Education Commons^™

Doctoral Student Career Preparation: An Institutional Response, Kimberly Miller

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) examines the issue of institutional support for doctoral students in preparing for careers inside and outside the academy. While discussions about the purpose of the doctorate are not new, the conversation about preparing PhDs for diverse careers is an emergent one, occupying space inside and outside academic circles. At the heart of the conversation is a debate about the purpose of the doctorate and the institution’s role in employability beyond the professoriate. The traditional academic culture at the institution adheres closely to the notion that the PhD is solely preparation for an academic career. This …

A Call To Action: Indigenizing Curriculum Through Adaptive Leadership, Christie Rehmann Pettipas

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Since the release of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2015, the post-secondary sector has focused their attention on the indigenization of programming and practices with mixed results. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) presents a possible solution to embed Indigenous knowledge and culture in a program offered at a large urban college in Canada.

Both decolonization theory and Schein’s cultural assessment (2017) are used to identify current values and structures that are barriers to the effective integration of Indigenous knowledge in course curriculum and teaching. Utilizing an adaptive leadership framework (Hefeitz, 1994, Northouse, …

Supporting Students At-Risk Through The Re-Engagement Of Staff In Co-Curricular Activities, Leah Eden

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Students enrolled in publicly funded schools in Ontario are representative of diverse backgrounds, abilities and experiences. For students representing the most at-risk populations, schools provide supports both within and outside of the classroom which support their development and provide opportunities which would otherwise be inaccessible due to financial or other personal constraints. Many of these opportunities are made possible through the volunteer efforts of school staff. This means however, that the co-curricular activities provided through volunteer efforts are themselves at risk as they are not contractually obligated provisions. During and following contract negotiations, which may result in labour disruptions or …