Strategic implementation plan
This five-year strategic implementation plan sets evolving priorities for decolonizing and Indigenizing Concordia's curriculum and pedagogy from 2023 to 2027.
Mission
The mission of the 5-year Strategic Implementation Plan on Decolonizing and Indigenizing Curriculum and Pedagogy (the Plan) is to ensure that Concordia students, as direct beneficiaries of its programs, are grounded in the knowledge of the history and impacts of colonialism, can critically evaluate this history and its impacts, and value the importance of learning about diverse Indigenous histories, voices and perspectives while experiencing creative learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom.
Ways to engage
Members of the Concordia community are invited to share their thoughts and feedback on the strategic implementation plan.
Contact Kahérakwas Donna Goodleaf, Ed.D., Director, Decolonizing Curriculum and Pedagogy or Melissa Forcione, Coordinator, Research & Planning.
Summary
The strategic implementation plan's goal is to provide a roadmap for Concordia’s faculty units to:
- Embrace collaborative opportunities on ways to decolonize and Indigenize curriculum and pedagogical practices, through active listening and respectful engagement.
- Co-construct knowledge with the Office of Decolonizing and Indigenizing Curriculum and Pedagogy and Indigenous Peoples and Communities in respectful and meaningful ways.
The strategic implementation plan is intended for all members of the Concordia community including:
- Senior administration
- Deans, associate deans, and department chairs
- Faculty, teaching assistants and other teaching staff
- Students at undergraduate and graduate levels
Guiding values
The values guide our path towards decolonizing and Indigenizing education at Concordia.
Ka’nikonhrí:io
A Kanien’keha term that refers to ‘a good mind,’ one that is caring and compassionate with self and towards others.
Ka’shatsténhsera
A Kanien’keha term that means ‘power.’ In the context of this strategic plan, this term means Faculty departments working collaboratively and collectively, contributing to the power of a good mind, strength, wisdom, and active commitment to decolonize and Indigenize curriculum and pedagogical practices.
Respect
The work undertaken by faculty and members of the Concordia community of embedding Indigenous decolonizing principles and pedagogical practices will be conducted within an underlying framework of respect, a guiding principle in all aspects of the Plan.
Cultural safety
For Indigenous students and students with diverse social identities to thrive, the university community works together to promote and foster safe learning environments in which they are recognized, respected and valued.
Student success
Student success is at the heart of the Plan. An Indigenous, decolonized curriculum fosters students’ holistic growth (spiritual, emotional, physical, and social) and empowers them to thrive and achieve success. The curriculum also values and incorporates diverse student voices, lived experiences, and cultural integrity.
Indigenous ways of thinking and doing
Examples of Indigenous ways of thinking and doing include embedding and centering Indigenous epistemologies across the curriculum, and providing increased opportunities for students to value diverse histories, worldviews, and perspectives.
Strategic priorities
The following strategic priorities provide the framework of the five-year strategic implementation plan for decolonizing and Indigenizing Concordia’s curriculum and pedagogy.
Decolonize and Indigenize curriculum and pedagogy university-wide
Creating an educational environment that supports and encourages the critical evaluation and decentering of Eurocentric knowledge systems, and in which Indigenous ways of knowing, lived experiences, histories and perspectives are centered and woven across the curriculum.
Ensure cultural safety across diverse learning spaces – curriculum and pedagogical practices
Providing training and support for faculty development that focus on Indigenous pedagogical practices and intervention strategies to address ongoing systemic racism, tokenism, harmful stereotypes and micro-aggressions in the classroom and their impact on Indigenous students.
Collaborate with Indigenous communities to develop and codesign new programs
Fostering, strengthening and building trusting, respectful, collaborative relationships with Indigenous communities with a view to explore opportunities to co-design new programs that reflect the distinct needs and priorities of Indigenous communities.
Expand and support collaborative, shared learning communities across faculty units
Increasing opportunities and support for cross-faculty unit collaborations on shared learning experiences in undertaking transformative curricular changes that are the result of decolonizing and Indigenizing initiatives.
Committee members
The committee members of the strategic implementation plan have contributed their knowledge and/or experiences and expertise related to decolonizing and Indigenizing curriculum and pedagogy.
Office of Decolonizing and Indigenizing Curriculum and Pedagogy
- Kahérakwas Donna Goodleaf
- Carole Brazeau
Other members
- Allan Vicaire
- Elaine Cheasley Paterson
- Monika Gagnon
- Natasha Macdonald
- Hannah Claus
Watch the launch
The launch of the five-year strategic implementation plan was held on September 8, 2023 at Concordia’s 4th SPACE. Watch a (7 minute) video of Kahérakwas Donna Goodleaf sharing the context, values and priorities of the strategic implementation plan.