Dr. Rhonda McEwen, president of Victoria University in the University of Toronto, addresses the crowd during the conference’s President’s Panel on May 6. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Lead. Lift. Empower: Looking back on SWAAC 2023
More than 200 women leaders from across Canada gathered to lead, lift, and empower each other last month as Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada (SWAAC) held its annual conference in London, Ont.
Running from May 4 to May 6, SWAAC 2023 was jointly hosted by Western University, Huron University College, Brescia University College, and King’s University College. This year’s theme was, “Lead. Lift. Empower.”
Faculty of Education Dean Dr. Donna Kotsopoulos, who also serves as the president of SWAAC, was proud to see the annual conference brought to Western’s campus for the first time ever.
“SWAAC aims to support academic and administrative women leaders in higher education in Canada through our mentorship programs, career opportunity postings, our advocacy, and our networking events,” Kotsopoulos said.
“Since 1987, we’ve been leading the advancement of those who identify as women in higher education.”
The conference was made possible thanks to the tireless efforts of its organizing committee and volunteers, along with the generosity of its sponsors.
Attendees share a conversation during SWAAC 2023’s opening reception at the Richard Ivey Building. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
A visual recap of SWAAC 2023
The conference was filled with opportunities for learning, networking, and developing leadership skills.
Complementing the conference’s program was a stellar lineup of speakers who shared presentations on a diverse set of pressing topics all relevant to leadership in higher education.
Below are a few highlights from SWAAC 2023 to help provide a visual recap of the three-day event.
Dr. Julia Eastman delivers a keynote from the performance theatre inside The Frank Holmes Centre. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
This highlight is from day two of the conference, which began inside The Frank Holmes Centre at Huron University College.
Dr. Julia Eastman, lead author of University Governance in Canada: Navigating Complexity, takes the stage as she delivers a keynote titled, “Governance and your leadership in Canadian Universities.”
From left to right: Dr. Ellyn Lyle, Dr. Florence Glanfield, Jennifer Slay and Dr. Christy Bressette take part in a presentation on stage at the performance theatre at The Frank Holmes Centre. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Another moment from the performance theatre at The Frank Holmes Centre, this time from a presentation that asks, “where are we in terms of Indigenizing the Academy and EDI, and what do we need to move forward?”
On stage, from left to right, is Dr. Ellyn Lyle, Dean of the Faculty of Education at Yorkville University; Dr. Florence Glanfield, Vice-Provost of Indigenous Programming & Research at University of Alberta; Jennifer Slay, Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization at King’s University College; and Dr. Christy Bressette, Western’s Vice-Provost & Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Initiatives.
One of several concurrent sessions from the conference, this presentation allowed attendees to engage with academic leaders who are directly involved with Indigenizing spaces within their own unique environments.
Community director of the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women and Children, Barb MacQuarrie (left), listens to a fellow panelist during a discussion on preventing gender-based violence. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Another concurrent session from day two is pictured above. This is a snapshot from a panel discussion that reflects on the need for institutional responses to workers and students who may face gender-based violence.
Titled, ”Leading the way to prevention of gender-based violence,” the panel featured Barb MacQuarrie and Dr. Katreena Scott from the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, as well as Dr. Tracy Isaacs, who serves as Western’s Special Advisor to the Provost on Gender-Based & Sexual Violence.
Jennifer Slay, Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization at King’s University College, engages the crowd inside the Joanne and Peter Kenny Theatre during a keynote presentation. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
Jennifer Slay, the Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization at King’s University College, delivered the conference’s second keynote presentation on Day Three, which was titled, “Learn to R. A. P. — Learn to Live.”
The interactive, educational, and entertaining talk asks audience members what success looks like to them and offers lessons on how to R. A. P. — an acronym for Release fears, Adapt, and Push.
SWAAC President Dr. Donna Kotsopoulos (right) is joined by several award winners from SWAAC’s annual conference. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
The reception and banquet, held at Brescia University College, included a celebration for the winners for this year’s round of the SWAAC awards.
The awards are made up of several categories that recognize either students or leaders in higher education. This year saw three members of the Western community, including Faculty of Education professor and Associate Dean Dr. Kathy Hibbert, receive awards in recognition of their comittment to academic excellence, service, and empowering leadership.
Pictured above, from left to right, are Karine Coen-Sanchez, one of two winners of the 2023 SWAAC Student Award in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Caitlyn Massad, winner of the 2023 Student Leadership Award; Kanishka Sikri, Liza-Anatasia DiCecco, Olivia Giovannetti, Janet Jones, Effie Sapuridis, who all won the 2023 SWAAC Graduate Student Award of Merit; and SWAAC President Dr. Donna Kotsopoulos.
Information about the recipients of the Recognition Award in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the Angela Hildyard Recognition Awards is available on SWAAC’s website.
