On Aug. 3, Selma Hamdani began her new role as Associate Dean of Creative & Applied Arts at Dawson College. She brings extensive experience in teaching, learning, and academic leadership, having served as Interim Associate Dean of Science, Medical Studies and Engineering over the past year.

A dedicated member of the Dawson community since 2012, Selma is a passionate advocate for active learning. She co-led Dawson’s Active Learning Community of Practice and served as co-director of SALTISE, a Quebec-based network that promotes evidence-informed teaching and learning in higher education. Before moving into academic leadership, she taught in Dawson’s Psychology Department and coordinated the Psychology Profile within the Social Science Program. Selma holds a Master of Science in Psychology (Neuroscience) from McGill University.

As she begins this new chapter, Selma is eager to connect with the faculty and staff of the Creative & Applied Arts sector and to support their work and aspirations.

Selma participated in a Q & A with the Communications Office.

How do you hope to support student success in this new role?

Selma Hamdani: My hope is to work with faculty and staff to identify what students need to succeed, remove barriers where we can, and support initiatives that strengthen their academic experience and sense of belonging. I also want to ensure that students’ voices are part of the conversations.

What makes Dawson College a special place to work and learn?

Selma Hamdani: What makes Dawson special is its people and the strength of its community. There is a real commitment to students and to creating opportunities for them to discover their interests, develop their skills and find their place.

Dawson is also a place where there is tremendous expertise across disciplines, and where people are willing to share ideas, try new approaches and work collaboratively. That combination of a strong academic foundation and a willingness to innovate is one of the things that makes Dawson such a wonderful and very special place.

What strengths do you see in the Creative and Applied Arts faculty and programs?

Selma Hamdani: One of the greatest strengths of the Creative and Applied Arts sector is that it puts creativity, imagination and human expression at the centre of learning. I think this is increasingly important in a world that is becoming less and less human and less and less humane.

The ability to imagine, create, communicate, question and see the world from different perspectives is not only valuable, it is essential. CAA programs cultivate those uniquely human capacities while giving students the knowledge and skills to turn ideas into meaningful work. I see that as an important contribution to Dawson and to the world our students will enter.

CAA has an incredible breadth of programs and expertise. Its strength lies not only in the individual programs, but also in the creativity, professional knowledge and commitment of the people who teach and support them.

I see significant potential in the diversity of disciplines within CAA. There are opportunities for programs to learn from one another and for students to benefit from more connections across the sector. I think there is a lot to build on.

Is there anything else you would like the Dawson community to know as you begin this new chapter?

Selma Hamdani: I am coming into this role with a great deal of respect for the work that is already being done in CAA. My priority is to listen and learn to understand what works well, where there are challenges, and where people see opportunities. Most importantly, I am excited about what we can accomplish together and about the possibilities that lie ahead for CAA and Dawson as a whole.