THIS MONTH IN FASS The latest news and events from the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences at Dalhousie University
The FASS Monthly E-Newsletter - September 2023 edition
FASS GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome to the first month of the 2023 fall term in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)! We encourage you to read through the first edition of the FASS monthly students e-newsletter for the 2023-24 academic year! We started the year by welcoming the new-to-Dal first-year FASS students at the Dal Welcome Fair and also at the FASS First-Year Student Mixer event! The FASS Dean, Dr. Jennifer Andrews, as well as other members of the Dean's Office team and instructors of the Introduction to Humanities and Introduction to Social Sciences classes were thrilled to see so many new students mixing and mingling at this event that we hosted on the first day of classes. We had a great time meeting many of the first-year FASS students. We ate pizza and had fun while taking some photos wearing our fancy FASS-cinators! Check out the photos of some of the students and faculty members who were in attendance.
DASSS also introduced the FASS First-Year student New-Bee Bingo activity! If you missed the mixer event and you are interested in participating in this activity that will help guide you towards many of the resources and opportunities at Dal and in FASS, and also some other fun hot spots around Halifax, be sure to drop by the FASS Dean's Office (room 3030 of the Marion McCain Arts and Social Sciences Building) to pick up a New Bee Bingo card and get involved! You could win a prize! The deadline to submit your Bingo card is December 1, 2023! Please note, that in order to be eligible for the prize draw, participating students must be registered as Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences students and be in their first year of study.
Be sure to connect with the Dalhousie Arts and Social Sciences Society to learn more about their meetings, activities and how you can become involved with this student society! Members of the executive committee (pictured above) are looking forward to connecting with you! Their email address is dasss@dal.ca.
Academic Assistance for FASS Students
Advising for FASS Students
FASS students are welcome to visit Dr. Becca Babcock, Assistant Dean of Student Matters, for academic advice or help with university regulations and policies. Come and ask Dr. Babcock about academic dismissals and probation, waiver requests, grade changes, or what to do if your grades aren't what you'd hoped they would be.
Wednesday Drop-Ins:
Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Office of the Dean, room 3030 of the Marion McCain Arts and Social Sciences Building.
In-Person or Online Meetings by Appointment:
Please email asstdeanfass@dal.ca to schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with Dr. Babcock.
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Beagle at the Bissett
Mondays from 12:00 noon 1:45 pm in the Bissett Student Success Centre (4th floor Student Union Building) with Luna the Therapy Dog.
Come and talk to Dr. Babcock or an academic advisor from the Bisset Centre, and get to know Luna the Beagle while you're there!
Luna is a St John's Ambulance Therapy Dog. She provides comfort and companionship. No medical or psychiatric services are offered during these sessions. For mental health support, please visit the Mental Health Services at Dalhousie's Student Health and Wellness.
Allergy warning: a dog will be present.
This year’s Conversation will focus on the topic, “Can Democracies meet the Challenge of Climate Change?” We will welcome three distinguished guests to Dalhousie to discuss this topic:
Megan Leslie, President & CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada, former Member of Parliament for Halifax, and Dalhousie University alum (LLB'04)
Mark Jaccard, Distinguished Professor of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University, and author of The Citizen’s Guide to Climate Success: Overcoming Myths that Hinder Progress
Naheed Nenshi, the former mayor of Calgary
The moderator for the 2023 Stanfield Conversation will be the host of CBC Mainland Nova Scotia’s afternoon show Mainstreet on Radio One and Dalhousie alum, Jeff Douglas (BSc'93).
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM FASS DEPARTMENTS, PROGRAMS, & STUDENT SOCIETIES
Black and African Diaspora Studies program
Dalhousie University has proudly pioneered the first and, to date, only major in Black and African Diaspora Studies (BAFD) in Canada. This innovative and rigourous program offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary exploration of the histories, intellectual traditions, philosophies, cultures, and lived realities of Black communities across various geographical contexts, including, Nova Scotia, Canada, North America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the broader African Diaspora.
