pick up a button: Equity Transformation, Bison, Pride or Pronoun buttons available.
• Stay to observe or participate in our Model EDIA Community of Practice following the program.

In the new UM Learn module, Exploring Power Dynamics in Post-Secondary Institutions, instructors can enhance their understanding of power dynamics in the post-secondary teaching context.

The module is the third of six modules in Incorporating EDI into Your Course and Teaching, a course to help instructors apply equity, diversity and inclusion concepts in their teaching. Each module provides strategies and teaching techniques and additional resources for those who wish to take their learnings further. It is available to all UM instructors and staff. 

This module was authored by Eric Sagenes, a doctoral student at UM and sessional instructor at Brandon University. His areas of scholarly interest include social activism, decolonization and diversity.

“The goal of this module is to raise your consciousness about how power plays out in different situations, so you can start to see how it plays out in your own context,” explains Sagenes. “Once we become aware of how power is operating, then we can be more likely to address it and ensure that we are working towards equitable and inclusive environments.”

By the end of the 35-minute self-study module, learners should be able to:

• explore the concept of power and how practices and policies can marginalize members from equity-deserving groups
• recognize how oppression is based on relationships of unequal power among social groups and how those in power can continually perpetuate inequality
• identify the impact of privilege on teaching and learning
• explore teaching and learning strategies and activities that address power, oppression and privilege in post-secondary and promote equity, diversity and inclusion

The EDI course was developed by the Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub (MB Hub) upon request from the Flexible Learning Advisory Group, representing six post-secondary institutions in Manitoba: Assiniboine Community College, Brandon University, University College of the North, Red River College Polytechnic, University of Winnipeg and University of Manitoba.

More than 10,000 instructional and support staff across the province have access to the course through the learning platform at their respective institutions. 

The MB Hub is part of The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and provides instructional design and digital media support to the six partner institutions.

Access the course today 

1. Login to UM Learn with your staff email
2. In the main navigation menu, select “Self Registration” 
3. Under Course offering code, select CENTRE_IEDIYCTMOD3_092024 or under Course offering name select Incorporating EDI into Your Course and Teaching: Module 3 

Use module completion in EDIA course and micro-certificate

Each of the six UM Learn modules of Incorporating EDI into Your Course and Teaching can be used as an ongoing learning in Equity Diversity Inclusion Accessibility – EDIA: Expansions (EDIA 0102), in the online and hybrid course for UM staff, students and faculty. The course is part of the Micro-certificate in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) program supports UM’s efforts to improve equity and access across UM campuses, by educating and empowering all members to contribute to individual and collective transformation. It is offered, at no charge, through Extended Education in partnership with the Office of Equity Transformation and with the support of the UM President’s Office.

Other EDI resources

If you want more help applying EDI to your teaching practice, connect with The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning for one-on-one consultations. 

Learn more about the Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub.

Earlier in the summer of 2024, the Faculty of Law announced the development of a the program which would to enable Internationally Trained Lawyers to complete two micro-diplomas that would allow them to meet Law Society of Manitoba requirements to become licensed to practice law here. All the program needed was a Director. Harris will fill that role by administering and leading the beginning phases of this initiative for the next two years.

“Laurelle will also retain the equity and transformation portfolio that has been ably stewarded by our other Directors, notably Trina McFadyen and Dr. Laura Reimer,” said Dr. Richard Jochelson, Dean of Law. “This will be a seamless portfolio because the Internationally Trained Lawyer Program (ITLP) will attract a diverse array of students with multifaceted life experiences. In getting to this point in the ITLP’s development we should acknowledge the development work of Tamra Alexander, Dr. Reimer and Jenna Chemerika.”

“The ITL Program has the potential to make a significant impact on the careers of internationally-trained lawyers, the clients they will serve, and our ability to impact access to justice in Manitoba,” said Harris.

Harris (she/her) holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (Women’s Studies, History) and has undertaken graduate studies in Women’s Studies and Black Studies at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She earned her law degree in 2001 from Robson Hall and is an experienced litigator with formal training in mediation, arbitration and conflict resolution undertaken locally and at York University in Toronto, Ontario. 

