> Backgrounder: First Nations plan announced
Backgrounder: First Nations plan announced
Contact:
Lisa Sterling, 778.782.7058, 778.868.9585 (cell), lisa_sterling@sfu.ca
Vanessa Walterson, First Nations Student Centre, 778.782.6929, 604.719.6010 (cell)
Carol Thorbes, PAMR, 778.782.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca
Lisa Sterling, 778.782.7058, 778.868.9585 (cell), lisa_sterling@sfu.ca
Vanessa Walterson, First Nations Student Centre, 778.782.6929, 604.719.6010 (cell)
Carol Thorbes, PAMR, 778.782.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca
March 14, 2008
• A recent study by Keith James (2001) found that the single most powerful predictor of educational quality for First Nations students is the incorporation of First Nations faculty and indigenous knowledge perspectives into their educational experience. The SFU First Nations University-Wide Strategic Plan promotes the development and incorporation of a vision that allows for indigenous knowledge perspectives in the curriculum, the hiring and presence of more First Nations faculty across all departments at SFU, and incorporates a strong First Nation student services model of success.
• Under the SFU plan, an Office for First Nations will coordinate the development of activities and programming that are sensitive to First Nations issues and needs in eight key areas.
• They include: academic program development, research development, student recruitment, support and retention; liaison and outreach to First Nations peoples, and communities; international engagement and global development; indigenous knowledge and resource development; infrastructure and facilities developments, and finally, integration and leadership development.
• During the next five years, the new Office for First Nations will hire three new First Nations staff members to fill a full-time Graduate Student Support position, a full-time First Nations Community Liaison and Resource Development position, a half-time faculty secondment to a Research Directorship position and an increase in a full-time administrative assistant.
• SFU’s First Nations University-Wide Strategic Plan also calls for the appointment of at least one First Nations faculty member in each faculty across SFU.
• Highlights of the Put the Pow Wow in Your Career Path & Find the Fire Within Week: speeches by SFU VP-Academic, John Waterhouse; Director of SFU First Nations Student Centre, Jenna LaFrance and Marianne Ignace, SFU Kamloops, associate professor of anthropology and First Nations Studies.
• Faculty member presentations on careers, academic programs and research from a First Nations perspective in a variety of disciplines including, earth sciences, health sciences, resource and environmental management, archaeology and political economy.
• The $100,000 seed grant financing the implementation of SFU’s First Nations University-Wide Strategic Plan is part of the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education’s $4.15 million in Aboriginal special projects funding, which was announced in September 2007.
• Under the SFU plan, an Office for First Nations will coordinate the development of activities and programming that are sensitive to First Nations issues and needs in eight key areas.
• They include: academic program development, research development, student recruitment, support and retention; liaison and outreach to First Nations peoples, and communities; international engagement and global development; indigenous knowledge and resource development; infrastructure and facilities developments, and finally, integration and leadership development.
• During the next five years, the new Office for First Nations will hire three new First Nations staff members to fill a full-time Graduate Student Support position, a full-time First Nations Community Liaison and Resource Development position, a half-time faculty secondment to a Research Directorship position and an increase in a full-time administrative assistant.
• SFU’s First Nations University-Wide Strategic Plan also calls for the appointment of at least one First Nations faculty member in each faculty across SFU.
• Highlights of the Put the Pow Wow in Your Career Path & Find the Fire Within Week: speeches by SFU VP-Academic, John Waterhouse; Director of SFU First Nations Student Centre, Jenna LaFrance and Marianne Ignace, SFU Kamloops, associate professor of anthropology and First Nations Studies.
• Faculty member presentations on careers, academic programs and research from a First Nations perspective in a variety of disciplines including, earth sciences, health sciences, resource and environmental management, archaeology and political economy.
• The $100,000 seed grant financing the implementation of SFU’s First Nations University-Wide Strategic Plan is part of the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education’s $4.15 million in Aboriginal special projects funding, which was announced in September 2007.