Faculty of ArtUBC faculty members expressed strong interest in developing an undergraduate program that includes introductory and capstone courses that include a community-research components. Students will be exposed to a range of theoretical perspectives and multidisciplinary methodologies through course readings, lectures, and research projects. Some faculty members already teach individual courses that include community-based projects, and/or incorporate guest lectures taught by community activists and cultural producers. Based on the past experience of faculty members who have taught such courses, a small number of students can be expected to become closely involved in a community-based team projects. Select few will be motivated to further pursue independent projects that offer opportunities for in-depth community research, potentially leading to graduate-level research. Additionally, some non-Arts faculty members have expressed a desire to contribute to the ACAM Program, and raised the possibility for non-Arts students to be involved.
Some specific initiatives discussed include:
- Develop an upper-level capstone course with a research component to be team-taught by faculty members with guest lectures by community members. By exposing students to a broad range of themes including race relations, hierarchies of power, cultural and media production, immigrant experiences etc., the course will equip them with necessary theoretical background for community-based research.
- Provide an opportunity for dialogue between students, teaching faculty, and community members through the core course.
- Establish a faculty advisory committee for long-term program governance and coordination of community initiatives. Coordination among Asian Canadian Studies faculty members will be crucial in driving the program forward and boosting student enrolment.
- Seek out opportunities where Asian Canadian or related transnational content can be integrated into existing UBC courses.
- Explore opportunities for connecting existing courses with community research in ways that could have transformative effect on the curriculum at large.
- Integrate ACAM program with existing summer exchange courses offered by Go Global that have a proven track record in student enrollment.
- Introduce Asian Canadian primary source materials to support student learning through collaboration with the UBC Library. The Library will play an active role in supporting the gathering, preserving and incorporating of materials for use in the program curriculum.
