Begum Verjee, Ed.D. Vancouver Campus

Begum Verjee, Ed.D.
Program Director, M.A. in Community Psychology
Vancouver Core Faculty

Here at Adler, I am given the opportunity to be myself, to make a difference, and to level the playing field by creating socially just communities.

The world as a classroom is a concept in which educators embrace the goal of liberating the minds of students rather than indoctrinating them. I use this pedagogy of hope and engagement by having students share personal stories, histories, and perspectives, and by recognizing different worldviews as they relate to the curriculum. This engagement makes our real-world experience a part of the educational experience; the classroom becomes a space of knowing and claiming oneself and one’s place in the world. Through this process, we all become transformed, student and educator alike, as all facets of life become connected.

Please e-mail or call me (604-482-5522) if you have questions or would like more information about me.

Education

• Ed.D., Educational Leadership & Policy, University of British Columbia
• M.Ed., Counselling Psychology, University of British Columbia
• B.S., Computer Science, McMaster University

Professional Memberships

• Association for Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada
• Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning
• Community Psychology Special Interest Group, Canadian Counselling Association

Select Publications

• Verjee, B. (2010). Women of colour talk back. Towards a critical race feminist practice of service-learning. Lambert Academic Publishing: Germany. ISBN 978-3-8383-2958-1
• Verjee, B. (November 2010). Service-Learning: Charity-based or Transformative? Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal ,The Centre for Academic Growth, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Vancouver, BC
• (Under peer review) Counter-storytelling: The Experiences of Women of Colour in Higher Education. Submitted to Atlantis: A Women’s Studies Journal, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• (Under peer review) Critical race feminism: A model for service-learning engagement Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, The University of Alabama Press, The University of Alabama

Select Presentations

• Critical Race Feminist Principles for Service-Learning Engagement, 10th Annual International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement conference, October 2010
• Mentoring & Leadership, Association of Women in Post-Secondary Education of BC Conference, May 2008
• Keynote Speaker, Creating Culturally Diverse & Competent Organizations. Surrey Delta Immigrant Services Society, Cultural Diversity Awards Event: Vision & Planning, May 2006
• Keynote Address, Systemic Dis-Ablings, Wounded Casualties, Ontario College Counsellors (OCC) and The College Committee on Disability Issues (CCDI) Conference: Conversations by the Lake, May 2006
• Intercultural Dialogues: Starting Where People Are At, Intercultural Studies Spring Institute-UBC, 2006

Awards

• Certificate of Appreciation, Africa Awareness Board, the University of British Columbia
• Certificate of Recognition, Action to End Racism at the University of British Columbia
• Not On Our Campus Award, University of British Columbia, in recognition of student development programming