CONGRESS STREAMS

The Congress is organized into seven streams, outlined below. All sessions should be future oriented, and solutions based and address one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We welcome presentations in either English or French. Be creative in your proposals and please highlight how your session fits with the overall congress theme: Collective Intelligence.

Transforming Leadership and Governance
Geared towards leadership teams, including board members and CEOs, this stream will focus on how institutional leaders are embracing transformational leadership and governance to effect change within their institutions and contribute to the socio-economic well-being of their communities.

Examples:

  • Celebration of openness, flexibility, and inclusiveness within the institution
  • Embedding health and well-being into all aspects of institutional culture and action.
  • Integration of creativity with intellectual knowledge.
  • Empowerment of faculty and administrative staff as agents of change
  • Creation of social and innovation spaces that nurture and lead to collaboration within and outside the institution.

Advancing Teaching, Learning and Student Success
This stream will focus on how colleges and institutes orient themselves to ensure the success of their students, create inclusive campus spaces, promote both physical and mental health, and use new technologies to strengthen support services. Sessions will explore how innovative teaching and assessment methods can take learning beyond the typical classroom setting, including virtual and blended learning, traditional Indigenous ways of knowing, and work-integrated learning in the world of AI.

  • Creating a campus that offers services, programs, and facilities to promote physical and mental health among students with diverse backgrounds and needs
  • New disruptive technologies and approaches to student services that reflect how today’s students engage
  • Emerging technologies that enhance teaching and learning: platforms and tools, virtual classrooms, social media
  • New approaches to hands-on learning: complementing in-class teaching with applied research projects, field-based experiential learning, work-integrated learning, apprenticeship, and co-op placements
  • Meeting upskilling and reskilling needs through continuing education, essential skills training or adult basic education, and enhanced prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR)

Leading Sustainability
This stream will examine how colleges and institutes can expand their leadership role in contributing to the SDGs and ensuring sustainability across multiple sectors. Sessions will be guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include areas like curriculum development, solutions-oriented approaches to applied research, and designing smart green campuses. Sessions will also look at strategies that colleges and institutes are implementing to achieve a net zero carbon future.

Examples:

  • Embedding environmental sustainability principles and competency development in curricula
  • Developing institutional sustainability plans: successes, challenges, strategies, and best practices
  • Setting green standards: including environmental concerns when designing new buildings and implementing new projects, relying on alternate energy sources, making energy efficient transportation accessible
  • Strengthening partnerships with community members, small and medium sized businesses, Indigenous peoples, and government partnerships to increase sustainability

Building and maintaining strong Industry Partnerships
This stream will focus on how colleges and institutes respond to labour market challenges and help build a sustainable economy. Sessions will explore how colleges and institutes can lead in this recovery across new and emerging markets, strengthen communities, and help businesses innovate through strategic partnerships.

Examples:

  • Building intelligent partnerships to develop a leadership role within the larger community
  • Strategies to navigate the economic impact of COVID-19 on colleges and institutes
  • The role of colleges and institutes in the social economy - partnerships to bridge gaps and expand learning options for all Canadians, particularly in rural, remote, and northern communities
  • Increasing the capacity of applied research departments to meet the expanding needs of local businesses and entrepreneurs
  • Social entrepreneurship and innovation to achieve corporate responsibility goals

Ensuring Safety, Security and Well-being
This stream will address how colleges and institutes can protect themselves from new challenges and threats. Safety and security are not only about protecting institutions from cyber-attacks but also about providing access and creating safe campuses and spaces that support the well-being of students, faculty, and staff.

Examples:

  • Institutional proactive and preventative measures to mitigate risks and better prepare to face threats and challenges
  • Innovative approaches and strategies directed at improving connectivity and access – infrastructure, technology access, bandwidth, and network security
  • Strategies and practices that help recognize and eliminate external attacks and human error to mitigate cyber risk at your institution
  • Institutional and classroom-based initiatives that promote safe campuses

Advancing Indigenous Education (Monday, April 24)

The right of Indigenous peoples to education is protected by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples along with other international human rights instruments including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This stream will focus on best practices to and solutions to improve the access to higher education and ensure the retention and success of Indigenous learners.

Examples:

  • Governance and academic structures and approaches that facilitate the recruitment, retention, and success of Indigenous peoples
  • Curriculum and learning approaches that implement Indigenous intellectual and cultural values, languages, and culture
  • Innovative approaches to increasing understanding and reciprocity among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples
  • Strong partnerships to support economic development and self-determination of Indigenous communities
  • Partnerships with Indigenous communities and businesses to support economic development and self-determination

Embracing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (Tuesday, April 25)
This stream will look at how institutions can ensure that equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are part of their operational plans and strategic priorities. With social justice on the minds of the students we serve and the staff we employ, embracing EDI practices is a key to organizational success. Sessions will focus on best practices, lived experiences and growth opportunities when implementing EDI practices in post-secondary education.

Examples:

  • Policies, practices, and institutional cultures that embrace equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Growing an inclusive mindset in leadership
  • Opportunities and challenges of technological disruptions for promoting equity, diversity and inclusion
  • How to make use of disruptive practices for greater equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Governance Structures that facilitate the recruitment, retention, and success of individuals from equity deserving groups such as LGBTQ2, people with disabilities, immigrants, and newcomers.
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