Cultivating Creativity
b'
Sheridan College, in the suburbs of Toronto, is world renowned for its creative programs, such as top-ranked illustration and animation degrees \\u2013 and it has built its entire institutional brand on the slogan \\u201cGet Creative.\\u201d\\xa0 This week, Ken Steele sits down with Janet Morrison, Sheridan\\u2019s president and vice-chancellor, to discuss how higher ed can cultivate creativity, equipping students with crucial skills for the future, and preparing staff and faculty across campus to embrace innovation and change.
\\xa0
Janet begins by explaining that Sheridan\\u2019s commitment to creativity goes far beyond the obvious creative programs.\\xa0 Creativity relates to people, process, product and space. CEOs and thinktanks agree that creative thinking will be an essential skill for graduates in the new economy, and AI experts anticipate that more creative functions will be the last to be automated.\\xa0 Creativity can a valuable \\u201cinoculator\\u201d against constant change and disruption, and provides tools to deal with ambiguity and complex problems. \\u201cThe only certainty is that things are changing.\\u201d
\\xa0
Post-secondary education is a transformative experience, both personally and socially, beyond the undeniable economic impact on graduate earnings.\\xa0 Higher education cultivates a sense of happiness, leading to more social engagement, political activity, and volunteerism.\\xa0 \\u201cPSE is a public service. It does good things for the public,\\u201d Janet asserts. \\u201cHow we foster engagement, teach and mentor them to be active citizens in a democracy really matters, maybe moreso today than ever.\\u201d
\\xa0
At Sheridan, they believe that creativity can indeed be taught: \\u201cit is totally possible.\\u201d More than 3,000 students, 300 staff, and 100 external community members have taken courses or workshops in innovation and creative thinking at Sheridan. Janet says the workshops \\u201chave fuelled creative thinking and innovation in not just our programs but our service delivery.\\u201d Sheridan\\u2019s mission is being \\u201cfuelled and accelerated\\u201d through training and development in creativity.
\\xa0
Sheridan is proud of its three \\u201ccreative campuses,\\u201d which Janet explains authentically reflect the institution\\u2019s values. \\u201cSpace matters\\u2026 We want people to experience creativity from the minute they\\u2019re on our properties.\\u201d Sheridan has installations at its Creative Campus Galleries that challenge students, faculty and staff to reflect and rethink.\\xa0 An annual \\u201ccreative speakers\\u201d series has brought Ken Dryden, Roberta Jamieson and others to campus, to cultivate curiosity and allow people to see the world through a different lens.
\\xa0
Janet emphasizes the importance of listening, consultation and collaboration, and \\u201ccapitalizing on the contributions that students, faculty and staff can make to move the institution forward.\\u201d She has led an Academic Planning and now also a Strategic Planning process at Sheridan that aim to be \\u201cthe most open and engaged in Sheridan\\u2019s history.\\u201d\\xa0 If you hire the right people, she observes, \\u201cthey\\u2019re opinionated, well-educated, with great experiences\\u201d and inevitably disagree at times about the direction of their learning community. \\u201cWhen people care about the place, they\\u2019re going to express those opinions with a level of enthusiasm.\\u201d The task of the campus leader is to sift and sort, triangulate the input from across campus, and find \\u201cnot consensus but a level of alignment and mutual agreement.\\u201d
\\xa0
Dr Janet Morrison championed student success at York University for 17 years, ultimately as VP Students, before joining Sheridan College in 2016 as VP Academic, and 2 years later becoming Sheridan\\u2019s President. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in History and Education.
\\xa0
Next week, Ken\\u2019s conversation with Janet continues, with a look at Mental Health and Student Success. So you don\\u2019t miss it, be sure to subscribe! \\xa0http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/
\\xa0
Special thanks to Sheridan College for the onsite videography.\\xa0 (If you would like to host an onsite episode of Ten with Ken, please see http://eduvation.ca/twk/site-visits/for more information.)
\\xa0
'