University Honours Certificate Faculty of Student Development

The class will be co-developed with Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc (the Indigenous First Nation community whose lands we reside on). The course will focus on place-based learning, learning and healing from the land, and self-directed study, with regular co-presentations with Secwépemc knowledge holders and Elders.

Students will explore Kamloops and the regions by employing Secwépemc perspectives, knowledge, history, and culture, including protocols for engaging with Elders and research protocols, and learn how to introduce themselves in Secwepemctsín (Secwépemc language). Students will analyze policies such as the Indian Act and the Indian Residential School system and their ongoing effects, reflecting on how that knowledge shapes our individual and collective responsibilities. Students will be encouraged to consider and challenge pre-conceived ideas from colonial societies and deepen intercultural awareness.

• Prerequisite: None
• ILOs met: Indigenous Knowledges & Ways, Intercultural Awareness, High-Impact Practice

In this course, students will critically and creatively explore key ideas and major themes from the Western culture, starting from the ancient Mediterranean to the global present. Through engagement with knowledge drawn from multiple disciplines and perspectives, students will gain a well-rounded understanding of the ways Western civilization has dealt with controversial questions about life, ethics, and practical issues.

Students will question assumptions and gain contextual awareness of objects and ideas important to the “legacy of the West”. Students will develop knowledge of theories and principles and apply them to critique modern Western practices. Students will reflect on the knowledge gained from this course to become more informed and ethically responsible individuals in today’s world.

• ILOs – Social Responsibility, Critical thinking and Investigation.

Students will explore how knowledge is made and applied in different disciplines and cultures, with the aim of developing a research project idea to be explored more fully as part of their University Honours Capstone course. They will learn to approach complex issues and problems (for example, wildfires, housing, the toxic drug overdose crisis) through multiple perspectives. They will explore the various skills and methods drawn from different fields and consider the ethical issues of designing and conducting research. Students will also confront the challenges of dealing with uncertainty and understanding the limits of what we can know.

• ILOs – Knowledge, Lifelong Learning

Students will actively engage with diverse perspectives and communities outside of the classroom through various field experience opportunities which include but are not limited to: community-engaged research, place-based learning, self-directed study, laboratory experience, creative arts studio, research, service learning, study abroad, field school, cooperative education, internship, practicum, clinical practice, simulation, and other practical applications. Students will connect their field learning with their honours program learning outcomes by reflecting on, sharing, and integrating new understandings from their educational field experiences.

Students use creative, critical practices such as storytelling, creative non-fiction, and multi-media presentations to explore a “great question” that matters to them personally. Students may draw upon the research project idea first developed in their Tracking Knowledge seminar. Students practice teamwork and leadership in writing workshops to support creative expression and challenge their assumptions about learning.

Great questions not only span disciplines, but they also allow us to make positive change in our communities. Students will consider how their “great question” aligns with their own personal and lived experience. Students will integrate multiple types of evidence and storytelling techniques to communicate their journey to address their “great question.”

• ILOs – Teamwork, Communication