Universities have long said that they are shaping the minds that will shape the future, yet students are rarely invited to the table to help shape how learning happens. In Students as Innovators, Collaborators, and Higher-Education Change-Makers, three undergraduate students who took part in the Maple League's Online Learning and Technology Consultants program, discuss how we can better include students in the conversation about the future (and present) of Universities.

About the Presenters

Donovan Faraoni is a second year Biology and Political Science student at Bishop’s University. He is a Chancellor’s Excellence Scholar with experience researching environmental sustainability and political issues at the constitutional level. Donovan brings relevant skills to his position as an Online Learning and Technology Consultant at Bishop’s University, having recently completed a Maple League experiential learning course focussed on the theory and application of new pedagogical approaches to contemporary learning modes. Donovan’s civic commitments include past service on the RCMP National Youth Advisory Committee and coach on the Bishop’s Forum Youth Advisory Committee. Donovan is a strong proponent of student-led initiatives. He is currently advocating for a campus recycling facility where students can collect, clean and upcycle the university community's plastic waste, creating reusable fashionable new items that contribute to a local circular economy.

Emma Trumble (she/her) is a third year student at Bishop’s University studying Sports Business and Athletic Development with a minor in Communications. She is most interested in looking at the intersections of gender and sexuality with sport through a critical yet hopeful lens to bring a larger focus on social change. She has been working for the OLTC program since its beginnings in 2020 and she enjoys working for the program as it allows her to have a meaningful part in innovating higher education. She is currently a communications fellow for the program and is helping conduct research within the sports department at Bishop’s.

Shannon Goguen is a second-year mature student, studying for a Bachelor of Arts at Mount Allison University, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Religious studies. Shannon has a strong passion for advocacy and social justice, with a long-term goal to work in Law. When not studying, Shannon can be found spending time with her husband and two young sons or reading a book on her couch.