Faculty Strategy

Dr. Heather Smith has been recognized with the ELIAS Distinguished Scholar Award for her outstanding contributions to global and international studies. Her dedication to mentorship and innovative teaching continues to shape the field and inspire future scholars.

Building bridges to a sustainable future

Capstone course in Environmental and Sustainability Studies takes learning beyond the classroom to campus initiatives and a community gathering aimed at fostering collaboration on local sustainability projects.

Carrier Sekani Family Services and �� release research addressing gender-based violence

The joint research project highlights community-driven solutions to help prevent and reduce instances of violence against Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ2S+ people along the Highway of Tears.

Northern B.C. health research collaboration receives grant funding

A new initiative in northern B.C. aims to address inequities in health research infrastructure by developing community-driven solutions that integrate Indigenous knowledge and support sustainable, equitable outcomes.

Lab to Market grants empower �� researchers

New federal funding will support students and faculty at �� in transforming their research-based innovations into real-world solutions.

Faculty Strategy

The Faculty of Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences and Humanities (FISSSH) offers 9 majors, 21 joint-majors, and 9 minors across nine distinct areas of study. Our scholars and teachers bring experience and expertise from the broad academic fields of Anthropology, English, History, First Nations Studies, Northern Studies, Global and International Studies, Political Science, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies. We currently offer 30 undergraduate and 8 graduate programs in these fields of study, in addition to 19 certificates and 3 diplomas.

MISSION

Our Faculty promotes a strong, equitable, and inclusive culture and community of teaching, research, service, and outreach. Serving the diverse communities of northern British Columbia, we strive to develop informed, responsible, and active leaders and citizens; encourage different ways of knowing and learning; build long-term and meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities; support and advance Indigenization and Reconciliation efforts across all campuses and regions; build, communicate, honour, and foster a culture that embraces the broadest range of skills, perspectives, identities, and experiences; and produce resilient, adaptable, creative, and innovative thinkers well-versed in the critical and analytical skills of communication, interpretation, and problem-solving necessary for negotiating society’s present and future challenges.

VISION

We are committed to fostering a rigorous, diverse, and enriching academic community that encourages critical thinking, improves our understanding of humanity, and enhances the world in which we live.

CORE VALUES

Building and developing resilience
Promoting personal and academic growth
Broadening horizons and perspectives
Being ethical and responsible

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

We will foster a culture of academic excellence that promotes and delivers high-quality teaching, learning, research, and creative scholarship.

Goals:

Strengthen, adequately resource, and support innovative teaching and learning practices and development.
Actively support, promote, and celebrate the richness and diversity of Faculty research and creative scholarship.
Generate knowledge, learning experiences, and initiatives that inspire and empower northern communities.
Foster a culture of curiosity through regular scholarly activities, events, and knowledge dissemination.

IDENTITY AND COMMUNITY

We will build and embody an inclusive community of collaboration and interdisciplinarity for all faculty, staff, and students.

Goals:

Actively create, mobilize, and disseminate knowledge through teaching, research, and community engagement activities.
Expand alumni connections and advancement opportunities.
Improve our communications strategy, visibility, and public outreach.
Leverage our expertise to help solve local and global problems.
Increase program awareness and impact through community and research partnerships.
Be deliberate and intentional in fostering cultural and team-building activities.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS

We will inspire, lead, and support a collaborative and interdisciplinary community of learning.

Goals:

Develop learning outcomes for courses and academic programs.
Increase opportunities for student-oriented research.
Expand experiential learning, mobility, and professional development opportunities.
Be flexible, innovative, and collaborative in our academic programming and scheduling.
Advance Indigenization and Decolonisation through deliberate curriculum, program, and community-facing initiatives.
Encourage, enable, and support interdisciplinarity and collaboration in teaching and learning.

GOVERNANCE AND PRACTICE

We will develop and practice sustainable, fair, and equitable models of governance, policy, and decision making.

Goals:

Develop a clear vision, mission, and direction founded on sound, values-based principles.
Establish and implement consistent and transparent operational processes.
Ensure equity and fairness in decision making.
Strive for aspirations and ideals.
Create space for crucial conversations.
Orient our practices to serve student experience and outcomes.
Commit to all meetings being action-oriented.
Cultivate meaningful faculty participation and engaged citizenship.