PROGRESS REPORT Graduate Programs in Indigenous Policy and Administration

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1 PROGRESS REPORT Graduate Programs in Indigenous Policy and Administration Drawing upon advice from First Nation, Métis, Inuit 1 and non- Indigenous professors, students, business and government leaders and officials, the School of Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University is developing two new and unique graduate programs in Indigenous Policy and Administration (IPA). This is an update on progress to date. WHO WILL BE OFFERING THE IPA PROGRAMS? The IPA programs will be in the School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA) at Carleton University in Ottawa. Carleton was the successful institution in a provincial competition for development funding to create a graduate program in the area of public administration anchored in both mainstream and Indigenous governance models, practices and world- views. HOW ARE THE IPA PROGRAMS STRUCTURED? There are two paths that IPA students can take: 1. A Concentration in IPA as part of the existing Master of Arts in Public Administration (MAPA). The MA in Public Administration at Carleton is a fifteen course program that can be completed by four terms of full- time study or through part- time study. The IPA concentration requires that students take at least four and at most eight elective courses in Indigenous Policy and Administration. Generally, the Master s requires two terms of on- site residency at Carleton University in order to complete the seven core courses. The IPA concentration courses will be delivered through the on- campus IPA Summer Institute and online. Co- op opportunities are available for full- time MAPA students. 2. A Graduate Diploma in IPA. The Indigenous Policy and Administration Graduate Diploma consists of six courses delivered through the IPA Summer Institute and online. The graduate diploma will be offered initially on a part- time basis, with students taking 1-2 courses per semester for three terms, including the Summer Institute. 1 We are mindful of the diversity of First Nation, Métis and Inuit nations and peoples in Canada and the importance of avoiding homogenization. We use the phrase First Nations, Métis and Inuit (and the acronym FNMI) interchangeably with the terms Indigenous and Aboriginal, the latter where it is appropriate for the subject matter, following the usage of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. None of these terms is wholly adequate; where possible we use the proper names of nations and peoples: for example Anishinàbeg, Mohawk, Cree, Inuit, Haida, among many others. 1

2 The IPA Diploma can also be taken by students enrolled in other graduate programs at Carleton University. These students can complete the IPA Diploma (Type 2) concurrently with their graduate degree at the University. IN WHAT WAYS IS THE IPA UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE? 1. There is currently no similar graduate program in any university in Canada that emphasizes both a theoretically informed and practical approach to Indigenous policy and administration. 2. As described in the next section, these innovative programs will include Indigenous pedagogies and worldviews alongside Western academic perspectives and research methodologies. The Màmìwininìmowin (Algonquin language) concept of aditawazi nisoditadiwin captures this idea of being between two worlds with a comprehension of both, and alludes to the professional challenges that this may pose for leaders and managers of Indigenous and non- Indigenous governments and organizations. The IPA programs provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate these two worlds using a sophisticated range of culturally appropriate policy and management tools. 3. Graduates of the IPA will have practical and theoretical skills and knowledge in public policy and management, and a high level of cultural competence informed by an understanding of the diversity of First Nation, Inuit and Métis policy and administrative structures and challenges. Such cultural knowledge and skills are essential for today s professionals working in Indigenous policy and administration contexts. 4. Students in the IPA programs will have access to a skilled pool of professionals who are knowledgeable about the diversity of Indigenous governance models, practices and worldviews, as well as the models, practices and worldviews embedded in other Canadian institutions. First Nation, Métis and Inuit practitioners, scholars, Elders and Senators and non- Indigenous practitioners in the public and private sectors will all be engaged in delivering the IPA programs, in virtual and physical classrooms and in other program activities. 5. The programs will prepare students to work in multi- disciplinary settings and on a broad range of topics including financial management, social policy, economic and sustainable development, as well as public and environmental management. They will approach this work with a strong grounding in history and the legal frameworks within which modern leaders and managers must function. 6. Carleton is already a leader in cross- disciplinary and multi- disciplinary studies and the IPA will involve a variety of departments at Carleton University. The programs will also offer multi- level learning with ongoing opportunities for students to learn from each other. Masters and Diploma students will participate in the same on- site and online classes. 2

3 HOW IS THE IPA BEING DEVELOPED? HOW ARE INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVES BEING INCORPORATED? The IPA will be informed by: 1. Engagement. Carleton University conducted an initial seven- month engagement process. Program Advisor Dr. Tracy Coates spoke with and learned from over 170 First Nation, Métis, Inuit and non- Indigenous students, leaders and officials from universities, colleges, business, governments and organizations across Canada. She discussed the program at nearly a dozen conferences, events and universities. SPPA faculty and program developers Frances Abele and Susan Phillips also discussed the program with many others, on- and off- campus. The IPA program objectives, courses and learning outcomes are being informed by the thoughts, ideas and recommendations shared in these ways. The advice we received during the initial seven month engagement process will inform all aspects of program development, including curriculum and pedagogy, in the months ahead. Engagement with students, new faculty, alumni and with all of those who have an interest in the program will be a strong and permanent feature of program development and continuous improvement. 2. Indigenous worldviews and pedagogies. The IPA programs will invite Elders, Senators and traditional teachers to offer students guidance and support, and to participate in curricular and extra- curricular learning. We recognize the challenges inherent in incorporating diverse First Nation, Métis, and Inuit worldviews and pedagogies in a graduate level university curriculum, and we recognize that approaching this goal will require innovation, assessment and institutional learning. 3. Ongoing formal advice and support. The IPA will benefit from the advice of a nine- member advisory circle drawn primarily from First Nation, Métis and Inuit governments, organizations and private sector companies, as well as the broader Canadian public and voluntary sectors. A separate Elders Circle composed of four Elders and/or Senators will advise the IPA Advisory Circle and the IPA program staff and faculty. The Elders Circle will include First Nation, Métis and Inuit representatives. 4. Community- based opportunities. Community- based research and work experience are integral to the IPA programs. Full- time students in the Master s (MAPA) program may take co- op placements in IPA- relevant settings. IPA students will also be offered opportunities for practical research experience while they study. These will be supported by the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation (3ci), a research unit of the School of Public Policy and Administration and by other faculty in the School. 3