For most of her career, Harris practiced law with a mid-sized firm in Winnipeg. From 2018 to 2024, she continued to practice law through Harris Law Solutions, practicing primarily in the area of family law. In 2020 she founded Equitable Solutions Consulting to pursue her passion for helping organizations develop the skills and capacity to function equitably.

“Equity and transformation, to paraphrase Lily Zheng, are commitments to the practice of ensuring wellbeing, success, and the absence of mistreatment and discrimination for all,” said Harris. “It is my intention to lead the work in equity and transformation at Robson Hall with these commitments in mind.”

In 2023, she was appointed King’s Counsel by the Lieutenant Governor in Council of Manitoba for demonstrating outstanding practice, integrity, leadership, and excellence in the legal profession.

Harris has been a frequent guest lecturer in anti-racism and equity in various classes at the Faculty of Law, including advanced family law, negotiation, and access to justice courses. She had taught in the capacity of Practicing Professional Instructor, and previously co-taught Family, and taught Gender in the Law. In appreciation and recognition of her contributions to legal education, the Faculty of Law made Harris a “Jurist of Robson Hall” in 2023.

“I am thrilled to return to the Robson Hall community and am looking forward to connecting with students and collaborating with colleagues to bring our vision of a more equitable and accessible law school to life,” said Harris.

These identities can affect teaching behaviour and expectations in the classroom in explicit and implicit ways.  

In the new UM Learn module “Understanding social identities among faculty and students,” instructors can learn to recognize their own identities and those of their students, to help them develop strategies that promote engagement and success in the classroom.  

The 35-minute self-study module is the second of six modules for Incorporating EDI into Your Course and Teaching, a course to help instructors apply equity, diversity and inclusion concepts in their teaching. Each module provides strategies and teaching techniques and additional resources for those who wish to take their learnings further. It is available to all UM instructors and staff. 

Brandon University’s Kristen Hardy, authored the module. “I hope that those who engage with it come away with a stronger sense of how they can make connections with their students as whole, unique people, and feel more confident about their ability to use inclusive practices in their classrooms,” she says. 

The EDI course was created by the Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub (MB Hub) at the request of six partner institutions through the Flexible Learning Advisory Group. Over 10K instructional and support staff across the province have access to the course via the learning platform at their respective institutions. 

The MB Hub is part of The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and provides instructional design and digital media support to partner institutions across Manitoba. Partner institutions participating in the EDI series include Assiniboine Community College, Brandon University, University College of the North, Red River College Polytechnic, University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. 

Access the course today 

1. Login to UM Learn with your staff email
2. In the main navigation menu, select “Self Registration” 
3. Under Course offering code, select CENTRE_IEDIYCT_022024 or under Course offering name select Incorporating EDI into Your Course and Teaching: Module 2 

Other EDI courses and resources 

The course Equity Diversity Inclusion Accessibility – EDIA: Foundations (EDIA 0100) is an 18-hour hybrid or online course for UM students, staff and faculty. It introduces participants to the skills of critical self-assessment, social location, and diverse perspective-taking that are foundational practices in EDIA work and describes the content necessary for such skill development. It is offered in partnership with the UM Office of Equity Transformation and with the support of the UM President’s Office. 

If you want more help applying EDI to your teaching practice, connect with The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning for one-on-one consultations. 

Learn more about the Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub. 

EDI Articling Positions

Securing an articling position to complete the requirements to become a lawyer is critical for law students as they near the end of their third and final year of the Juris Doctor program. Unfortunately, some law students encounter greater difficulties finding articles than others. The Faculty of Law has therefore collaborated with the Manitoba Law Students’ Association (MLSA) to create two articling positions at Robson Hall intended as ‘safety nets’ for equity-seeking students facing systemic barriers during the regular articling recruit.

This initiative is available to Robson Hall students now, with the application deadline for individuals seeking a position for the 2023-2024 articling year as May 1, 2023.

Faculty of Law articling students will be supervised by the Faculty’s Director of Clinics, and will work on files at any of the Faculty’s clinics including the University of Manitoba Community Law Centre (UMCLC), the Rights Clinic, the Access to Justice Clinic, the Indigenous Rights Clinic, and the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic. They will also attend to work as assigned from the University of Manitoba’s legal department, the (MLSA) and other work assigned in cooperation with the Faculty of Law’s clinical externship partners.

