THIS MONTH IN FASS The latest news and events from the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences at Dalhousie University
The FASS Monthly E-Newsletter - October 2026
FASS GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
In this month's issue of the FASS students e-newsletter (the first one of the 2026-2027 academic year!), you'll find important announcements of upcoming events and opportunities, including the Graduate & Professional Program Fair (Oct. 1), the 2026 Stanfield Conversation (Oct. 15), information on how to get support and advice across campus, various announcements from several of the departments and programs across the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and more!
The fall term got off to a great start and we were so pleased to meet many of the first-year students at the FASS First-Year Students Mixer! Members from the FASS Dean's Office team, instructors of the Intro to Humanities and Intro to Social Sciences classes, and the executive members of the Dalhousie Arts and Social Sciences Society (DASSS) were thrilled to greet so many new FASS-Mates at this event! See some highlights from the mixer in this Instagram reel!
Academic Assistance for FASS Students
Advising for FASS Students
FASS students are welcome to visit Dr. Becca Babcock, Assistant Dean of Student Matters, for 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.
In-Person or Online Meetings by Appointment:
Please email asstdeanfass@dal.ca to schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with Dr. Babcock.
Wednesday Drop-Ins:
Wednesdays from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM in the Office of the Dean, room 3030 of the Marion McCain Arts and Social Sciences Building.
2026 Stanfield Conversation
The 2026 Stanfield Conversation - After the Rupture: Democracy and Diversification in a Post-liberal World
How should Canada navigate a changing global order? This year's Stanfield Conversation on Democracy explores the challenges and opportunities of building deeper relationships with China and India amid shifting international alliances and concerns about democracy and human rights.
This year’s panelists are Lynette Ong (Professor of Chinese Politics at the University of Toronto), Maxwell Cameron (Professor of Political Science at University of British Columbia), and Sanjay Ruparelia (Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the Toronto Metropolitan University).
The moderator for the 2026 Stanfield Conversation On Democracy is David Cochrane, host of CBC's Power & Politics, Canada's premier daily political show.
Each year, the Consulate General of France in the Atlantic Provinces organizes a "Night of Ideas" in collaboration with Alliance Française of Halifax and universities in Halifax. This year, the event features Professor Stéphanie Ruphy, a former astrophysicist and philosopher of science at the École Normale Supérieure – Université Paris Sciences et Lettres. She also heads the French Office for Research Integrity.
We would like to invite you to a meeting featuring a brief presentation by Professor Ruphy, followed by a discussion on her areas of expertise. These include environmental ethics, the responsibility of science regarding the space environment and climate change modeling, and the role of AI in the ecological transition, among other topics she is passionate about.
Centre for Jewish Studies, Black and African Diaspora Studies, and International Development Studies
Cooking Demo & Lecture by Culinary Historian Michael W. Twitty
Tuesday, October 6th, 2026
The Centre for Jewish Studies, Black and African Diaspora Studies, & International Development Studies welcome culinary historian Michael W. Twitty to Dalhousie University for an afternoon cooking demonstration and an evening lecture.
Cooking demonstration and tasting
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Howe Hall Dining Room
Irving Glovin Lecture: Our Plates Have No Boundaries
7:30 p.m.
Scotiabank Auditorium, Marion McCain Building
In May 2026 a group of 12 students travelled in Guatemala for two weeks with the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) to meet community leaders and activists engaged in struggles for social justice, ecological sustainability and historical memory. Participants from the field school will share their experiences and reflect on how conversations with grassroots community leaders changed their understandings of development and themselves.
We will also share opportunities to participate in future field schools in 2027 and 2028.
Everyone is welcome.
Participants in the 2026 Guatemala Field School meet with
Leocadio Juracán, President of the Comité Campesino del Altiplano (Highland Peasant Committee) in Quixaya, Guatemala.
The History Department is proud to announce the creation of the Tina Jones Student Lounge. As the main department administrator, Tina was the heart and brains of our unit for 30+ years. Her quick wit, institutional knowledge, and overall efficiency was legendary. She retired in 2021, and sadly passed away only a year later. Our faculty lounge has been repurposed to create a space for History students (and those students who are considering History as a major or minor) to study, socialize, and interact with other students and faculty. The work table (with space for 8-10 students) is in fact a regulation ping pong table, and we plan to have many impromptu games and planned tournaments in the coming year. We have a beverage cart where students can get latte macchiatos, expressos, cappuccinos, and regular coffee.
Coffee and Klatch
Every Wednesday at noon, the department chair (Colin Mitchell) and the staff (Kenneth Harvie, Mary Taylor) are hosting students and faculty on the History Department's patio. Please joins us for a coffee drink and enjoy the (hopefully) warm weather in October!
Fountain School of Performing Arts
Attempts on Her Life
October 14-16 | 7:30 p.m.
October 17 | 2:00 & 7:30 p.m.
David Mack Murray Theatre, Dal Arts Centre
Tickets: dal.ca/artscentre, box office fees will apply
Directed by Fountain School faculty Jo Christensen, Attempts on Her Life brings Dalhousie Acting, Composition, Costume Studies, Music, Technical Theatre, and Set Design students together to launch the Fountain School’s 2026-2027 season.
Martin Crimps Attempts on Her Life is an enigmatic work which fractures the mold of the well-written play. Provocative, shocking, lurid and hilarious, the play delves into many of the preoccupations of late capitalistic society, highlighting the impact of mass media and consumerism on the commodification and objectification of human lives.
