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 mission is local and global in context: to equip students with the necessary skills and experience to tackle the complex challenges and opportunities facing our communities. We achieve this objective through a better understanding of – and direct experience with – Truth and Reconciliation; politics, governance, and public administration; gender, equity, diversity, and social justice; languages, cultures, and societies; systems, ideologies, and traditions; political economy and development; and, environment and sustainability.

VISION

We are committed to fostering the foundational Indigenous, Social Sciences, and Humanities disciplines through relevant, creative, innovative, and curiosity-driven teaching, research, curricula, and scholarship.

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.