College Dean's Message

tân'si, nitôtêmak,

When an institution introduces new values, two predictable responses often accompany them: applause or, more likely, fatigue. I am less interested in either. What matters to me, as I have moved from dean of the Faculty of Native Studies (FNS) into the role of dean and vice-provost of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH), is whether these values can help us think more clearly about the work in front of us.

As many of you know, for most of my career, I led an academic unit "on the edge" of the U of A and later, thanks in part to President Flanagan's leadership, outside the college structure, reflecting its unique place within the university. The FNS is a stand-alone faculty with its own history, responsibilities and relationships. Its work is explicitly grounded in our commitment to community, particularly in Treaty 6 and Métis territory. The scale may have been smaller, but the stakes, at least for FNS, certainly were not. 

Now our CSSH office team and I work at a different scale. The college brings together Arts, Business, Education and Law. The question I have been asking myself since I saw the values formally laid out at a leadership meeting several weeks ago is simple: How will these new values change the way I and our college team make decisions and, more importantly, what are the ways that the values are already embodied in so much of the work our people within the CSSH faculties already do?

Take “Unwavering Curiosity”. In the way I have practiced humanities and social sciences, curiosity is not — and has never been — a slogan. It is a disciplined practice of asking better questions. At the college level, that means working to design infra/structures that allow questions to "travel", as it were. Do our policies enable students to move across programs without unnecessary barriers? Do our research supports encourage collaboration rather than competition? 

An example of unwavering curiosity already embodied in our work comes from a recent story on  Faculty of Arts alumnus Chris Dodd, whose work in theatre and Deaf performance challenges us to rethink accessibility not as accommodation, but as creative and institutional design. His career reflects what can happen when we ask not only what we study, but who our structures are built for.

If curiosity is a value we are legitimately committed to, it needs to be visible in how flexible — and how brave — our academic architecture is.

Second, as anyone who has worked with — or in — community knows, “Spirit of Community” is a phrase always in danger of drifting into abstraction. For me, its meaning has always been at once concrete and productively uncomfortable. It means relational accountability. In Native Studies, that meant long-term partnerships and being answerable to communities beyond campus. In the college, it means being explicit about how decisions are made, whose voices we are listening to and how we handle tension and disagreement. Community does not (necessarily) mean consensus; treating it as a verb rather than a noun (as we should all aspire to do) means it should include the ongoing work of staying in relationship while we argue about priorities.

In this spirit of community, the Faculty of Law runs the “Low-Income Individuals and the Law” program, which places students in community organizations to work directly with clients facing systemic barriers. It embeds accountability into legal education itself — requiring not only practical service, but structured reflection on power, poverty and responsibility. It is community as sustained, reciprocal engagement.

Third, I hold a longstanding scholarly belief — earned through bitter experience — that as much as we might wish it, good numbers don't produce good relationships. But good relationships can produce good numbers. Thus, for me, “Shared Accountability” for a sustainable future demands more of us than ensuring efficiency. It asks whether we are willing to align resources with our stated commitments, even when that requires difficult trade-offs. It is about building systems that protect intellectual risk-taking and belonging over the long term. 

The Faculty of Education course EDU 211 is a mandatory Indigenous education course created and sustained through deep faculty collaboration. It represents a structural commitment to changing how future teachers understand history, responsibility and their relationship to Indigenous communities. The course is demanding for students and faculty alike, and sustaining it requires institutional will. That is what shared accountability already looks like in action: aligning curriculum, staffing and resources with what we say matters. 

Finally — and perhaps ironically— “Impact through Excellence” requires restraint. The global rise of university metrics notwithstanding, not everything meaningful can be counted. In our fields, impact may look like a reframed public debate, a new generation of critically trained graduates or a policy shift shaped by careful research. Our task is to create conditions where that kind of work is legible, without reducing it to metrics alone.

The Alberta School of Business’s Impact Series offers one illustration: Civic challenges embedded directly into the undergraduate curriculum through partnership with the City of Edmonton. Not every proposal will be implemented. The impact lies in the habit of mind it cultivates — graduates trained to translate analysis into action, and public partners willing to think differently as a result.

Our institutional values are new, but our habits are not. My invitation — to myself first, and to colleagues across the college — is to treat the values as working tools rather than wall art. When we face a difficult decision, we might ask: Which value is actually at stake here? What would it look like to take it seriously?

If the answers change how we design programs, allocate resources or tell our collective story, then the values will have done their work. If not, they will remain decorative. 

The responsibility for that outcome is ours.

Pishshapmishko,

Chris Andersen

College Updates

Pride Week at U of A

From March 9-14, the FyreFly Institute is holding its annual Pride Week at the University of Alberta. We encourage members of our college to check out the many events happening that week and march alongside our faculties in the Pride Parade on March 9.

Learn more.