Students have the opportunity to choose from a major or minor in BAFD, allowing them to delve into this rich field of study. For further information or inquiries, please feel free to visit or reach out to Isaac Saney, the BAFD Coordinator, located in room 2119 of the McCain Building. You can also contact Dr. Saney via email at isaney@dal.ca.
2023-24 MacKay History Lecture From Nuclear Power to Nuclear War: Ukraine's History as a Nuclear Colony
with Kate Brown,
Distinguished Professor in History of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Thursday, October 26, 2023, 7:15 pm
Ondaatje Auditorium, Marion McCain Arts and Social Sciences Building
Professor Kate Brown is a historian of science whose most recent book, Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future, was a finalist for prizes including the National Book Critics Circle Award.
The UGHS will be holding its annual fall AGM on Tuesday, September 26, at 5:30 pm in the Fireplace Lounge on the first floor of the McCain Building. The society will be sharing its plans for the new academic year and will be electing new executive members and new general members, so there are lots of opportunities for all students to be involved. Pizza will be provided! Follow the society Instagram account for more updates!
International Development Studies department
Is IDS Dead? What is the future of international development studies?
An interactive discussion for IDS students and faculty
Friday, September 22 (3:05 pm – 5:00 pm)
Mona Campbell Building, Room 2107
Food will be served
Activists and intellectuals in the global South are calling for new ways of thinking about and acting on the relationship between the so-called global North and South, for example, reparations for the harms caused by slavery and colonialism instead of development assistance. Social movements for Indigenous rights, Black Lives Matter and decolonization highlight pressing inequalities and injustices in Canada and the ways that development and other forms of well-intentioned ‘helping’ may reinforce colonial injustice – increasing public scepticism about international development assistance.
At the same time, across Canada and in other countries student enrollment in IDS programs has been declining for at least five years (before COVID-19). We want to understand student perspectives on these changes and how students think Dalhousie’s IDS should change to better address them.
This will be an informal and interactive discussion. Please come prepared to share your ideas and perspectives with other students and IDS professors.
This event is co-organized by the Department of IDS and IDEAS (the IDS Student Society).
Please see the invitation below sent on behalf of Dr. Karen Foster and Dr. Liz Fitting, faculty members in the department of Sociology and Social Anthropology.
Enabling Interdisciplinary Food Futures
Are you a FASS researcher working on food-related research?
A group of Dalhousie scholars is organizing two one-day workshops: Friday, October 20th in Truro and Monday, November 6th in Halifax to help faculty across campuses learn about and explore opportunities for collaboration across disciplines for food systems change.
Each workshop will include a plenary session, a networking event, and tour of a campus food initiative. Transportation will be available to and from both campuses. Register here today!
Dalhousie Undergraduate Law Society
Annual General Meeting Wednesday, September 20th, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
DSU Council Chambers
Come learn more about the Dalhousie Undergraduate Law Society and our plans for the upcoming year! At this event, we will be introducing our executive team, holding elections for new executives, and discussing our upcoming events and initiatives.
Jean Monnet European Union Centre of Excellence (JMEUCE)
The JMEUCE invites you to a multidisciplinary workshop on:
EUROPEAN UNION TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS: TRANSATLANTIC AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES
Friday, September 15th
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
This workshop will feature in-person and online presentations from academics and practitioners from Europe, Asia and North America. Check out the JMEUCE website for the workshop programme, speaker profiles and poster.
Please join us for some or all of this event, in person at Dalhousie or via Zoom. For more information or to register, contact jmeuce@dal.ca or 902 494 2980.
Dal researcher leads global project to empower scholars of medieval chant
A new data-driven research project led by Dalhousie musicologist Dr. Jennifer Bain will create an online platform that links far-flung plainchant databases around the world, providing a vast electronic resource to deepen understanding of the a cappella chants and those who created and recited them.
On Sept. 1, 1923, the governors of Dalhousie University and King’s College signed articles of association, entwining the two institutions academically and culturally. Now, 100 years later, community leaders pause to reflect on their shared history and path forward.
