OISE Graduate Students Gather for the 4th Annual Nina Bascia Education Policy Symposium: Innovation in Education

The fourth annual Nina Bascia Education Policy Symposium (NBEPS), hosted by the

Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education Departmental Student Association (LHAE DSA), was successfully hosted on Saturday, November 29th, 2025. Organized and led by the Academic Affairs team (Michael Coleman and associates: Samantha Borraccia, Miguel Palacios, Samantha Salter, Ivana Tewelde), the Symposium welcomed current, alumni, and prospective graduate students, faculty, and staff from across the OISE community into a lively and dynamic space of inquiry, curiosity, and thoughtful dialogue. This year’s Symposium theme was: “Innovation in Education.” The theme encouraged critical engagement with emerging ideas and practices shaping contemporary educational contexts, offering presenters a platform to share innovative research and approaches. 

Highlighting Student Research Excellence

Current LHAE students showcased the breadth of their ongoing research through poster

 presentations, visually representing their scholarly work across Educational Leadership & Policy, Higher Education, Adult Education & Community Development, and Languages & Literacies Education. In total, eleven research projects were presented, each addressing timely and critical issues within contemporary educational research and policy:

• Mostafa Awad: “Northern Ontario Rural Academic Achievement Gaps”
• Jasmine El-Hacha: “Listening as Praxis in Justice-Oriented Educational Leadership and Policy Research”
• Shima Farahmand: “The Impact of Flipped Classroom Instruction on Academic Reading Performance, Approaches to Studying, and Self-Efficacy in a Canadian EAP Context: Instructors’ Perspective”
• Shiva Farahmand: “Investigating Main Factors Influencing Mobility from Iran during 2011–2020: Based on Lee’s Migration Theory”
• Selma Hammad: “The Effects of Performance-Based Funding on Students and the Governance of Public Universities and Colleges in Ontario”
• Kristine Latincic: “Teaching and Learning in a Box: Academic Freedom and Standardised Course Outlines in Ontario Colleges”
• Cleopatra Myers: “Thriving Through Barriers: The Intersections of Race, Socioeconomic Background, and Campus Climate in Black Student Persistence and Retention”
• Suzanne Ross: “Exploratory Study of Pre-Camp: Seasonal Training Modalities and Workplace Community Participation”
• Iman Sherazi Syeda: “Exploring the Role of Team Athletics in Immigrant Girls’ Empowerment”
• Stephanie (Xinyi) Teng: “Chinese Immigrant Parents’ Educational Strategies in Canadian Schools”
• Yan Xiao: “Innovating Inclusion: Integrating Community and Workplace Learning to Support Older Immigrants’ Emotional Well-being in Canada”

The Power of Growth and Community

To conclude the event, the Sharing Circle invited participants and attendees to join in a conversation about their experiences in the symposium. The talk centred on the positive influence of peer support, shared learning opportunities, and an inclusive environment for

 reflection. This year’s symposium accepted trifold displays alongside traditional posters. The DSA will continue to support diverse modes of presentation styles that encourage student participation. Alongside discussions of co-learning experiences, the session also created space for collective reflection on potential improvements to enhance future Symposiums. Altogether, the Symposium demonstrated the importance of student-led initiatives that promote diverse forms of knowledge sharing and peer engagement. As NBEPS continues to evolve, LHAE DSA remains committed to fostering inclusivity and collaborative learning. 

Acknowledgment and Appreciation

The success of NBEPS was made possible through the dedication of the 2025 Organizing Committee from the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education’s Departmental Student Association (DSA). The organizing team was led by Michael Coleman, Vice President (Academic), and supported by: Mandy Nelson, President; Iman Sherazi Syeda, Vice President (Communications); Thomas Young, Vice President (Finance); and Seo Young Lee, Vice President (Internal). We would like to offer special acknowledgment to Gary Cronin (Recruitment Officer and Communications Specialist, LHAE) for supporting our event, from promoting the event to logistical preparations, which were instrumental in enhancing the visibility and delivery of the initiative. The continued support from the OISE Library, along with departmental and institutional partners, played a crucial role in the successful delivery of this student-led academic event.

The 2025 LHAE DSA Team: 

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all volunteers for their dedication and many unseen efforts behind the scenes that supported this event.

• Event Coordinators (Megan Ali, Himani Dhanot, Nicholas Wilcox, Chenjun Zhu, Talia Economakis)
• Associate VP Academic (Samantha Borraccia, Miguel Palacios, Samantha Salter, Ivana Tewelde)
• Associate VP Communications (Kristine Latincic, Selma Hammad, Krystal Huang)
• Associate VP Finance (Wenzhe Sherrie Xu, Kyle Tran, Jennie Anderson)
• Associate VP Internal (Jingwei Ma)
• Associates to the President (Jasmine El-Hacha, Yan Xiao)