An evening of song and conversation with Juno Award-winning Inuk soprano, Deantha Edmunds and DalChorus.
On Stage with Inuk Soprano Deantha Edmunds celebrates Inuit culture, language, and storytelling through music. Presented by DalChorus and the Fountain School's EDIA Committee, this special performance features acclaimed Inuk soprano and composer Deantha Edmunds, C.M., alongside Nunavut-born DalVoice student Princess Kusugak. Audiences will experience music inspired by Inuit heritage, history, and contemporary identity, creating a powerful evening of connection, reflection, and cultural celebration
The Early Modern Studies Program invites you to the launch of Inglis Professor Ronald Huebert’s novel, Loving John Donne, on October 1st at 7 p.m. in the Wardroom, University of King’s College. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, as well as refreshments. More details can be found here.
Dal Important Dates
Be sure to stay informed of the important dates during the academic year. Refer to this webpage for details on various application dates and details, course add/drop deadlines, registration dates and more.
Acclaimed poetry collection Ocean by Dalhousie creative writing instructor Sue Goyette becomes the first poetry title chosen for the university's community reading program.
Dal Libraries will host a public reading on Tuesday, October 27 from 12 - 1:30 p.m. in the Beaty Marine Centre for Biodiversity. Join us under the whale skeleton for refreshments and hear select poems from Ocean read by author Sue Goyette!
Your Copyright Questions Answered
Can you share lecture slides with friends? Use images from the internet in an assignment?Host a movie night on campus? Join us to understand your rights and responsibilities.
New to campus and need help picking classes? Have questions about a potential major or minor? Returning for another year and want to make a degree plan but not sure where to start?
The Bissett Student Success Centre provides academic advising to 1st and 2nd-year Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Faculty of Science students. Appointments can be booked daily by calling 902-494-3077 or visiting their office on the 4th floor of the Student Union Building (6136 University Avenue).
The Bissett Student Success Centre also offers career advising, career counselling, and other career services for all Dalhousie students.
MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance
MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance presents the Policy Matters Speakers Series. The 2026 series will take place September – November 2026, with five panels on major policy issues of regional and national importance. The mission of the Policy Matters series is to amplify public policy discussions, present new research, encourage research-informed policy, and provide a forum for the broader community to engage with the critical questions that shape our world today. These events are free and open to the public. See the full panel schedule here
October Panel Schedule
Data Sovereignty and Low-Earth Orbit Satellites: Unexpected costs of the space race Friday, Oct 16th, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Irving Oil Auditorium, 5257 Morris St, Dalhousie Sexton Campus, Halifax NS
Cannabis Coverage: Media framing of Indigenous treaty rights in the modern policy sphere. Friday, Oct 23rd, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
KTS Lecture Hall, A&A Building, 2nd Floor, 6350 Coburg Rd, Halifax, NS
The Halifax Universities Career Fair presents an opportunity for students and recent alumni across Nova Scotia to create meaningful connections with leading organizations, paving the way for exciting possibilities. Sign up nowfor event reminders and join us on Tuesday, October 20th, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Halifax Convention Centre.
Highlights include a Career Support Centre, a LinkedIn Photo Booth, and the chance to speak directly with industry experts. Whether students are aiming for a role with a global company, a growing local business, or a government agency, the HUCF is the place to make valuable connections. This year, attendees are also automatically entered to win $250!
Dal Innovates
Get ready! Dal Innovation Week returns October 5–9, 2026
Dal Innovation Week creates opportunities for meaningful collaboration across fields that don’t always intersect. For those who sign up early, there could even be a free meal.
From Demo Day, featuring top student innovators, to expert-led workshops, guided tours, and more, Dal Innovation Week offers 15+ events free-of-cost to students, faculty, researchers, and Dalhousie’s community partners.Come curious. Make connections.Reserve your spot today at dalinnovationweek.ca.
Dal Demo Day is coming up on Tuesday, October 6, and you're invited.
Join us at the Joseph Strug Concert Hall on the Dal campus for an inside look at the top student-led innovations coming out of Atlantic Canada's start-up ecosystem. You'll see the entrepreneurs who completed the Launch 2026 Summer Accelerator Program pitch their ventures live, and meet the Emera ideaHUB BUILD and BRIDGE teams showing off 10 months of prototypes and physical products.
Come cheer on these teams and celebrate the creativity and bold ideas behind them.
AGENDA
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Demo Expo — Emera ideaHUB BUILD and BRIDGE teams
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Live pitches — Launch entrepreneurial teams from AI2Market, Campus2Market and Lab2Market
Demo Day is part of Dal Innovation Week, a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation at Dalhousie University, October 5–9, 2026. For more events, visit dalinnovationweek.ca
Dalhousie Campus Blood Donation Clinic
The Dalhousie Blood Society, in partnership with Canadian Blood Services, is hosting an on-campus blood donation clinic in the Student Union Building from October 12-14. This clinic provides an easy and convenient opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and community members to make a life-saving impact. To book an appointment in advance, visit blood.ca, use the Give Blood app, or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283). Walk-ins may be accepted based on availability. More information can be found on the Canadian Blood Services website or @blooddalhousie on Instagram.
Volunteer Opportunity - Halifax International Security Forum
Halifax International Security Forum, hosted in Nova Scotia, is the world's most consequential meeting on democracy and global affairs. Focused on greated cooperation among the world's democracies, the Forum brings together democratic leaders to address the world's most pressing security and defence challenges. At Halifax International Security Forum, democracy is linked with our shared security.