With this wide variety of experiences, students should get a rich experience of practical training while attending the bar admission course known as the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) run by the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) and administered through the Law Society of Manitoba.

The MLSA and the Faculty of Law will each pay half of the full amount of a competitive salary for a maximum of two articling student positions to ensure that any students unable to otherwise obtain an articling position through the regular recruitment process due to systemic barriers, can still be guaranteed a chance to pursue a career in the legal profession.

A pilot of this initiative was started last year with the first Faculty of Law articling student being hired in the summer of 2022.

University of Manitoba Faculty of Law students at Robson Hall facing EDI-related challenges may apply for the two articling positions here:

UM Articling Position 1

UM Articling Position 2

Renovations

The daily life of a law student has changed greatly since Robson Hall was first constructed in 1969, and the needs of the MLSA student body in 2023 has long since outgrown mid-20^th Century infrastructure. The student body has also grown and become more diverse. For example, in 1966, the preliminary description of the proposed building that became Robson Hall, contemplated restrooms and lockers for only 25 to 30 female students compared to 275 – 300 male students.

The MLSA and the Faculty of Law have thus designated funds to remodel Rooms 105, 105A, B, C, and D into a secure study space with key card access, individual study carrels, kitchenette, and Gender Inclusive Accessible Washrooms.

Construction work to implement these upgrades will commence this summer with completion estimated to be by the end of next year.

More than 100 students and physicians registered to take part in the full-day event that took place on UM Bannatyne campus last month. It was co-sponsored by Doctors Manitoba.

The morning focused on the experiences of health-care providers and featured a keynote lecture by Dr. Marcia Anderson, vice-dean, Indigenous health, social justice and anti-racism, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, who spoke about dissecting the culture of medicine and how it can be more inclusive. A panel, featuring two faculty members and three medical students, discussed topics such as the barriers they’ve faced in becoming physicians and what’s gained from EDI.   

In the afternoon, conference participants attended breakout sessions where patients from various communities shared their personal experiences of implicit bias and anti-racial behaviors in health care. Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, Rainbow Resource Centre, Main Street Project, and Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre took part.

Second-year medical students Jacie Liu and Mirha Zohair helped organize the conference.

“We wanted to give a platform for students to hear voices from all different kinds of people,” said Jacie Liu, a second-year Max Rady College of Medicine student and the MMSA’s Global Health Liaison Sr.

“When you have a space for people to share their experiences, it makes people feel supported, like you’re not the only one going through this and you don’t have to do it alone. If we do it together – change is possible.”

Liu and Mirha Zohair, a second-year medical student and MMSA’s equity, diversity and inclusivity representative, organized the event along with an executive committee. The idea for an EDI conference at UM came to them from their classmate, Harram Memon, who’d heard about similar events at other Canadian medical schools.  

One issue Zohair has been focusing on in her MMSA role is the concept of a minority tax, which she said is when minorities engage in EDI work and end up taking on more of the work than their colleagues. The conference is one way to help address this issue, she said.

“Today’s conference showed that a lot of people are interested in learning about these issues, so hopefully now that work can be spread out amongst all of us,” Zohair said. “As the work is spread amongst all of us, hopefully it will be more effective and be more impactful because there are more people behind it.”

Nolan De Leon, a first-year medical student, said he attended the conference because he believes EDI should be one of the absolute pillars of what medical professionals do.

“I want to make sure I’m providing the best care I can to everyone that comes into the clinic regardless of privilege, regardless of where they come from, regardless of orientation,” De Leon said. “It’s important that we treat people like people.”

Tooba Razi, a first-year medical student, said that what she was hoping to take away from the event was how to be a better ally and how she can use her privilege to help others.

“It’s great seeing this initiative in Manitoba,” Razi said. “It’s great seeing my classmates and peers so passionate about this.”

The organizers said they have plans to hold the conference again next year.

This is the first of six plan modules, and it aims to enhance the understanding of EDI in the higher education teaching context.  Providing strategies and teaching techniques for advancing EDI in teaching and learning and well as additional resources for those who wish to take their learnings further.

The Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub (MB Hub) created the course at the request of six partner institutions through the Flexible Learning Advisory Group.  Each partner institution is hosting the course on its learning platform, with access for over 10K instructional and support staff across the province.

