Transformative Teaching and Learning Retreat (in-person)

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement
Elder Ann

*A smudging ceremony will be held as part of the event.

Bridging Gaps: Mentorship, Accessibility, and Belonging in Graduate Education
Shirin Shaikh, Program Co-ordinator, BIPOC Graduate Student mentoring Academy, Dalhousie University

This session, presented by participants of the BIPOC Mentoring Academy, explores how mentorship can serve as a powerful tool to bridge systemic gaps in accessibility, equity, and belonging within graduate education. In this reflective conversation, mentors and mentees will share their experiences navigating graduate education as members of equity-deserving communities, and how culturally responsive mentorship has supported their growth and sense of belonging. The BIPOC Graduate Student Mentoring Academy was created in response to the lived experiences of BIPOC graduate students at Dalhousie University and highlights the importance of relational approaches, shared identity, and inclusive networks in creating accessible and socially just learning environments.

Shirin Shaikh is the Program Co-ordinator of BIPOC Graduate Student mentoring Academy at Dalhousie University. Shirin role is to facilitate a supportive environment where Dalhousie’s BIPOC graduate students can thrive academically, personally and professionally. She oversees the recruitment of mentees and mentors, organizes mentorship relations, curates resources, and organizes activities and engagements to address the unique needs and aspirations of BIPOC grad students within the academy.

12–1 p.m.

Lunch break

1–2:30 p.m.

Co-Creating Collaborative Leadership: Building an MBA Course with Indigenous and African Nova Scotian Wisdom
Heidi Weigand, Department of Leadership and Organizations, Faculty of Management

This workshop explores the co-creation of an MBA course developed in partnership with Mi'kmaq and African Nova Scotian communities to teach collaboration through diverse cultural lenses. Grounded in the principles of Two-Eyed Seeing, the course blends Western frameworks—such as Crucial Conversations, John Gottman’s relational strategies, and Priya Parker’s Art of Gathering—with Indigenous teachings like Netukulimk, Sharing Circles, and Msit No'kmaq, and Africentric philosophies like Ubuntu and Sankofa. The workshop shares the process of designing the course in three parts—Western, Africentric, and Indigenous—emphasizing the importance of community-led teaching. This course is taught collaboratively by Dr. Heidi Weigand with guest lecturers Dr. Barbara Hamilton-Hinch and Tammy Williams.  This session will invite participants to reflect on inclusive pedagogy, community engagement, and transformative education for future leaders.

Curiosity Room: LSC Dept. Biology Outdoor Learning Space