New associate vice-president for the Academic and Indigenous Programs at Laurentian University
By Rick Garrick
SUDBURY — Wiikwemkoong’s Dominic Beaudry looks forward to moving forward with education initiatives after taking on his new role as associate vice-president, Academic and Indigenous Programs at Laurentian University on Oct. 1.
“Laurentian University has a Tricultural mandate — so it’s to ensure that Indigenous programs are here to meet the needs of Indigenous communities,” says Beaudry, who is currently pursuing a PhD in Human Studies and Interdisciplinarity at Laurentian University. “We’re advocating for Anishinaabe and Indigenous programs for students, we’re advocating for Anishinaabe and Indigenous faculty and staff as well as advocating for Anishinaabe and Indigenous representation at the Senate and Board [of Governors] plus expanding on the existing programs and hopefully creating programs that are needed in the future.”
Beaudry says he has been meeting with Indigenous staff and faculty as well as with students at the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre, which features a unique round-room gathering space, seminar room, counselling areas, ceremonial spaces, student lounge, and a kitchen.
“Earlier this week, I had a meeting with Goodman School of Mines and they wanted to share some of their initiatives of Indigenous inclusion in some of their program areas,” Beaudry says. “It’s always great to see some of the work other programs are doing to ensure Indigenous inclusion, and they’re sharing with us some of their TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) initiatives.”
Beaudry says Laurentian University currently has a Bachelor in Indigenous Social Work and a Masters in Indigenous Relations.
“Folks are studying at the graduate level and they’re doing their undergrad in social work,” Beaudry says. “And there are students in the PhD level as well — we’re quite pleased with the progress of some of the work some of the students are engaged in.”
Beaudry says 13 per cent of the students at Laurentian University have self-identified as Indigenous.
“Those are the students we advocate for, we target for programs and we try to recruit because we believe Laurentian University is in a great position to provide Indigenous programs for students within the Greater Sudbury area,” Beaudry says. “And we get a lot of students from southern Ontario as well.”
Beaudry says his office is located on the third floor of the R.D. Parker Building, which also includes the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre, located on the main floor, where some faculty provide lectures or seminar sessions and students receive support for student success and student engagement.
“I usually drop in and visit with their staff and students throughout the day, just to engage with students to know that support is here and if they need to talk, the associate vice-president is here to listen,” Beaudry says.
Beaudry says he is also an advocate of Anishinaabemowin, noting that Laurentian University is starting up Anishinaabemowin language courses that are community and land-based, including the Anishnaabemowin Land-Based Immersion: Bngishmok: The Western Direction course that was offered from Sept. 17-24.
“You go off to a First Nations community and you get engaged in a community activity and all you hear is [Anishinaabemowin], so it’s an immersive component,” Beaudry says. “I’m really pleased with some of the work that’s being done in terms of supporting language.”
Beaudry says Laurentian University will be holding a powwow on Oct. 28 at the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre, and Laurentian University’s Maamwizing Indigenous Research Institute will be holding the Maamwizing Indigenous Conference 2022 on Nov. 18-19.
Beaudry previously was an education officer with the Ontario Ministry of Education and a teacher and Anishinaabe language and culture facilitator.