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St. Paul\u27s Kanyengeh, Sour Springs, Brantford 1.4
No full texthttps://ir.lib.uwo.ca/anglican_exteriors/1068/thumbnail.jp
St. Paul\u27s, Middleport, Caledonia, Brantford 1.2
No full texthttps://ir.lib.uwo.ca/anglican_exteriors/1195/thumbnail.jp
Interior 1, St. George\u27s, Owen Sound
No full texthttps://ir.lib.uwo.ca/anglican_interiors/1261/thumbnail.jp
Redressing the Underrepresentation of Racialized Faculty at an Ontario Polytechnic
Get PDFRacialized faculty are underrepresented across Ontario’s colleges of applied arts and technology. This dissertation-in-practice (DiP) uses critical theory and critical race theory to position the underrepresentation of racialized faculty in the delivery of curricula as a problem of practice (PoP) within a Faculty at an Ontario polytechnic. This underrepresentation not only contributes to homogenous teaching and learning but also can create a negative climate for racialized students who do not have the opportunity to see their identities reflected in the faculty teaching them. Racialized faculty also face significant challenges as minorities navigating spaces in which they do not feel a sense of belonging. This DiP advocates for a future state in which racialized faculty representation approaches external availability in the workforce, brought about through a belonging-based recruitment and hiring strategy (BRHS) that infuses equity-mindedness into recruitment, interviewing, and deliberation processes. This change to recruitment and hiring would be implemented through an adaptive leadership and critical allyship approach, following a framework that integrates Kotter’s eight stages of change model with Lawrence’s emerging change model. Dialogue, reflection, and the elevation of racialized voices are key principles for communication throughout the change plan. The plan is monitored and evaluated through an integrative framework centering inclusivity, power, and sustainability. Implementing the BRHS can transform spaces of power and decision making within the institution, as well as create a more inclusive collegial culture, leading to better recruitment and retention of racialized faculty
Passport to Prosperity: Enhancing Student Advising and Support for International Students at an Ontario College
Get PDFInternational students are underserviced and increasingly unsupported in Ontario’s post-secondary education system. This dissertation-in-practice (DiP) explores the complex challenges confronting international students in Ontario, with a primary focus on Polytechnic College. Through an in-depth analysis of existing literature and institutional practices, the DiP uncovers gaps in current support systems and proposes strategic interventions, particularly within student advising services, to address these gaps. Embracing principles of inclusivity, cultural sensitivity, and collaborative partnership, the DiP employs a multifaceted approach to enhance the academic and personal success of international students. The Problem of Practice (PoP) centers on the disparities in support needed and support actualized for international students, exacerbated by shifting demographics, financial constraints, and governing policies. Through a thorough needs assessment, and analysis of the environment and context of Polytechnic College, the DiP identifies critical areas for intervention and support. The DiP delineates a series of strategic change initiatives, and communication, evaluation, and monitoring strategies anchored in a reimagined student advising intake for international students at Polytechnic College. By implementing evidence-based interventions, the DiP aims to elevate the academic and personal success and well-being of international students, creating connections and support, while contributing to broader realms of student life. Through collaboration with campus partners and the mobilization of knowledge, the change plan endeavours to effect enduring change that positively shapes the experiences of international students within and beyond Polytechnic College
Support for Mid-level Leaders to Build a Learning Organization in Complex Times
Get PDFMore attention should be paid to an innovative mindset and a framework to support educators in complex educational landscapes. As leaders, we rarely take the time to focus our efforts on preparing schools for the inevitability of change. Agility College (AC) is a school that takes pride in its dedication to teaching and learning. We can rise even higher to support mid-level leaders (MLL) and be better prepared for our school’s future. An emerging problem of practice represented in my dissertation-in-practice which was highlighted during the pandemic was the need for a comprehensive change framework to support innovation and adaptability within AC, specifically to support MLLs. Applying adaptive leadership, systems thinking, and Kotter\u27s eight-step change model helps frame a roadmap centred on the inclusion of diverse voices that can be used to help build our learning environment. Culture and psychological safety are examined as vehicles to support ongoing authentic engagement. Highlighting the importance of using tools like the congruence model and Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) helps the MLLs and I identify and evaluate problems. The preferred solution for AC is the establishment of a Learning Lab which attempts to create an environment where collective intelligence can thrive. The success of the Learning Lab lies in the fact that it goes beyond one-off training to develop leadership at scale and establish a learning environment (DeSmet et al., 2021). I hope the MLLs at AC will be able to learn and grow as professionals as we embark on this learning journey togethe
No longer eating their young, but eating their own: Developing capacity to decrease lateral aggression among nurses and leaders
