February 2012 Inside
Laurier transcends boundaries with Inside-Out program By Lynne Jordan At first glance there was nothing unusual about the Diversity, Marginalization and Oppression course that Social Work Professor Shoshana Pollack taught last fall. Each week 17 students sat in a circle, sharing ideas, taking notes and preparing for papers. The difference? Their classroom was inside Kitchener’s Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI) and only 10 of the students were working toward their Master of Social Work degree. The other seven students were incarcerated in the prison. The course was part of The Inside-Out Prison Exchange program, a partnership between institutions of higher learning and correctional systems. Students and prisoners come together to further their education. Founded in 1997, the program has grown to more than 300 classes and 9,000 participants across the United States. Pollack’s class at GVI was one of the first in Canada (the other, which also took place last fall, was at a federal men’s prison in British Columbia). Being involved in this program far exceeded any expectations Pollack had at the outset. Much of her career as a social worker and an academic has focused
people at Laurier
on women in the criminal justice system, so when she was approached by Inside-Out about expanding the program into Canada she didn’t hesitate. The planning process took more than a year and included support from both Laurier and GVI. All Inside-Out instructors participate in a seven-day, 60-hour intensive training program that teaches the program’s transformative educational method. For two of the days the instructors are prisoners inside Graterford Prison, a maximum security facility for men near Philadelphia. First-year MSW student Kayla Follet says it’s difficult to articulate what it was like to be part of the Inside-Out program. “I love talking about it, but explaining the experience is really difficult because it was so powerful,” she said. “It was so much more than a course.” Follet says the atmosphere was a bit tense in the beginning. “We were all worried about being judged — the inside and the outside students. You could feel that and it was a little bit awkward. We were crossing profound barriers. Society tells us that we shouldn’t be doing
(Waterloo campus).
Katie Baker, development officer, Alumni Relations/ Annual Giving (Waterloo campus).
Kate Vandevenne, external co-op coordinator, Co-operative Education (Waterloo campus).
Anna Bogdanowicz, custodian, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus).
Daniel Yang, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus.)
Joe Braccio, manager, Printing & Distribution (Waterloo campus).
Changes in staff appointments:
Susan Chilton, finance assistant, Bookstore (Waterloo campus).
Michelle Adams, student abroad advisor, Laurier International (Waterloo campus).
Chelsea Clarke, laboratory technician, Biology (Waterloo campus).
Caitlin Baker, digital projects coordinator, Library and WLU Press (Waterloo campus).
Connie Davison, administrative assistant to AVP, Teaching & Learning Services (Waterloo campus).
Jessica Bell, intermediate administrative assistant, Co-operative Education (Waterloo campus).
Ashley Higman, Dining Hall, Food Services (Waterloo campus).
Debbie Brittain, development reporting assistant, Advancement Services (Waterloo campus).
Helen Kaluzny, intermediate administrative assistant, Co-operative Education (Waterloo campus). Denoja Kankesan, coordinatorgeneral, books and academic relations, Bookstore (Waterloo campus). Jon Kursikowski, coordinator: sponsorship and events, Athletics & Recreation (Waterloo campus).
Malgorzata Smiarowski, custodian, Physical Resources
hours helped me get through the rest of the week.” Once a week, Pollack and her students would in a circle so they were connected and equal. Students were encouraged to direct their comments and
For a complete list of appointments visit www.wlu.ca/hr
New appointments:
Mary Ellen Ruddell, field practicum advisor, FSW (Kitchener location).
this so it took some time for us to warm up to each other.” It wasn’t long before the invisible walls separating the two groups of students disappeared. “It was sheer excitement to go to each class,” said Follett. “Those three
discussions to their peers, rather than the professor. While Pollack structured the class and framed the discussion topics, students engaged with each other’s ideas, personal experiences and the assigned readings. Inside and outside students shared their experiences and learned together through dialogue. “A really remarkable thing happens when you bring people together in this collective space and everyone is responsible for what’s happening,” said Pollack. “The result is that you have a really authentic communication in which everyone learns from everyone else. We learn that we can transcend the walls that separate us.” As the course wrapped up at the end of November, students participated in a graduation ceremony — a first for some of the inside students. “I thought that I would be sad and disappointed that it’s over, and I am,” said Follett. “It wasn’t long enough. We were just starting to get to know each other.” This isn’t the end of the program, however. Laurier Social
campus decoder
Work Professor Deena Mandell is currently instructing a second Inside-Out course at GVI for winter term, and there are hopes the program will continue in the future. And this isn’t the end for this group of inaugural Canadian Inside-Out students. After graduation, many groups go on to form “think tanks”, collaborations between inside and outside alumni that meet regularly to work on projects focusing on criminal justice or provide guidance in the development of the Inside-Out program. The first think tank, developed at the Graterford prison, has met inside the prison every Wednesday since 2002. Pollack’s class is excited about what lies ahead. Not only have they formed the first Canadian InsideOut think tank, but it is also the first women’s think tank. While the group hasn’t decided on their first project, Pollack says their goal is to become the think tank centre that will provide training to other Inside-Out prisons in Canada. “I can talk about it now and say how incredible it was, but I don’t think any of us completely understand yet how truly amazing all this is and where it could lead to,” said Follet. “I think we’ll look back years from now and be proud of what we were part of.”
Got a question? Send it to ndinka@wlu.ca
Marilyn Cooper, custodian, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus). Francis Doyle, alumni relations officer, Alumni Relations (Waterloo campus). Lori Kapshey, administrative manager, Residence Services (Waterloo campus). Lori Lougheed, access and transition officer & building bridges coordinator, Learning Services (Waterloo campus). Rui Soares, custodian, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus). Mayra Telelz, custodian, Physical Resources (Waterloo campus). James Weber, project coordinator, Advancement Services (Waterloo campus).
Q
: How long has the university owned the property where St. Michael’s school used to be (the future site of the GIE), and what has it been used for?
A In her new role as sernior advisor in the newly-established Office of Dispute Resolution & Support, Parkes Burpee will provide advice and support to students, faculty and staff seeking dispute resolution on matters including harassment and discrimination. She will also work closely with departments and services at Laurier to provide proactive education and awareness about these issues as well as conflict resolution. “I look forward to working with Laurier’s students, staff and faculty and continuing to build an equitable, inclusive environment,” said Parkes Burpee.
: In the fall of 2011, purple boards went up across University Avenue and St. Michael’s school came down to make way for the new Global Innovation Exchange (GIE) building, scheduled to open in 2014. But when the land was purchased more than 10 years ago, it was not with this project in mind. St. Michael became Laurier’s property in July 2001 after nearly eight years of pursuing the purchase. When St. Michael’s was closed by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, it was offered to the French Catholic School Board, which passed
it over in favour of another property. Laurier was then given the option to buy the land. In 2001, Laurier was already struggling to find room for its growing undergraduate population. St. Michael’s provided much needed classroom space and, starting in May 2003, it also housed a daycare service. The new GIE building will help address Laurier’s continuing space issues. It will house the School of Business & Economics and the Department of Mathematics, providing room for classes as well as faculty offices, and encouraging collaboration among the faculties. The GIE building will transform the St. Michael’s school property into a new and more visible gateway to Laurier’s Waterloo campus. By Vanessa Parks 5