The King’s and Dal men’s rugby teams play one another as part of celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Dal-King’s association. Sept. 23, 2023. Learn more.
Slavery, Reparations and Education: African Nova Scotia, Canada and Beyond - Universities Studying Slavery Conference
As a major international conference on slavery’s role in higher education and its legacies, which include the international movement for reparations and redress, this will be the first USS conference held outside of the United States. It will also be the first USS conference to foreground the history of slavery in Nova Scotia and Canada and the experience of African Nova Scotians particularly.
The 2023 conference will feature keynote speeches by individuals who are active on the international, national and local levels.
Ashley Hill PREPs African Nova Scotian students for success
After overcoming challenges in her first year at Dal, Ashley Hill (BA’13) now runs the PREP Academy, where she leads a team supporting African Nova Scotian students so they may have a smoother post-secondary start.
Dal Libraries offers a series of orientation webinars throughout September to new and returning students that cover a variety of topics. Visit the events calendar to sign-up for a session about library services, archival research, researching literature reviews, citation management, and more!
Dal Libraries’ Research Camp is a comprehensive program that will take you through the research process from literature searching and writing all the way to publication. The program is open to any student, faculty, or staff member at Dalhousie, but is specifically tailored to graduate students.
Flummoxed by Fair Dealing? Puzzled by public domain? Curious about Creative Commons licences? Join us any Wednesday between 10-11am to ask about any copyright concerns that have been keeping you up at night!
Bissett Student Success Centre
Professional Career Development Group
Graduating this year and wondering what you are going to do with your degree? Feeling anxious about life after university or unprepared for an uncertain job market?
Attend this career development support group facilitated by a career counsellor to build a peer support network and confidence as you prepare to embark on the next chapter of your life!
The group is open to students from any program who will graduate in 2023 or 2024 and are available to meet in person on the Studley campus on Thursdays from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Session content will be repeated every 5 weeks and students who complete five different sessions of the group this year will be eligible to add as a professional development activity on their Co-Curricular Record!
The group will improve your confidence and skills in:
Self-awareness, career planning and setting career goals
Building hope and dealing with uncertainty in a changing job market
Overcoming networking and interviewing anxiety
Register on MyCareer (mycareer.dal.ca)
Registration is now live on the September 15th date of the MyCareer events calendar and new registrations will be accepted weekly throughout the term
Collide Discover is a six-week program designed to give students across faculties and years of study a taste of the skills needed to be an entrepreneur. Participants will join us weekly starting Wednesday October 4th from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. in room 2600 in the Killam Library.
Why join?
· Participants will receive a $150 stipend (gift card) if they attend all sessions and complete assignments.
· Refreshments will be provided.
· Eligible for your CCR (Co-Curricular Record)
· De-risk your start-up idea and/or learn about what it takes to start a business.
· Prepare for further Dal Innovates programming!
· Network with other current and future entrepreneurs
Dal GradPD is your go-to hub to learn about professional development designed for your specific needs as a graduate student. Together with partners across the university and beyond, the Faculty of Graduate Studies assembles an ongoing schedule of free workshops and events aimed to help you prepare for a diversity of careers.
If you’re in the final year of your undergrad, or if you already have a bachelor’s degree, the McCall MacBain Scholarship might be the opportunity you’re looking for.
The McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill are Canada’s first leadership-driven scholarship for master’s and professional degree students. They represent an investment in students who are developing expertise in their respective fields, have a track record of taking initiative, and seek to collaborate with others to understand and address important problems and challenges.
The deadline to apply is quickly approaching! Students and graduates of universities in Canada and the United States, as well as Canadians abroad, should apply by: September 27, 2023.
Learn more about the McCall MacBain Scholarship, its eligibility requirments and application procedures, and about the 2023 recipients from Dalhousie, Caleigh Wong (Dipl/BA’22) and Chantel Findlay (BSc’21).
