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...

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 fo...

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 di...

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 h...

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 t...

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 Jo...

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 educationa...

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....

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...

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...

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....

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 an...

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 wheth...

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 de...

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 program...

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 every...