UFV Changemaking — 2024 in review

We’re thrilled to say Changemaking at UFV gained significant momentum in 2024. While changemaking has been behind the scenes at UFV for a while, it has made itself known this year in numerous ways, including various committees, conferences, and events. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from this year!

In 2023, a team of 20 staff, faculty, and leadership participated in the Leading Social Impact in Post-Secondary Education micro-credential offered by Ashoka and Royal Roads University. On May 8th, Nicolle Bourget, Office of the Provost; Dr. Leah Douglas, associate professor, School of Social Work and Human Services; and Cindy Schultz, associate dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, presented A Foray Into Changemaking at ConnectED. They shared their experiences as part of the cohort, discussed changemaking at UFV, offered recommendations for how it can be embedded into the fabric of the university, and ended by sharing projected outcomes for UFV.

At UFV, changemaking is guided by four principles that are deeply informed by the updated Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs). Dr. Awneet Sivia, Associate Vice-President of Teaching and Learning, developed the revised ILOs, which were rolled out in June. The ILOs were updated to align with UFV’s commitment to holistic teaching approaches, and are connected by four themes: know, connect, transform, and reflect. Two established faculty members took on changemaker leadership roles to help support the integration of changemaking into the UFV ecosystem. Dr. Martha Dow was named the Senior Advisor, Changemaking, and Dr. Anna Griffith was named the Changemaker Curriculum Developer.

In September, two different groups from UFV presented at the International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC) in Bern, Switzerland. Bourget, Douglas, and Schultz’s presentation focused on the impact of the micro-credential, and the cohort’s experiences — themes and lessons that came up after a period of self-reflection, and recommendations for future course iterations. Martha Dow, director of the Community Health and Social Innovation (CHASI) hub; and Susan Mide Kiss, Vice-President of Community Engagement, co-wrote a paper, Pathway for Change: Principled Community Engagement through Social Innovation and Changemaking, that Mide Kiss presented at the conference. Her presentation highlighted UFV’s approach to community engagement informed by the principle-based decision making and evaluation methodology, Partnership, Agency, Inclusion and Recognition (PAIR).

Our UFV Changemaking website — a digital space to educate and inform on changemaking, and for amplifying changemaking initiatives on campus — launched in September. This space will continue to grow over time with more resources and initiatives. Don’t forget to read the blog to learn about changemaking practices on campus!

On September 26, UFV Changemaking was launched to the community as part of the St’elt’elawtexw: Celebration of Community. Students and staff at CHASI — the changemaking hub at UFV — connected with community members to hear their thoughts on changemaking. The ideas and thoughts expressed throughout the evening collaboratively informed a graphic recording created by Melissa Kendzierski of Drawing Change. Keep an eye open to see the art piece displayed on screens around campus!

The Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) announced the 2024 Changemaking Teaching Inquiries into Pedagogical Practices (TIPP) fund recipients. Eleven innovative projects that showcase a “commitment to fostering transformative learning experiences and exploring possibilities of embedding changemaking into the curriculum” were selected.

During the first week of December, a review committee from Ashoka visited UFV for a site visit as the second phase of UFV’s Changemaker Campus designation process. Over three days, their team met with various faculty, students, and community members to learn more about research, innovation, and changemaking practices at all levels at UFV.

On December 13, the TLC hosted the first Changemaker Café to bring together educators to discuss, share, and learn about changemaking. Is it just another buzzword? What can it look like at UFV? TIPP fund recipients also had time to share their upcoming winter semester projects. The next Changemaker Café will be on Friday, January 24. Email TLCevents@ufv.ca to register.

A university-wide scan was conducted to identify changemaker curriculum based on the UFV Changemaker Curriculum Criteria matrix, developed by Anna Griffith. Criteria included UFV’s changemaking principles, along with “various changemaker qualities, competencies, and knowledge,” says Griffith. This scan shows where and how changemaking is currently visible in the official course outlines, which will allow for further work when developing changemaking curriculum.

Even if people may not describe themselves as changemakers, significant changemaking work is already happening on campus. Is there a student, faculty, or staff member that you’d like to see celebrated? Are there opportunities you’d like to explore to expand the scope of your work or to find collaborators? Please contact us at changemaking@ufv.ca. We’d love to learn more about changemakers, initiatives, or projects. The levels of impact and scope of projects may vary, but no initiative is too small — we want to hear about the quiet changemaking!

We can’t wait to share even more exciting updates in the new year, but for now, it’s time to rest. Take care of yourselves over the winter break, spend time with loved ones, and do your best to recharge before the next semester.