Frances Ravensbergen, PhD

Education

Undergraduate Degree in APSS - Concordia University (1986)
Masters in Adult Education - St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, N.S (1994)
Doctoral degree (SIP) - Concordia University (2010) Teaching in AHSC
Frances taught the Community Development course in the 1990's and returned in fall 2007 to teach, primarily, Organization Leadership and Program Planning, Design and Evaluation.

Teaching interests

Organizational development, leadership, change and management.

Teaching Philosophy
Frances believes that we learn best through praxis, therefore her teaching focuses on both a theoretical understanding and the 'lived-experience' of the course content.  She believes in critical reflection, therefore her teaching encourages questioning and challenging the literature, the lived experience, and each other.  She believes we learn best when we are motivated, encouraged, engaged and treated with respect, therefore her teaching attempts to encourage these elements.  Frances also believes that applied human sciences should work towards a more just society, therefore she highlights the application of course contentto social justice issues.

Professional work

Frances provides training, coaching, and facilitation and does research with non-profit groups, focusing primarily on planning, evaluation and change. She works with national organizations, First Nations organizations, and, through the Centre for Community Organizations (COCo), nonprofits working in English throughout Quebec.

She also teaches in the School of Community and Public Affairs (SCPA) and has designed and taught courses for the School of Extended Learning (SEL) at Concordia.

Research interests

The Quebec community sector; particularly the English and other ethno-cultural sectors.
The 'good practice’ in non-profit management
Participation and empowerment in non-profits (popular education, learning circles, democratic governance)
Experiential learning in a university setting.

Recent publications

Ravenbergen, F. & Sjollema, S. (2013) In the Know: Results of a three-year study on the relationship between English-speaking, bilingual and ethno-cultural community groups and the Government of Quebec. Journal of Eastern townships Studies, no. 40, pp. 49-70.

Blumel, S. & Ravensbergen, F. (2011). IN THE KNOW: A look at the preliminary results of a study on the relationship between community groups service the English-speaking, bilingual and ethno-cultural communities of Quebec and the Government of Quebec. Journal of Eastern Townships Studies, no. 36, Spring, pp. 119- 136.

Ravensbergen, F. & VanderPlaat, M. (2010). Learning circles: One form of knowledge production in social action research. McGill Journal of Education, 45 (3).

Ravensbergen, F. & VanderPlaat, M. (2009). Barriers to Citizen Participation: The Missing Voices of People Living with Low Income. Community Development Journal, 45 (4).