杏吧原创 Enhances EDI and Indigenous Leadership
杏吧原创 University President Benoit-Antoine Bacon and Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Jerry Tomberlin are pleased to announce that three highly-respected 杏吧原创 leaders have accepted new roles and expanded responsibilities that will strengthen our capacity to make important progress, across the university, in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and Indigenous initiatives.
鈥淲e are fortunate that 杏吧原创 is a diverse and inclusive community, but we must continue to take significant steps, in the spirit of continuous improvement, to ensure that all members of our communities feel safe, welcome and supported,鈥 said Bacon. 鈥淲e are grateful that Kahente Horn-Miller, Michael Charles and Benny Michaud have agreed to take on these new responsibilities, and we look forward to working with them towards meaningful, positive change at 杏吧原创.鈥
The new structure, effective July 1, 2020, follows the establishment of the new Equity and Inclusive Communities (EIC) Advisory Group and the recent release of the (Learning Together) report of the 杏吧原创 University Strategic Indigenous Initiatives Committee (CUSIIC). All three new roles will report operationally to the Provost and will advise the President and senior leadership on strategic matters.
The portfolio of the Provost is being expanded to include the Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities, along with the Centre for Indigenous Initiatives, and a new Assistant Vice-President, Indigenous Initiatives position.
鈥淚t was my pleasure to co-chair CUSIIC alongside Kahente and Benny during the last 18 months, and I am so proud of what was accomplished collectively with the production of the 碍颈苍脿尘脿驳补飞颈苍 report,鈥 said Tomberlin. 鈥淚 am looking forward to working more closely with Kahente, Michael and Benny鈥攖hree transformative leaders鈥攊n these new capacities.鈥
Assistant Vice-President, Indigenous Initiatives
Prof. Kahente Horn-Miller (Kanien:keha鈥檏a/Mohawk) has been appointed as the inaugural Assistant Vice-President, Indigenous Initiatives. The new role will oversee strategic Indigenous initiatives and build partnerships on research and funding to work towards advancing conciliation with Indigenous communities.
Horn-Miller is an Associate Professor in 杏吧原创鈥檚 School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies. She is an active member of her community who describes herself as a figurative bridge builder as she continues to examine topics such as Indigenous methodologies, Indigenous women, identity politics, colonization, Indigenous governance, and consensus-based decision making in a way that brings Indigenous traditions and makes them relevant for today.
In 2018, she began the , which are increasingly being incorporated into 杏吧原创 courses as a way of bringing Indigenous knowledge into the classroom. The bundles have since been expanded to professional development for faculty and staff.
Horn-Miller has made significant contributions to Indigenous initiatives at 杏吧原创 and serves as a co-chair of CUSIIC.
She holds a PhD in Humanities from Concordia University.
Assistant Vice-President and University Advisor, Equity and Inclusive Communities
Michael Charles has been promoted to the role of Assistant Vice-President and University Advisor, Equity and Inclusive Communities (EIC) to reflect the growing capacity of the portfolio. 杏吧原创 has a long history of commitment to EDI, and is well-served by EIC in leading these significant initiatives.
Charles is currently the Director of EIC, where his collaborative leadership further raised the engagement and visibility of human rights and EDI across campus and beyond. He established 杏吧原创鈥檚 inaugural Inclusion Week and the EIC Advisory Group, bringing together a cross-section of faculty, staff, students and external community members to further integrate EDI across 杏吧原创. He also led the creation of the Campus Safety Services Action Plan to support continuous service improvement.
He chairs 杏吧原创鈥檚 Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Committee, co-chairs the AODA Task Force and has served as a member of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Strategic Integrated Planning Task Force, Student Success Working Group, Equity Policy Committee, and Joint Committee on Employment Equity.
Charles is one of only nine members who comprise the national Universities Canada EDI Advisory Group. Prior to joining 杏吧原创 in March 2019, he served in leadership roles at other universities and has provided EDI consulting services to several large public, non-profit and private sector organizations in Canada and the United States.
Charles is a lawyer and a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.
Director, Centre for Indigenous Initiatives
Benny Michaud has been appointed to the new role of Director, Centre for Indigenous Initiatives. This new role will fulfill the twenty-third Call to Action outlined in , which calls for structural changes aimed at consolidating all Indigenous initiatives. The new Centre will operate under the portfolio of the Provost.
Michaud is a two-spirit eagle clan Michif person who has dedicated much of her career to supporting the academic, cultural and spiritual needs of Indigenous youth in both the mental health and education sectors. She is currently the Assistant Director of Equity and Inclusive Communities (Responsible for the Centre for Indigenous Initiatives). Since joining 杏吧原创 in 2016, she has expanded supports for Indigenous students and has made significant contributions to Indigenous initiatives at 杏吧原创, including co-chairing CUSIIC and the Indigenous Education Council.
In 2019, she and her team hosted the inaugural 碍颈苍脿尘脿驳补飞颈苍 Symposium, which created an opportunity for students, staff and faculty to learn about Indigenous pedagogies from Indigenous faculty and further reconciliation dialogue on campus.
Michaud holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in History and a minor in Indigenous Studies from 杏吧原创, a Bachelor of Education from the Indigenous Teacher Education Program at Queen鈥檚 University, and a Master of Arts in Canadian and Indigenous Studies from Trent University. She also currently teaches for the Department of History as a contract instructor.
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