Past Featured Speakers:
Eternity Martis: What does it mean to be a student (and woman) of colour on a Canadian university campus today?
About the Speaker:
Eternity Martis is an award-winning journalist, editor, writing consultant, and author. Her work has appeared in Vice, Huffington Post, The Walrus, Chatelaine, CBC, Hazlitt, The Fader, Complex, Salon, and many more, as well as in academic syllabuses around the world. Eternity was a 2017 National Magazine Awards finalist for Best New Writer and the 2018 winner of the Canadian Online Publishing Awards for Best Investigative Article. Her work on race and language, namely on capitalizing “Black” and “Indigenous” identities, has influenced style guide changes across the country. Her debut memoir They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up, was featured in the Globe and Mail’s 2020 winter books preview, Quill and Quire’s most anticipated memoirs, and Now magazine’s most anticipated books of 2020.
Eternity holds double honours BA in English Language & Literature and Women’s Studies & Feminist Research, and a Certificate in Writing from Western University. She also holds an MJ from Ryerson University.
About the topic:
What does it mean to be a student (and woman) of colour on a Canadian university campus today?
In universities across Canada, race-based data is not collected, so it’s almost impossible to understand the needs and challenges of students of colour—and there are many. Even more, there is no formal policy across all universities to deal with racism. According to a CBC investigation, while students of colour experience many race-based incidents on campus, most don’t file a formal complaint because they don’t feel they will be believed.
In this talk, Eternity will share her own journey as a university student on a predominantly white campus—which she details at length in her memoir, They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up. Debunking the myth of Canada’s racial tolerance and the idea that student life is “breezy”, she leads us through her own experience as a Black young woman on campus and ties it to the devastating history of racism at Canadian universities, the re-emergence of blackface parties, and the rise of the alt-right, white supremacy and hate crimes at schools, both from far-right groups and students.
From there, Eternity will examine the impact of racism on campus on students, detailing well-researched links to poor health and a drop in academic performance, both of which she experienced herself as a student. The talk will end with possibilities for how we can all better support students of colour and how advisors can work together with administrators, professors, and allies to make campuses more welcoming for students of colour.
CIA VERSCHELDEN: Bandwidth Recovery - Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and other “Differentisms”
Keynote Presentation: Tue, May 18; 10am to 12pm (or view a recorded version avail afternoon of May 18)
Advisor’s Workshop: Wed, May 19; 10 – 11:30am
About the topic:
In partnership with Celebrate Learning Week, members of UBC’s advising community are invited to register for Cia Verschelden’s Keynote Presentation and Advisor’s Workshop on: “Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism and other “Differentisms”.
The cognitive resources for learning of many of our students have been and are being diminished by the negative effects of persistent economic insecurity and discrimination and hostility against non-majority groups based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity, and other aspects of difference. Recognizing that these students are no different than their peers in terms of cognitive capacity, we can implement strategies and interventions – in and outside the classroom – that show promise in helping students regain the cognitive resources to be successful in college.
About the speaker:
Cia Verschelden is Special Projects Advisor for the Integration of Academic and Student Affairs at the Association of American Colleges and Universities. She recently retired as Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Malcolm X College – City Colleges of Chicago. She taught for over 25 years at two- and four-year institutions in social work, sociology, women’s studies, nonviolence studies, and first-year seminar. Her administrative posts have included department chair, institutional assessment lead, and vice president of academic and student affairs. Cia has a B.S. in psychology from Kansas State University, an M.S.W. from the University of Connecticut, and an Ed.D. from Harvard University. Her book, Bandwidth Recovery: Helping Students Reclaim Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Racism, and Social Marginalization, was published in 2017 and her new book, Bandwidth Recovery for Schools: Helping Pre-K-12 Students Regain Cognitive Resources Lost to Poverty, Trauma, Racism and Social Marginalization, in 2020.