Special Topics

From Classroom to Parliament: The Experience of Serving as an Expert Witness as a Political Scientist and Professor

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Few experiences in academia match the excitement and significance of testifying before Parliament. In October 2023, Political Science Assistant Professor Dr. Noah Schwartz was called to serve as an expert witness before the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence, and Veteran Affairs as part of the study of Bill C-21 related to the regulation of firearms in Canada.

Dedicating his career to the study of firearms policy in Canada and the United States, Dr. Schwartz provided a transparent and honest perspective on the problems with Bill C-21. Based on his research with over 16,000 Canadian gun owners from coast to coast, he stated how this bill could be harmful to Canadians and not effective in reducing gun crime, as a freeze on handgun ownership wouldn’t stop gun smugglers from continuing their business in the Canadian black market.

Although aware that it was unlikely that the Senate would make amendments, Dr. Schwartz couldn’t refuse the opportunity to raise concerns highlighted by his work and research participants.

“I could not pass up the opportunity to speak truth to power so directly. As my mentor told me, ‘Tell them what you want the history books to remember you saying.’”

Reflecting on the parallel between being a Political Science Professor and serving as an expert witness, Dr. Schwartz highlighted the meaningful and lasting impact of this experience on his teaching philosophy and classroom approach.

“At the time, I was teaching my POSC 357 course on Guns & Politics. I had to cancel one of the lectures because it coincided with my Senate Appearance. I sent the students the link to watch the live stream but did not expect many of them to tune in at 8:30 am on a Thursday. It was heartwarming to see the flood of messages of support I received from my students after the committee meeting. Many had watched and seemed excited to see their professor engaging Parliament on the very issues they were studying. One student said excitedly: ‘You just told them the same things we have been learning all semester!'”

Dr. Schwartz also used this experience to create a Parliamentary simulation with his students during the last class of the term.

“I was able to take my experience as an expert witness in Parliament and apply it directly to the simulation. For example, our simulation included a study of the bill in committee,” says Schwartz. “Students roleplaying as Members of Parliament, advocates, and experts had to appear before the committee and answer questions – just like I did (though I was much nicer with my students than the Senators are to real witnesses).”

Serving as an expert witness reinforced the lesson he tells his students:

“Politics is a game played by a set of rules that have been in place for a very long time. If you do not learn the rules of the game (institutions), you cannot understand how politics works.”

When asked about the legacy he hopes to leave behind in terms of shaping the next generation of leaders and influencers, Dr. Schwartz is clear:

“Students come to political science because they want to change the world, but I think they sometimes underestimate the work required. Sometimes, student movements confuse getting attention with making changes. If you want to leave your mark on the history books, you have to do your homework first and genuinely understand the issues you are talking about. Research can be a powerful tool to help you do that.”

Talk the talk, walk the walk: A lifelong commitment to Human Rights and International Law

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In November 2023, Criminology Assistant Professor Dr. Mark Kersten was invited to speak to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development about Canada’s approach to diplomacy, particularly its inconsistent commitment to international law. As an expert witness, he testified about his hope that Canada could be a leader in human rights and concerns over Canada’s double standards in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes – war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide – both abroad and in Canada. Mark was also asked to submit a written brief to the Standing Committee, which is now part of the House of Commons official record.

As a human rights practitioner and professor, Mark emphasizes the importance of serving as a role model for students and demonstrating that a commitment to human rights extends beyond the classroom.

It is important to me that my students know that I don’t just talk the talk, but walk the walk. A genuine commitment to human rights and international justice can’t end when the bell rings at the end of class or when it’s time to go home after work. It truly is a life commitment. By sharing with my students, the that work I do outside the university, I hope to leave them with the impression that human rights matter not simply as an intellectual project, but in everyday life, and to the most powerful political actors in the country. I also hope this work leaves my students with the impression that human rights and international law and justice matter, not some of the time, but all of the time.

When asked about the lessons and insights he gained from serving as an expert witness, Mark highlights the misconception that human rights are something distant from daily life.

