Your Paper Sucked but it will Change the University

Dr. Grace Karram Stephenson
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Returning to university for grad school is so intimidating, especially after you’ve been out of school for several years.  The worst part?  That first essay. In this podcast, university and college administrators discuss what they learned when they wrote their first term paper in the Master’s of higher education program at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). 

  1. S02E03: Stefan Thomas - The Black struggle of paying for higher education

    DEC 9

    S02E03: Stefan Thomas - The Black struggle of paying for higher education

    Our next guest is Stefan Thomas, an Academic Advisor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, whose work centres on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Stefan has supported programs aimed at improving Black student success and brings deep insight into the financial realities students face, offering a nuanced look at what it really takes for students to access and persist in university. We discuss his paper on how Black students fund their post-secondary education, the policy questions raised by cost sharing, and the broader intersections of race, affordability, and access in higher education.

    53 min
  2. S02E02: Huma Shaafie - Training accountants in a new world

    OCT 21

    S02E02: Huma Shaafie - Training accountants in a new world

    In this episode, we are joined by Huma Shaafie, an instructor in the Accounting program at George Brown College here in Toronto. Huma has worked in Canada and Dubai, and knows the challenges of getting graduates ready for the world place. We sit down to discuss accounting programs at Ontario’s colleges, where she provides several important suggestions for improving graduate employability.

    23 min
  3. S02E01: Dave Fenton - Nationalized work-integrated learning systems in Canadian higher education

    SEP 23

    S02E01: Dave Fenton - Nationalized work-integrated learning systems in Canadian higher education

    In this episode, we sit down with Dave Fenton, Assistant Director of External Relations at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Dave has built partnerships that bring work-integrated learning to life in Canada, Rwanda, Botswana, and South Africa. We dive into his experiences, the lessons he’s carrying into his PhD at the University of Cambridge, and what’s next for this growing movement.

    44 min
  4. S01E12: James Roussain - Academic librarians and the fight for legitimacy

    JUN 30

    S01E12: James Roussain - Academic librarians and the fight for legitimacy

    In this episode, we talk with James Roussain, the William D. Sharpe Chief Librarian and Director of Special Collections at the John M. Kelly Library at St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto. In both his paper and our discussion, James critiques the invisibility of academic librarians and explains the barriers faced as they sought to professionalize their field, helping us understand the complexity of information sciences and how universities really can’t function without librarians.

    43 min
  5. S01E11: Glen Jones - The Manitoba Project & crisis literature of Canadian higher education

    MAY 30

    S01E11: Glen Jones - The Manitoba Project & crisis literature of Canadian higher education

    In this episode - instead of chatting with one of Grace's former students - we sit down with a mentor and former dean of OISE, Glen Jones! We discuss Glen's introduction to the field of Higher Education, alongside his early work on the Manitoba Project and 1990 editorial, "Imminent disaster revisited, again: The crisis literature of Canadian higher education" in The Canadian Journal of Higher Education.

    43 min
  6. S01E10: Imani King - The University of the West Indies and open access

    MAY 12

    S01E10: Imani King - The University of the West Indies and open access

    In this episode, we sit down with Imani King, Academic Advisor for Equity & Outreach at Victoria College, at the University of Toronto. Imani introduces us to the University of the West Indies (UWI) and its one-of-a-kind open campus initiative - a transnational university system operating across three campuses in three different Caribbean countries, fostering regional connection and educational access. We also discuss how UWI successfully navigated the shift to distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what lessons emerged from that experience. The conversation lastly highlights Imani’s work at U of T, where she reflects on the state of Black student supports and the ongoing efforts to foster equity, inclusion, and community on campus.

    32 min
  7. S01E09: Kate Savelberg - Nursing in Ontario and changes to institutional mandates

    APR 4

    S01E09: Kate Savelberg - Nursing in Ontario and changes to institutional mandates

    In this episode, we discuss nursing programs in Ontario with Kate Savelberg, a Senior Manager at the Centre for the Enrichment of Teaching and Learning (CETL) and Professor of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Technology (NMMIT) at The Michener Institute of Education at UHN. Kate and Grace discuss the emergence of nuclear medicine and its current education at institutions such as Michener. They also discuss the difference in accreditation offered for nursing and medical imaging programs across Ontario and Canada - from diplomas to Bachelors degrees - and the "legitimizing" processes through which private institutions must traverse to offer them. Kate highlights how this can - and does - impact the future of healthcare in Ontario with how hospitals and medical centres hire based on not just accreditation and experience, but also geography.

    31 min
  8. S01E08: Carrie Ngo - Choosing institutions

    MAR 5

    S01E08: Carrie Ngo - Choosing institutions

    In this episode, we discuss students and their decision-making processes when choosing a post-secondary institution with Carrie Ngo, the Student Success Counsellor and Post-Secondary advisor at Holy Trinity School. A booming area for both current and future research, students transitioning between secondary and post-secondary school weigh several factors when deciding where to go, from prestige to programs to proximity. Carrie and Grace discuss their own experiences with making these decisions, while discussing several relevant theories such as Bordieu's theory of capital.

    31 min
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About

Returning to university for grad school is so intimidating, especially after you’ve been out of school for several years.  The worst part?  That first essay. In this podcast, university and college administrators discuss what they learned when they wrote their first term paper in the Master’s of higher education program at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). 

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