Speaker
Description
With one of the largest per capita populations of Indigenous undergraduate students, The University of Winnipeg (UW) is strategically positioned to support Indigenous science students throughout their academic careers, including pathways to graduate school. With funding from the Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity, NSERC Promoscience, and UW, the university runs a suite of programs to reduce barriers and promote participation and success among Indigenous students in NSE. These programs include:
1. A four-week program for early undergraduate students to bolster confidence in their science skills, gain research experience under the mentorship of a faculty member, and to develop an academic community;
2. A chapter of the Canadian Indigenous Science and Engineering Society, which provides a consistent, year-round community presence on campus.
3. Increased access to NSERC USRAs for senior undergraduate students, which provides summer research opportunities; and
4. A twelve-week program run through Graduate Studies offering a variety of applied research projects, workshops designed to build academic and research skills, and social and cultural activities as students transition from undergraduate to graduate studies.
The development and implementation of two of the programs are currently led by steering committees to ensure there is input and feedback from Indigenous staff, faculty, students, and program alumni. Informal successes include increased participation rates across all programs, success of student graduates, recognition through program awards, and UW receiving double the allocated quota number of USRA recipients on campus. Additional outcomes of success of these programs include increased faculty participation, and changes in protocols for student research awards.
Difficulties for Indigenous students remain and programs need to work actively not to perpetuate barriers for students within these programs. These programs have inconsistently received guidance from Indigenous staff, faculty and students. The stipend amount for students in the programs has sometimes been an obstacle and the previous lack of Indigenous identity verification may also have created barriers for Indigenous students being supported by the program.
The authors wish to acknowledge funding from NSERC, Tri-Agency Canada Research Chairs Program, and UW.
| Keyword-1 | Indigenous students |
|---|---|
| Keyword-2 | Pathway programs |
| Keyword-3 | Undergraduate programs |