Sometimes people think human rights and a commitment to international law is something that happens ‘elsewhere,’ away from day-to-day life. That’s the farthest thing from the truth! Many people, including students and professors, enjoy the lives they have precisely because of hard-fought gains in the field of human rights, whi

ch have often come at immense sacrifice. Like the famed lawyer Bryan Stevenson says, I want aspiring professionals to know that the measure of our character is how we treat the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our communities and in our world. A dedication to improving the human rights and access to justice for those whose rights are most fragile and least respected can and does improve all of our rights.

Reflecting on his experiences as both an expert witness and a professor, and the legacy he hopes to leave in shaping the next generation of leaders and influencers, Mark underscores the importance of showing people that human rights and international laws matter.

I hope that I’m nowhere near the point of reflecting on my legacy quite yet! But in my work, I do hope to leave the impression that human rights and international law matter. They are relevant in our neighbourhoods and communities. They are relevant across Canada and around the world. Our shared humanity depends on adherence to the basic standards of human rights law and decency, and we can’t be too privileged or too distracted to forget that or take it for granted.

College of Arts Deans from 2000 to today

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A Legacy of Leadership in the College of Arts

As we move forward in time, let’s take a moment to express our gratitude to the mentors and leaders who have guided the College of Arts over the last two decades. From 2000 to the present day, we have been fortunate enough to have a series of exceptional deans, each of whom has made a lasting impact on our institution.

From left to right:

🎭️ Dr. Virginia Cooke, 2000-2005
📚 Dr. Eric Davis, 2005-2009
🎨 Dr. Jacqueline Nolte, 2009-2021
🌟 Dr. Sylvie Murray: Our current Dean, carrying the torch forward. With dedication and passion, she continues to inspire the next generation.

Four college deans standing in front of a Christmas tree. From left to right: Dr. Virginia Cooke, Dr. Eric Davis, Dr. Jacqueline Nolte, and Dr. Sylvie Murray. Dr. Cooke is dressed in a vibrant green and yellow patterned jacket, wearing glasses with short, straight hair. Dr. Davis is wearing a purple sweater and black pants, complemented by glasses. Dr. Nolte is seen in a stylish black jacket, blouse, and pants, with glasses and short, curly hair. Dr. Murray, wearing a black blouse, black pants, and a short, straight hair. The group stands closely together and smiling.

As we reflect on the deans who have shaped our past and present, we look forward to the future they have paved. The College of Arts is not just a place of education; it is a living testament to the transformative power of visionary leadership. Here’s to the trailblazers, the innovators, and the stewards of creativity – past, present, and future.

How can students use their voice to advocate for changes and create social impact?

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Encouraging and promoting changes is an essential part of the Liberal Arts. The critical thinking that comes with the classroom, along with living experiences, can become a game-changer when advocating for changes within your community.

Today, we would like to use this blog as an open space for the Advocates for Change group. Advocates for Change is a student-led movement at UFV focused on building a community where cultural diversity and difference are not only discussed and celebrated but critically examined.

As part of this group, the Psychology student, Ella Halladin, is leading a project to vocalize changes in the Fairy Creek region in British Columbia. On this guest blog, Ella will walk us through the details about the situation in that region as well as ways you can support the cause:

“Less than 2.7% of the ancient temperate rainforest remains in British Columbia. These old-growth trees help the environment in many ways, preventing land erosion that causes landslides, preventing carbon from being released into the atmosphere, regulating water flow to prevent droughts and floods, and providing homes to millions of species both above and below ground.

These trees hold deep spiritual and emotional meaning for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and they are being logged through unsustainable, destructive methods. This logging is being carried out on unceded Pacheedaht and Ditidaht territory, where Indigenous land defenders and non-Indigenous supporters have been peacefully protesting the logging of these old-growth trees to help save the surviving trees since August of 2020.

This Indigenous-led peaceful protest has been met with police violence. When extracting blockaders, police often target IBPOC first, resorting to excessive use of force and using aggressive tactics to remove and arrest IBPOC blockaders. Police have been seen displaying the “thin blue line” patch signifying “blue lives matter”, which has become a symbol of white supremacy. Police have been using dangerous extraction methods (heavy machinery, jackhammers, and angle grinders) often putting blockader’s personal safety at risk.