This shared course represents a multi-year commitment for MB Hub and UM. The MB Hub is part of The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and provides Instructional design and digital media support to partner institutions across Manitoba. Partner institutions participating in the EDI series include – Assiniboine Community College, Brandon University, University College of the North, Red River College Polytechnic, University of Winnipeg, and the University of Manitoba.

Access the course today

• Login to UM Learn with your staff email
• In main navigation menu, select “Self Registration”
• Under Course offering code, select CENTRE_IEDIYCT_122022 or under Course offering name Incorporating EDI into Your Course and Teaching

Learn more about the Manitoba Flexible Learning Hub

If you want more help applying EDI to your teaching practice, connect with The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning for one-on-one consultations.

This virtual event will feature in-depth dialogue and provide an opportunity to learn about the experiences of people with disabilities and the inadequate protections surrounding Medical Assistance in Dying. Although these unique experiences are often discredited and dismissed, this discussion is an opening for understanding and an opportunity for awareness and advocacy.

Don’t miss this essential conversation:

Death: The Alternative to Social Reform
Disability Activists and Advocates Speak Out on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
Date: October 24, 2022
Time: 2 PM – 3:30 PM
Location: Virtual event on Zoom

Moderator Cade Kuehl, a current UM PhD student and disability researcher at the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, is looking forward to sharing how UM is committed to taking a leading role in accountability to disabled voices through the training of future medical and health professionals. “To truly make MAiD a choice, it must be among alternatives that ensure a baseline quality of life that respects the person’s dignity and independence.” says Kuehl. “MAiD does not necessarily need to be opposed, but its employment as a solution to poverty and homelessness does.”

Panelists and disability activists who will share their experiences and expertise include:

• Nancy Hansen [Ph.D.]: UM Professor and Director of the Interdisciplinary Master’s Program in Disability Studies. Nancy is also the co-editor of Routledge History of Disability and Untold Stories: A Canadian Disability History Reader.
• Heidi Janz (She/Her/Hers) [Ph.D.]: Core Faculty Member and Associate Adjunct Professor with the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre at the University of Alberta. Heidi is a national disability-rights advocate and specializes in Disability Ethics, Critical Disability Studies, and Research-Based Drama.
• The Honourable Marilou McPhedran [C.M.]: Human rights lawyer, professor and activist, Marilou was appointed as an independent senator in the Parliament of Canada in 2016. For over 20 years, she has facilitated access to UN sessions for students and provided practical skill building through rapporteur services to NGO presentations.
• Alicia-Ann Pauld: Sociology and sexuality studies graduate, with work centering around ableism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, and biphobia. Alicia-Ann regularly uses her influence to shed light on issues close to her heart.

More speakers are to be confirmed and details will be updated.

This event is sponsored by: Office of the President, UM Executive Lead-EDI, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Vice-Dean, Indigenous Health, Social Justice and Anti-Racism and Taking Down Ableism Working Group. 

When a pedestrian approaches an intersection, they’ll notice a curb cut as the sidewalk slopes down to meet the street. If the pedestrian has a mobility issue and uses a wheelchair, a cane or a walker, this simple design choice removes a barrier and helps make their journey easier. But if the pedestrian instead is pushing a stroller or, say, pulling a suitcase, the curb cut also benefits them and makes their journey easier as well, even if they don’t have a mobility issue. While it may make a bigger difference to some than to others, the curb cut is helpful to everyone. This is a universal design.

Developed in the late 1990s, the concept of “universal design” and its seven related principles is centered on creating and redesigning spaces to be accessible and equitable to all people.

“The idea is that if we provide spaces that are designed to be accessible for people with mobility issues, with visual impairment, auditory impairment or cognitive impairment, that we make them more accessible to everybody,” says educator, author and practicing architect Mimi Locher, Dean of Architecture at the University of Manitoba.

As instructors, administrators and staff at UM continue their ongoing work of building a more equitable, diverse and inclusive campus, there has been recognition that rethinking approaches to space and design are crucial to improving accessibility for all students. How can we create a more universally designed classroom that is inclusive to everyone? Where are the other areas where a “curb cut” is needed?

photo courtesy of Robert Mizzi

“They’ve taken that phrase and that concept and started to think about what that means in terms of the spaces that people learn in and what’s necessary for them,” says Locher. “Good access impacts everybody positively. It’s not just for those few people that we can see who have an issue or impairment, but it’s really for everybody whether we can see that they need accessibility or not.”

