New Public Classroom Initiative aims to foster informed and respectful dialogue on contemporary issues
We are living in an increasingly polarized time, where complex political and social issues create deep divisions within relationships and communities. How can we address these challenges and make meaningful connections beyond our differences?
Last year, the Office of Equity Transformation (OET) introduced the Listening, Learning, Leading series to help us move beyond polarization and build foundations for increased understanding and dialogue. OET is now introducing the Public Classroom Initiative, an extension of that series, designed to foster informed dialogue and deepen understanding of contemporary issues within the UM community.
Recognizing the wealth of expertise across the university and the growing interest in key topics, the Public Classroom Initiative will provide accessible learning opportunities on a range of critical and timely topics. Held around lunchtime in the Fireside Lounge (first floor, UMSU University Centre), participants will gain insights from UM experts in a concise, 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute question and answer period.
Upcoming sessions:
Media Literacy and Critical Thinking
Presenter: Cecil Rosner (Media Literacy Program Instructor, Extended Education)
Thursday, December 12 at 12:30 p.m.
Antisemitism: Histories and Contemporary Manifestations
Presenter: Belle Jerniewski (Jewish Heritage Centre)
Friday, January 10 at 12 p.m.
Islamophobia: Histories and Contemporary Manifestations
Presenter Youcef Soufi (UM Institute for Humanities)
Date and time to be announced.
Subsequent sessions will include:
- Corporate Responsibility and Supply Chain Justice (presenter: Minelle Silva, I.H. Asper School of Business)
- International Human Rights Law (presenter: Nathan Derejko, Faculty of Law)
- Environmental Racism and Land (presenters: Dan HenHawk, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management and Bruce Erickson, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources)
- The Zimbabwean Experience with Death, Mourning, and Funeral Practices in the Diaspora (presenter: Joy Chadya, Faculty of Arts)
Emily Kalo, a Fellow in Equity, Anti-Oppression, and Social Justice, is working on the project. She says, “It’s a privilege to work alongside Dr. Tina Chen and the OET team on this important initiative to drive positive change through education. Many of us have likely faced difficult interactions with individuals holding narrowly focused views. The Public Classroom sessions aim to provide us with the knowledge and empathy needed to navigate such situations while enriching our own understanding of current issues.”
While the Public Classroom sessions will be in-person only, OET is also working on an audio project which will give listeners the opportunity to dive deeper into these contemporary issues alongside each guest speaker. These recordings will be launched in the Winter Term.
Tina Chen, Vice-Provost (Equity), says, “By placing learning in public spaces and in short presentations, I hope the Public Classroom Initiative will remove barriers for learning with each other as members of the UM community. I am looking forward to seeing staff, students, and faculty from a range of units, lived identities, and positions attending. I believe that learning together, embracing complexity and broadening our understanding across challenging topics is the foundation for dialogue that can take us beyond polarization.”