4 AT WHAT STAGE ARE THE IPA PROGRAMS? WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? The IPA programs have been approved by Carleton University s Senate. They will be submitted for provincial approval (the final step) in August Pending and subject to provincial approval, and university budgetary approval, the programs will be open to applicants in fall 2014, with courses beginning in early summer Prospective students are advised that offers of admission to a new program may be made only after the university s own quality assurance processes have been completed and the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance has approved the program. WHO SHOULD CONSIDER TAKING THE IPA PROGRAMS? The IPA Master's concentration will interest students who want a professionally- relevant graduate education that equips them for careers in the public service, in either Indigenous or non- Indigenous governments or organizations. The IPA Graduate Diploma will be of interest to students or professionals who want specialized or continuous learning to strengthen or broaden their conceptual and technical skills in areas relevant to Indigenous public policy and administration. It would also be of interest to working professionals with limited time who want to increase their skills and knowledge in this area or who want to complete the Diploma prior to entering the MAPA program. Students enrolled in other graduate programs at Carleton University, who wish to work in Indigenous policy and administration may take the Graduate Diploma concurrently with their degree. Potential students for the IPA programs include: Professionals already working in First Nation, Métis, Inuit, Federal, Provincial and other levels of government, as well as industry, NGOs and other organizations across Ontario and Canada. Those seeking advanced studies through a flexible hybrid online delivery model with limited on- site course instruction that allows them to study from home. Anyone who aspires to be a leader and innovator in Indigenous policy and administration. 4

5 COURSES Carleton University s School of Public Policy and Administration is currently developing a number of courses for the IPA programs. COURSE NAME AND NUMBER CALENDAR DESCRIPTION Indigenous- Canada Relations: Governance and Policy History PADM5711 Issues in Contemporary Governance: First Nations, Métis and Inuit PADM5712 Leadership and Management in Indigenous Organizations and Governments PADM5713 Introduction to pre- contact history of select Indigenous nations and peoples, overview of the contact period including treaty relationships, evolving jurisprudence, changing power dynamics, federal and provincial administrative practices, contemporary and traditional forms of First Nations, Métis and Inuit governance. Contrasting approaches to understanding foundational events. Diverse approaches to understanding and responding to the main governance issues facing contemporary and traditional First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments and organizations in Ontario and in the rest of Canada. Leadership, organizational development and innovation in various cultural contexts relevant to Indigenous peoples, organizational design, recruitment and human resources management, decision- making, project planning and implementation, media and communications - includes a practicum. Financial Management in First Nations, Métis and Inuit Governments and Organizations PADM5714 Legislation, regulations, and financial management practices that apply in First Nations, Métis, Inuit organizations and governments. Sources and measures to mitigate and eliminate historical disparity, including asset management, strategic investment, and capital aggregation. Policy Research and Evaluation for Indigenous Policy and Administration PADM5715 Economic and Community Development in Indigenous Territories PADM5716 Policy research and program evaluation; applied research ethics, cultural and community protocols, legal frameworks, formulation of research problems, research design, and techniques for collecting and managing community- based and other data; research methodologies of specific Indigenous nations and peoples, as well as scholarly debates about epistemology and practice. Community economic development theories; the ethics, benefits and costs of traditional, current and new approaches pertinent to building stable, sustainable economies in rural and urban Aboriginal settings. 5

6 Aboriginal Peoples and Canadian Law PADM5717 To be cross- listed with the Department of Law Indigenous People and Urban Policy and Administration PADM5718 Aboriginal Health and Social Policy PADM5719 Canadian law relating to Aboriginal peoples from colonial times to the present, including jurisprudence on Aboriginal and treaty rights, the duty to consult, fiduciary duties, the honour of the Crown, nation- to- nation relations, and other concepts; introduction to First Nations, Métis and Inuit legal traditions and international law. Policies and programs of and for people living in Canadian cities, with a focus on institutional and intergovernmental challenges and opportunities for change. Development and delivery of health and social policies pertinent to Aboriginal people living in diverse circumstances in Canada; theories and practices. To be cross- listed with the School of Social Work Policy Seminar (Indigenous Policy and Administration) PADM5772 [0.5] One or more selected policy areas or specialized aspects of Indigenous Policy and Administration. The policy field or topic will change each year. HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE? For more information on the IPA including learning outcomes, course descriptions and the application process, please visit the program s web site at: This site will be updated shortly and as the courses are developed over the next year. 6