This movement aims to hold the BC government accountable for protecting the last of our ancient forests both across the Fairy Creek region and the rest of the province and to support the Pacheedaht and Ditidaht Nations in achieving sovereign control over their ancestral lands within their own traditional systems of governance. As well, this movement is not anti-logging, but aims to see the implementation of non-destructive logging practices instead of the logging of original forest or irreparable damage to forest ecosystems.

As part of the Advocates for Change group, I am working to raise awareness for the Fairy Creek Blockade. It is an anti-racism and anti-climate change issue. We will be raising support and directing those who would like to donate to fundraisers for supplies, food and legal support for the volunteers defending the old growth. I have attached those links. I appreciate your time and your support. If this is the first time you are hearing about the Fairy Creek Blockade, I encourage you to look into it.”

Click here to learn more about the Fairy Creek Blockade.

Help support this cause:

 

Urgent Updates – November 18, 2021

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Dear College of Arts faculty and staff,

Our office will be using this channel to communicate directly with all faculty members (permanent and sessional) and staff in the College of Arts about academic matters related to the flood as the situation continues to evolve.

We will also be communicating via the College of Arts website and social media @UFVArts.

For UFV-wide information, please visit UFV Urgent News and see emails from “UFV Info”. You can also sign-up for emergency notifications from UFV to your phone via text, email and voice message.

If you have questions or comments, please send them to Lisa.Matty@ufv.ca. She will redirect as appropriate and one of us, or your Department Head/School Director, will get back to you.

Latest updates as of November 18, 2021 – 9 AM

  • All classes – face-to-face and virtual – are CANCELLED for the remainder of this week (Wed. Nov. 17, Thurs. Nov. 18, and Fri. Nov. 19). All activities and events scheduled for these days are cancelled. Exams scheduled over these dates are postponed and will be rescheduled.
  • All assignments are to be paused this week (until Monday, November 22, at the earliest). This includes online quizzes and all other forms of assignments. Please remember that some students have been evacuated and/or do not have power or internet connectivity.
  • PASS system now monitored over the weekend with added options (“safety risk” and “situational”) in relation to the current situation: Please continue to refer students to PASS as needed. PASS will be monitored on the weekend until further notice. Referral categories have been added to address the current situation. Click here to access PASS.
  • UFV campuses in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission are safe and buildings remain open to faculty, staff, and students with very limited in-person services on campus including:
      • Libraries at the Chilliwack and Abbotsford campuses – open 8:30am to 6pm
      • Office of the Registrar front counter, Abbotsford and Chilliwack – open 9am to 4pm
      • Until further notice, building hours in Abbotsford and Chilliwack are from 7 am to 6 pm. Mission hours remain 8 am to 4 pm.
  • Food services will not be available.
  • The SUS Campus Connector shuttle bus will not be in service.
  • All other campus services will continue to be offered online until further notice.

 

Ways to Get Involved on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

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Orange Flowers from the Shakespeare Reconciliation Garden at the Chilliwack Campus

As September 30 marks the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, we would like to invite you to don your orange shirt and take some time today (and every day) to reflect on the legacy of residential schools and their impacts on Indigenous communities across Canada.

To immerse ourselves into the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation and honour the contributions that Indigenous peoples have made – and continue to make – in our community, we would like to share with you some ways to get involved:

Wear Orange:
As September 30 marks the Orange Shirt Day, we encourage you to wear orange to raise awareness of the legacy of residential schools and to honour the survivors and the families of those who never returned home. Visit the Orange Shirt Day Society website to learn more.

Attend an event:
A series of events will be held both in-person and online. Take some time to attend one of the events held by Indigenous people and educate yourself about their story and the legacy of Residential Schools.

Listen to Indigenous stories:

Explore Online Resources:

    • Interactive Materials – Government of Canada: Visit the Government of Canada website and explore interactive and creative resources to help you get involved and learn more about the rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences and histories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.

The College of Arts at the University of the Fraser Valley is situated on the traditional territory of the Stó:lō peoples. The Stó:lō have an intrinsic relationship with what they refer to as S’ólh Téméxw (Our Sacred Land); therefore, we express our gratitude and respect for the honour of living and working in this territory.

The College of Arts also reiterates its commitment to action to all Indigenous communities through the continued support of Indigenous learners and the integration of Indigenous ways of knowing in the curriculum.