2023-2024 Year in Review
A message from Dean Charmaine Williams
As I reflect on the 2020-2024 academic year, the importance of relationship-building emerges as a common theme that has permeated our ambitions, actions and achievements. Efforts to strengthen existing relationships, build new ones, and work together to achieve shared goals have been central to our success.
Relationships are vital to our research, be they partnerships with academics across disciplines and institutions (as with Professor Ramona Alaggia’s ThRIve Lab), with government (as with Professor David Burnes RISE program), with community organizations (as with Associate Professor Lin Fang’s studies on anti-Asian racism) or with those directly impacted by the issues we seek to address (as with Associate Professor Tanya Sharpe’s Invisible Wounds project). As our Year in Review demonstrates, collaboration in research garners meaningful results, enhances knowledge mobilization and leads to real-world impact.
Relationships are equally important when it comes to community building and support, which was particularly vital this year as we grappled with heartbreaking global violence, anti-trans and anti-2SLGBTQ+ hate, and other harmful injustices. In the fall, we were pleased to welcome our inaugural Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Shahana Arain, who hit the ground running, working with staff, faculty, and students to help enhance support for our community through the creation of braver spaces, professional development opportunities, improved communication of university policies and resources and more.
Our initiatives to bolster student success are also grounded in relationships, without which field education and student mentorship opportunities would not be possible. On these fronts, we can’t thank our alumni and program partners enough for their support.
We are proud of the work our students have done to support each other as well. Our new FIFSW Student Ambassador program, for example, gave current students the opportunity to support new and prospective students at orientation events and through our new Peer Pal platform. We’d also like to commend the FIFSW students who have supported each other as leaders in student associations and student groups and in programs such as U of T’s Interprofessional Education (IPE) Curriculum, which provides those studying in health professional Faculties with the opportunity build knowledge and experience in collaborative practice.
Our relationships with our alumni continues to be the envy of Faculties across the University. As in previous years, this past fall and winter, FIFSW’s Alumni Association organized lectures designed to support lifelong learning and hosted networking opportunities and receptions for our graduating students. Our alumni and friends of the Faculty have also provided vital support for our students and research through generous donations. These contributions have helped make our programs more accessible, increase belonging, and advance research, and we are incredibly grateful for this support.
I am proud of what we have been able to achieve this year, together. And because relationships are always a work in progress, I look forward to continuing this work with our community in the academic year to come.
I hope you will enjoy our 2023-2024 Year in Review. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to FIFSW’s accomplishments over the past year.
Sincerely,
Charmaine C. Williams
Dean and Professor
Sandra Rotman Chair in Social Work
Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work
University of Toronto
Charting a vision for FIFSW’s future
In February, FIFSW formally announced the launch of the consultation and engagement process for the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work’s new Strategic Plan, which will chart a course for our Faculty for the next five years. Our new plan will define our shared purpose and goals and how our unique strengths, resources, and knowledge align with them. It will also provide us with an integrated narrative of who we are and why our work matters. We would like to thank everyone who participated in this process, providing insights and feedback via email, focus groups and strategy hives. We will sharing the results of this work with the release of our new Strategic Plan this fall.