A passionate advocate of equitable design, Locher feels that more conversations with students and marginalized groups is crucial in bridging the gap and creating learning environments that are truly inclusive.

“Often the people who are doing the teaching have never experienced it themselves, and so we need to be careful to bring in people who have and who can speak to it from their own experience and share that,” says Locher. “It’s so valuable for the students.”

Robert Mizzi // photo courtesy of Robert Mizzi

Robert Mizzi is the Canada Research Chair in Queer, Community and Diversity Education and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education’s department of educational administration, foundations and psychology. His current research project explores the notion of spatial justice on campuses in Manitoba, rethinking how spaces can be designed to operationalize intersectionality better in our classrooms.

His two-year study, supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development grant, focuses on student experiences on campus, and how the way in which spaces are designed impacts the way students of various identities or groups interact with that space. Using the campus map as an analytical tool, these diverse perspectives are being employed to inform a redesigned campus map that reflects these student realities.

“We’re prioritizing the students in this study,” says Mizzi. “It’s about what is being taught as people engage and interact with the space on campus. How does that affect their engagement from what they’re seeing and experiencing? How is that type of engagement changing their learning and social patterns on campus?”

photo courtesy of Robert Mizzi

While there have been many recent positive developments in this area at UM, such as the introduction of trans-inclusive showers at the Active Living Centre, the continued expansion of gender inclusive washrooms around campus, and increased engagement and support for Indigenous students and the expansion of Indigenous spaces like Migizii Agamik – Bald Eagle Lodge, there is still much more work to be done.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many of the obstacles marginalized people face in their everyday lives to the conversational forefront, and the increased recognition of these challenges has inspired some positive developments in this area on campus, such as remote office hours, increased access to lecture recordings, and increased flexibility with remote learning.

“Moving forward, we really need to think about how we balance the in-person pieces that we feel really are imperative to the kind of education that we do, but also how do we make it more accessible,” says Locher.

“We need to learn what worked well and then try to build on that. We also know what maybe didn’t work as well. Now that we’re moving back to being in person, we could rebuild our in-person engagement and then reflect on what worked well with remote education and how we might be able to build that back in.”

Some professors are aiming to increase inclusive learning through equity walks, where students walk through their classroom or campus and create a map of the potential obstacles that they or others face in their learning environment.

While UM continues to make changes to increase accessibility for and inclusion of marginalized students on campus, Mizzi says there are many practical steps that instructors can take to increase inclusivity and equity in their classroom environments.

“What an instructor can do today is to do an equity walk of their physical classroom or virtual classroom and just look through areas where they think different students with different backgrounds would have a sensory, psychologically, physically, or cognitively different experience than perhaps another student,” recommends Mizzi.

“Whenever there is absenteeism or when there is struggling, students consider space as being a factor in those experiences,” says Mizzi, noting that another practical step would be to take an equity walk outside of the class, outside in the school buildings and just look at what is being posted on the walls and available nearby. “Where are the gender inclusive washrooms? What can people with disabilities access or not access? Where are certain racialized or social groups conjugating, and why those spaces and not others? Perhaps we should have equity walks all around campus and just learn from those who experience it the most–our students.”

Listen to Dr. Mizzi’s interview about inclusion on UM’s new podcast “What’s the Big Idea?” 

TeachingLIFE

UM is a place where we prioritize an inclusive learning and innovative teaching environment, in order to foster a truly transformative educational experience. TeachingLIFE tells the stories of our ground-breaking educators and their impact on student success.

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About CATL

The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning is an academic support unit that provides leadership and expertise in furthering the mission of teaching and learning at the University of Manitoba.

Learn more about CATL

Heidi Marx

“Difficult conversations are going to happen; they are part of learning. But they do not need to inflict harm…”

“Difficult conversations come from difficult knowledges,” says Heidi Marx, professor in the religion department and associate dean of graduate studies, curriculum and internationalization in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba. “Knowledge could mean literature in the humanities, new historical accounts that complicate the standard narrative or studies that deal with social justice issues—essentially, issues that might potentially trouble and force students to revisit things they think they already know about the world, from stories they’ve been told, histories they’ve learned and where those intersect with their own identities.”

