Bishop’s University announces 2020 Jarislowsky Visiting Scholar to facilitate national conversations around pandemic pedagogy

Bishop’s University is pleased to announce Dr. Heather Smith as the 2020 Jarislowsky Visiting Scholar.

Stephen A. Jarislowsky Scholar-in-Residence Program

Through the generosity of The Jarislowsky Foundation, this annual Scholar-in-Residence program invites 1 – 2 internationally recognized scholars to Bishop’s University to work with Dr. Jessica Riddell, the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence, and other Bishop’s faculty, in order to enhance quality undergraduate education at Bishop’s, across Canada, and around the world. The visiting scholar is expected to run workshops, collaborate with diverse groups, build communities of practice, curate and create resources, and advise on projects that enhance undergraduate teaching excellence with impact nationally and internationally.

Leading Teaching and Learning Initiatives Through the lens of ‘Pandemic Pedagogy’

Dr. Heather A. Smith is Professor of Global and International Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia. Former Director of the UNBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, she is the recipient of the 3M National Teaching Fellowship (2006), the Canadian Political Science Excellence in Teaching Award (2012), a two time recipient of the UNBC Excellence in Teaching Award, and a 2018 BCcampus Scholarly Teaching Fellow. Dr. Smith is an active researcher in both her disciplinary field of international studies and in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) with numerous articles, book chapters, monograph, and edited collections.

Dr. Jessica Riddell, Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence, explains: “In order for us to learn and refine our thinking about higher education in the 21st century we must go beyond our institution and into the world to think differently and view challenges from diverse perspectives. Now more than ever we must build on our national and international networks to advance our thinking around the future of higher education. I am delighted that the Visiting Scholars Program extends to our colleagues across the Maple League as we re-imagine the role of a 21st century liberal education in the time of a global pandemic. We’ve designed programming open to all in order to support faculty from primarily undergraduate universities with a focus on individualized education. We hope it will be of value to colleagues across Canada.”

As Jarislowsky Visiting Scholar, (May 15, 2020 – April 1, 2021) Dr. Smith will support the following activities:

• “Maple League Hosts: Conversations around Quality Undergraduate Education” (a monthly panel with national and international teaching and learning scholars facilitated by the Executive Director and Jarislowsky Visiting Scholar);
• “Hive Mind” Resource Guide (a dynamic space for sharing resources to alleviate some of the most pressing pain points);
• “Better Together: Maple League Teaching Support” (a summer series led by professors, staff, and students from the four universities every Tuesday and Thursday);
• Supporting Communities of Practice (with disciplinary and thematic working groups);
• Research and Knowledge Mobilization (with a focus on pandemic pedagogy).

David Hornsby, Associate Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) at Carleton University says “Heather Smith is the consummate pedagogical collaborator. Working with her always results in a dynamic that is creative, productive, exploratory, imbued with a deep passion for the possibilities for university teaching and holds a strong thread of fun. Words cannot express how much I value my professional and personal friendship with Heather and I am just so pleased that she is joining the Maple League as the Jarislowsky Visiting Scholar.”

Lauren Boultbee, Post-Graduate Fellow in Advancement and Communications asserts, “Bishop’s University and the Maple League of Universities are facilitating timely conversations around undergraduate teaching excellence. As a recent alumna (’20), I recognize the importance of this work in the lives of our students and recent graduates. We are fortunate to have someone who deeply cares about student learning and that values student voices and collaborations; her work with Bishop’s University will have a significant impact on student success and resilience.”

To learn more about the 2020 Jarislowsky Visiting Scholar, see http://mapleleague.ca/faculty-and-staff/

About the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence

Building upon Bishop’s University’s commitment to delivering an exemplary undergraduate education, the mission of the Jarislowsky Chairship is to build capacities in teaching excellence, design curiosity-driven approaches to learning, and implement programs that inspire ethical, critical, and creative thinking across the Maple League, as well as nationally and internationally.

About the Maple League

The Maple League is made up of four universities – Acadia, Bishop’s, Mount Allison and St. Francis Xavier – who together form an alliance of small, rural, undergraduate liberal education institutions with Francophone heritage and a commitment to truth and reconciliation with indigenous communities. By fostering reciprocal relationships across institutional boundaries, we provide extraordinary opportunities to transform as leaders, scholars, and institutions. The Maple League creates distinctive learning environments that ensure our graduates are capable of navigating an increasingly complex world as citizens and leaders dedicated to the values of a just and civil society. For more information, visit our website: mapleleague.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Stéphanie Chicoine
Communications Office
schicoin@ubishops.ca