In September 2022, the leadership team of the Faculty of Arts and Science at Concordia University came together to initiate reflection on a strategic plan that reflected their commitment to reconciliation.
Known as the “5Cs,” the 5 Commitments that later emerged from Faculty-wide discussions explore the Faculty’s approach to academic work and the ways in which members can realize their shared values across a wide range of disciplines.
Part of the initial drafting process was influenced by a collaboration with Jennifer Leason (Anishinaabekwe, Pine Creek), an artist and scholar, and Ka’nahsohon Kevin Deer, Kanien’kehá:ka Knowledge Keeper.
Through circle-based dialogues and visual storytelling exercises with Leason and Deer, the dean’s leadership team explored the Faculty’s current state, including its strengths, challenges and aspirations. Leason later created four artworks to reflect these conversations, now displayed in the dean’s office.
The set of themes that emerged formed the basis of the 5Cs, grounding them in relational approaches to knowledge and community.