Academic Workshops

ACADEMIC WORKSHOPS

Post-Secondary Students, Staff and Faculty

WWEST provides experiential learning opportunities and resources to post-secondary students, staff and faculty, through:

  • Workshops focused on equity, diversity and inclusion, and/or allyship training
  • Career fairs
  • Podcasts and Infographics
  • Indigenous STEM mentors/mentorship training
  • Teacher candidate Community Field Experiences and in-class sessions
  • Volunteer and employment opportunities
  • Academic Advancement workshops
  • Invited speaker events and presentations
  • UBCO School of Education STEM sessions

Workshops are built on the foundation of enhancing equity, diversity and inclusion within academics, research, and careers, particularly those from underrepresented populations, or ally’s of priority populations in STEM.

ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT

WWEST has been pleased to partner with a diverse range of Academics in facilitating Academic Advancement workshops. As an example, “Pathways and Tools to Progress in Academia: A Workshop for Postdoctoral Fellows and Early Career Faculty” is a one-day workshop, intended for Postdoctoral Fellows, and early career academics of underrepresented groups in STEM (women, 2SLGBTQIA+, immigrant, BIPOC), to provide participants with valuable insights, strategies, and practical advice to help navigate the complexities of early academia and build a successful career.

Workshop Topics May Include:

  • Negotiating Contracts, Teaching Workload, and Space – Learn key strategies for successfully negotiating your academic contracts, balancing your teaching responsibilities, and securing the resources you need for research.
  • When, How, and Who – Strategizing the File – Explore the approach to engaging with heads and chairs to discuss career progress towards academic timing and readiness. Consideration of importance of relationships, and leveraging academic support systems.
  • Writing “The File”: Cover Letter, Resume, and Teaching Statements – Create compelling application materials, including cover letters, resumes, and teaching statements that make you stand out. This is an active session, come prepared to engage and share ideas and approaches through your examples and materials in small groups sessions.
  • Having Difficult Conversations – The Art in Saying No – Gain confidence in navigating difficult conversations with colleagues, administrations and leadership – consideration of healthy boundaries in your academic career.
  • Whether in the early stages of an academic journey or readying the file for review, this workshop provides participants with the essential tools to move forward with clarity and confidence

“Thank you for the great event. I really learned a lot and it was helpful to gain some insider tips!”                                                                                                                            ~Post Doctoral Participant

“Thank you for organizing such a wonderful workshop, this was probably the most useful workshop I have attended.”                           ~Early Career Participant

For information on future Academic Advancement Workshops, please complete our contact form.

GENDER SUMMIT

Gender Summits, and other such workshops, are held in collaboration with partners to explore current gender equity issues and challenges, and seek to find solutions.  The 2025, “Gender Summit 24 – North America and the Roadmap for Action 2.0: Diversity Fueling Excellence in Research and Innovation”, jointly conceived by Catherine Mavriplis of University of Ottawa, Elizabeth Pollitzer of Portia UK and Rachelle Heller of The George Washington University, was hosted by WWEST at UBC Okanagan. 

Attendees were introduced to the current roadmap and, in a guided focus group setting, asked to consider current achievements and contribute suggestions for future modifications. The original Roadmap for Action was the output of the Gender Summit in 2013 led by the NSF in partnership with funders in the USA, Canada and Mexico. That roadmap stipulated a range of specific, evidence-based actions and identified the relevant key actor organizations who had the power to bring about the improvements needed (universities, funding bodies, publishers, industry etc.). 

Participation was crucial to support developing Roadmap 2.0, an outgrowth of the 2013 Roadmap for Action and the Gender Summit 2024, aimed to recognize the progress made in the last 10 years and also the need to tackle outstanding and persistent inequality issues as well as new problems that emerged since 2013, which require fresh action. Roadmap 2.0 will replace the 2013 Roadmap for Action for North America with a revised agenda for action to help facilitate further progress in the next 10 years.

“Thank you for inviting me to this impactful event.”

“I found it very productive and inspiring to be in the company of so many champions of STEM, skilled trades and gender equality.  I really enjoyed the informal gathering after to continue the sharing of ideas, strategies and stories.”

MALE ALLYSHIP

What is Allyship?
Taking ACTION to support those who might otherwise be or feel excluded. This happens by being an ALLY.

What is an Ally?
An ally is any person that actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts. Anyone  with power can be an ally to those with less power. Allies can be men, women, peers, managers, etc. Click here for more learning.

In partnership with WinSETT, WWEST has held three workshop sessions under the current CWSE BC/Yukon Chair:

  • Allyship for Everyone;
  • Retaining Women in Academia;
  • Towards Respectful and Inclusive Workplaces

Why attend a Male Allyship Workshop?

This workshop provided safe space to generate and gain knowledge, and collaboratively build and recommend strategies that offer a deeper understanding and approach to lead junior faculty women, and other represented persons aspiring to advance in academia. Men develop professional skills and approaches to produce positive cultural change. And for some they will gain a perspective that they might have previously neglected in their learning.

Workshops are intended to support current positions, as well as enhance inclusive leadership skills that will assist male leaders to claim their potential for career progression.

For more information on upcoming Male Allyship workshops, please reach out to us through the WWEST contact form.