Welcome!
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the School of Social Work at 海角社区, located on the unceded territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg Nations. We are thankful for their care of the waters and lands of this area and seek to walk the talk of authentic reconciliation.
I joined the faculty at the 海角社区 School of Social Work in 2006. Prior to becoming the School鈥檚 Director, I had the privilege of serving as the Director of the BSW and MSW programs. I am a co-founder of Indigenous Access 海角社区 and Indigenous Field Studies. In addition to these roles, I have been actively working on establishing a new BSW program, Inulirijiit, delivered in Nunavik. The first cohort of Inuit students started Inulirijiit this Fall.
I am a mother to 3 young men and a researcher, teacher, and community advocate. I have focused my academic career on exploring refugee peoples' lived experiences in resettlement contexts and working with First Nations, M茅tis and Inuit communities to support youths鈥� access to post-secondary education.
I have two central goals for the School of Social Work:听First,听to proactively work on a sustainable learning environment grounded on social justice, authentic reconciliation and anti-racism;听Second,听to sustain a progressive School community which strives to engage students and faculty in critical inquiry and promote equity in relationships and practice. Building respectful, authentic relationships takes time, energy, and commitment. I dedicate myself fully to continuing the process that our previous director, Dr. Nico Trocm茅, began.
I am excited to be starting this journey with you as part of an educational community actively working to reclaim space for equity-focused social work. Approaching learning from a critical perspective widens the space for inquiry into our own values, assumptions, biases, and social location. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to self-reflect, exchange ideas openly and respectfully, and engage in critical analysis regardless of the course's subject matter.
The School鈥檚 excellence resides in its people鈥攕tudents, staff, faculty, and community partners. I encourage you to look at our website and explore our faculty's rich research and teaching interests. You will find someone whose area of interest is aligned with yours. I look forward to engaging collaboratively in improving the lives of those with whom we live, work, and share community. Wishing you all an enriching and fulfilling academic year!
Dr. Nicole Ives,
Director
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