The first step in dealing with difficult conversations is setting the tone for the classroom.

“Difficult conversations are going to happen; they are part of learning,” says Jocelyn Thorpe, associate professor in women’s and gender studies and history at UM. “But they do not need to inflict harm, particularly on members of marginalized groups. One way to encourage positive learning through difficult conversations is to create a classroom environment that is mutually supportive and respectful.”

Marx agrees the best strategy for instructors is to start off by collaboratively developing a community for conversation, asking questions that lead to the creation of a code of conduct that is robust enough to cover diverse topics and potential conflicts.

“By co-creating the guidelines for conversation, students maintain ownership. I never cease to be surprised and delighted that students know exactly how they want to be treated themselves and can translate that into general principles for how we treat each other and can be in community together in the classroom,” says Marx. “If you start off with an agreement that you will carry on conversations in a certain way, when you get to the point in class where you anticipate the potential for misunderstanding and conflict, remind students of the code of conduct.”

Setting the tone early can help avoid a more significant level of conflict causing stress and other emotions for both instructors and students alike. “Instructors are often taken by surprise or even shocked if a student says something we’re not expecting. For students, [those incidents] can be traumatizing if they’re not dealt with on the spot, addressed and unpacked,” says Marx.

To that end, instructors should recognize and reflect on their own biases, avoid springing difficult topics on students without warning and remind themselves that not all students will feel the same about a particular topic. Finally, they should remind students there is a real difference between the intention behind a statement and the impact it might have.

When difficult conversations do arise, no matter the cause or topic, it’s critical that instructors acknowledge them and take the lead in addressing the situation.

Jocelyn Thorpe

“Shying away from a difficult conversation doesn’t help. If you let something pass by that is not acceptable, it sends a message to students that you think it is acceptable.”

“Shying away from a difficult conversation doesn’t help,” says Thorpe. “If you let something pass by that is not acceptable, it sends a message to students that you think it is acceptable. It is possible to address an idea and the racist or sexist assumptions behind that idea, for example, without attacking students. In those moments, you as an instructor can model for students the respect for them that you have articulated together at the outset of the course.”

If you don’t know what to say in the moment, that’s OK—but you need to follow up and revisit it in a timely manner, she continues.

“You may think that if you didn’t handle something well in the first place, you have lost the opportunity to address the situation. But you can always go back to something and say, ‘Last week in class, this conversation happened. I missed an opportunity to make it a learning moment. At the time, I felt uncomfortable and didn’t know what to say, but I’ve had time to read and reflect, and here are my thoughts now.’ That way, you not only address the topic, but you also show students that learning is ongoing and part of life, not something to hide or be embarrassed about.”

“If handled well, these conversations can be very fruitful moments for growth,” adds Marx. “It can be a very positive experience because instructors can model for students how to have difficult conversations in a productive way.”

By appropriately managing difficult conversations, instructors provide the opportunity for students to develop a skill set that will stay with them after they graduate—namely, how to listen to people with whom they do not agree, be fully present and hold a conversation around potentially controversial topics.

“If we can do that, we’re teaching the students a real-life skill that will lead to a better, less-polarizing society,” says Marx.

Moni Fricke

“They realize these are real-life situations and are grateful for the experience.”

The College of Rehabilitation Sciences in UM’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences is playing a unique role in teaching students how to navigate difficult conversations. More than a decade ago, assistant professor Moni Fricke developed a practical lab where students learn how to have difficult conversations in clinical settings—not only in theory, but also in practice.

In addition to recorded lectures and readings, students run through various scenarios with trained actors and how to navigate them, followed by an extensive debriefing session. Scenarios include everything from a senior colleague making micro-aggressive racist comments to dealing with an angry patient who doesn’t want to be discharged.

“It often elicits an emotional response in the students even though they know it’s a simulation,” says Fricke, who is also director of the Office of Interprofessional Collaboration at UM. “But they realize these are real-life situations and are grateful for the experience.”

Thorpe notes many difficult conversations show what kind of world we live in, and understanding how the world works, including how injustice happens, is an important tool for creating a better world. Part of working toward a world where everyone matters is having those conversations.

“All true learning is difficult because it challenges what you think you know and forces you to grow,” she says. “To me, that’s the point of education and where hope lies. Learning creates change.”

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