Office of Access, Community and Belonging & Indigenous Initiatives

Moving Through Conflict: Micro-grants

Projects should support those experiencing harm, foster reciprocity, spark collective imagination and encourage learning across difference. Activities may include storytelling, embodied practices, creative projects, shared meals, teach-ins, or other responses to community needs. Projects may serve the broader U of A community or a specific group.

Student groups, U of A units, or collectives of at least three U of A staff, faculty, or students may apply by email (max 250 words) outlining:

• Amount requested (up to $5,000)

• How funds will be used

• How the project aligns with the grant’s intent

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, subject to funding. Deadline: March 10.

For payment processing, include:

• Student groups: an attached invoice (see Google Sheets or Canva guides)

• Staff or researchers: a valid speedcode

For more information, email tira@ualberta.ca.

Treaty No. 6 150th Anniversary

Treaty No. 6 was signed on Aug. 23, 1876. In 2026, we approach the 150th anniversary: a significant milestone that invites reflection on Treaty relationships and our shared responsibilities across teaching, research, governance, and community engagement.

Several initiatives connected to 2026 are underway at the University of Alberta:

• The Grand Opening of the new University of Alberta First Peoples' House (Aug. 24, 2026)

• Development of a Treaty Room/Foyer in the south entrance of University Commons, with invitations to Nations to share copies of Treaty No. 6 in their languages

• The recent release of Talk Treaty to Me: Understanding the Basics of Treaties and Land in Canada by Crystal Fraser and Sara Komarnisky

As planning continues, we welcome hearing about initiatives across the Faculties of Arts, Business, Education, and Law that contribute to meaningful commemoration and sustained commitment. Please email mvinod@ualberta.ca.

Save the Date: The Nest Film Screening and Q & A with Julietta Singh

March 11, 2026
5 - 7 p.m.
Education North 2-115
Register here

In conjunction with the CSSH Office of ACB & Indigenous Initiatives, the Faculty of Education is excited to present a screening of The Nest, followed by a Q & A with filmmaker Julietta Singh.

The documentary follows Singh as she says goodbye to her haunted childhood home at the end of her mother's life. As she digs into the house’s history, she uncovers 140 years of forgotten matriarchs and political rebels.

Office of Research

CIRCA Workshop 1: Creating & Maintaining  Interdisciplinary Research Teams

This first workshop in the CIRCA series on March 20 will tackle several key issues that interdisciplinary research teams encounter: 

• conceptualizing interdisciplinarity

• conducting collective self-discovery across differing and sometimes unequal (disciplinary) positions and perspectives

• structuring dialogue and communicating effectively

• organizing a team and structuring an agreement for ongoing relational work

To find out more and secure a spot, visit the CIRCA website.   

CIRCA Workshop 1: Creating & Maintaining  Interdisciplinary Research Teams

This first workshop in the CIRCA series on March 20 will tackle several key issues that interdisciplinary research teams encounter: 

• conceptualizing interdisciplinarity

• conducting collective self-discovery across differing and sometimes unequal (disciplinary) positions and perspectives

• structuring dialogue and communicating effectively

• organizing a team and structuring an agreement for ongoing relational work

To find out more and secure a spot, visit the CIRCA website.   

Research Administration Education Series 

The Research Partner Network strives to support researchers and administrators in managing funds in accordance with all the many rules by providing education and training. Our Research Administration Education Series (RAES) continues with the following webinars:

Series 2, Session 1: Navigating Researcher Home Page (RHP) & eTRAC (via Zoom)
Wednesday, March 18, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Register

Series 1, Session 2: Finalizing Funding (via Zoom)
Monday, March 23, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Register

Research Administration Pop-Up 

Members of the Research Partner Network will be in-person to answer your research administration questions. These could include questions about different research policies, working in the Researcher Home Page, eligibility of expenses, applying for funding, etc. Registration is not required.

Tuesday, March 10, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 6-40 General Services Bldg

Not able to attend this pop-up?  We are happy to meet at your convenience in person, via telephone, or virtually.  Please email rsoinfo@ualberta.

Performance Corner

Department of Drama:  A Paradise Lost by Erin Shields

Drama 457, the capstone of the BA Drama program, presents an ultra-contemporary new drama inspired by John Milton’s epic poem.

Date: March 18-22
Location: Second Playing Space, Timms Centre for the Arts
Learn more

Department of Art & Design: Xpainting | Jesse Thomas & Will Bauer

Incorporating painting, lighting, sound, and video elements, experience an interactive, multimedia installation about Edmonton's river valley that blurs lines between artist and audience. Running in the FAB Gallery until March 21. 
Learn more

Department of Music: Abschied–Farewell

Join Professor Jacques C. Després for an intimate afternoon of solo piano as he bids farewell to the Department of Music.

Date: March 15
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Convocation Hall, North Campus
Learn more

College News