Get PDFNursing is generally known as a profession of caring. The public identifies these professionals as one of the most trusted roles in a healthcare setting. Despite this, many behaviours contradict this paradigm. These uncivil behaviours may be overt or subtle, but they are contributing to a psychologically unsafe environment where nursing instability and increased turnover threaten the ability to provide competent care for current and future patients. The nursing literature often refers to the term, eating their young, to summarize a harmful concept where experienced nurses neglect, betray, or belittle junior nurses who are in need of support from their more experienced peers. Many stressors at micro, meso, and macro levels have led to the resurgence of lateral aggression in the nursing profession. These actions have permeated to novice nurses, who now act as perpetrators engaging in this cannibalistic behaviour. This creates psychologically unsafe environments and acts as a deterrent for nurses staying in a specialty area. In view of its costly health-related repercussions, the prevention of lateral aggression is crucial to conserve nurse well-being and safeguard the provision of competent nursing care into the future. A blended learning pathway is proposed for nurses and leaders to recognize, respond, and address lateral aggression in action on adult surgical units. Kotter’s 8-step change model, combined with CQI methodology, is used to guide a change implementation plan. Workforce metrics such as turnover rates, overtime usage, absenteeism, sick time, and safety occurrence reporting will serve as indicators of success
Creating a Culture of Knowledge-Sharing within the Public Sector: A Collaborative Approach
Get PDFThe Department of X is a public sector provincial department moving towards a more modernized approach to client service delivery. The Department of X is a mature organization with clearly defined reporting and hierarchical structures, where employees are organized by branches, units, and teams. Employees on each team bring a variety of unique skill sets; however, it is noticeable that work teams create their own subcultures, known as siloes, as a result of the structure, leading to systemic issues, such as lack of communication across teams. Employees often feel less engaged in the overall achievement of the department’s goals, and front-line employees tend to be excluded from projects and initiatives outside of their direct team. This Dissertation-in-Practice examines the organizational structure and works within the existing paradigms and hierarchy to create a coordinated approach to sharing knowledge openly across teams. Using adaptive leadership, underpinned by caring leadership and ethics, this Dissertation-in-Practice suggests collaboratively constructing an internal communication strategy in partnership with end users will promote knowledge sharing through collaboration. Prosci’s methodology of change management guides the change framework. The proposed solution aims to work within the existing structure and resources to tap into employees\u27 expertise, knowledge, and diverse viewpoints to create a strategy for employees to utilize as a communication framework
Homeschooling and Publicly Funded Education - Achieving the Best of Both Worlds
Get PDFThis Dissertation-in-Practice (DiP) provides a roadmap to address the trend of increased numbers of parents choosing homeschooling in the Central Catholic School Board (CCSB, a pseudonym). The CCSB is a publicly funded Ontario Catholic school district serving more than 40,000 students across a mixed urban, rural, and suburban region. A critical theory approach to addressing the increase in homeschooling by students from underserved marginalized communities provides an explicit focus on social justice. The selected solution to address the complex problem is a system-wide implementation of flexi-schooling. A future state sees flexi-schooling providing alternatives to status quo structures by allowing personalized learning pathways that include some instruction at home and some instruction at school. The DiP addresses the importance of the director of education and executive council leading the change initiative. Transformative and third-order change may result in flexible attendance options, independent course selection, optional participation in assessment and evaluation, and personalized graduation pathways. Strategies for system-wide change include leveraging the CCSB’s existing focus on deep learning and use of a coherence framework. The DiP explores both transformative and distributed leadership practices during the change implementation process. It also examines a modified change path model along with a monitoring, evaluation, and communication plans. The change implementation plan spans three-years to coincide with the district’s multi-year strategic plan. The roadmap to system change has the potential to disrupt the status quo structure of publicly funded education
Learning to Lead: Leadership Development for Academic Administrators at a Canadian Community College
Get PDFAbstract
This Dissertation-in-Practice addresses the Problem of Practice of a lack of intentional leadership development for academic administrators at College X (a pseudonym), a comprehensive community college in western Canada. Academic administrators typically come from the ranks of faculty. As Academic administrators, they serve particular functions and roles within the organization, functions and roles that are in many ways distinct from their previous work as faculty members. Academic administrators often lack the management and leadership knowledge or experience to prepare them for their roles and careers. The absence of adequate leadership development opportunities often contributes to low job satisfaction, burnout, and high turnover rates among academic administrators. The need for an intentional approach to leadership development has become more pronounced given recent political, economic, social, and technological developments impacting the college sector. The proposed strategy to address to the Problem of Practice at College X is the creation of an internal leadership development system consisting of a leadership competency framework, a Centre for Leadership Development, and a multi-faceted leadership development program aligned to the identified competencies. A transformational leadership approach and Kotter’s eight stage change model are recommended to implement the change initiative. A program theory and logic model are used as the basis for monitoring and evaluating the improvement process. Finally, the dissertation includes a knowledge mobilization plan to share the results and knowledge from this improvement process with decision makers at the organizational, provincial-system, and national system-levels