Antoine Coulombe, Assistant Professor of Teaching, School of Work, Arts, UBC, since January 2019

CV updated: August 2024

A- TEACHING

My experience in a school of social work (SW) helped me understand the true significance of learning. In the context of SW education, learning is not about grades or social approval but about understanding the world and our role as social workers (SW). This realization inspired my curiosity and desire to learn. Now, as a teacher, I aim to foster this same genuine curiosity in my students. To do this, I use a teaching process based on three fundamental principles: engagement, representation and action.

The key to building engagement in learning is understanding students’ diversity, learning strategies, needs and barriers. I work to reduce obstacles, increase accessibility and promote equity and inclusion in my courses. This involves reflecting on my teaching practice and collaborating with students to enhance safety and create a supportive learning environment. To help students sustain their engagement with the learning process, I adopt accessible learning tools and effective teaching strategies.

My teaching approach focuses on student-centred, critical and experiential learning. It de-emphasizes teachers as experts and centres students as active participants in a community of learners. My role is to provide a supportive and conducive learning environment that encourages critical thinking and shared power. This prepares social work students to understand the complexity of social work, engage meaningfully in their practice and become critical thinkers.

Please refer to my Philosophy of Teaching Statement for more details on my teaching philosophy.

Courses Taught at UBC

B- EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

 (a) Areas of special interest and accomplishments in educational leadership

 I have three main areas of special interest and accomplishment in educational leadership: pedagogy and social work education; diversity, accessibility and social justice; and building a community of instructors and learners.

• Pedagogy and social work education: In the field of educational leadership, I focus on pedagogies that are applicable to teaching and learning in social work. When I develop the courses I instruct, I carefully consider my teaching approach, and I often conduct research on evidence-based teaching strategies and pedagogies that have made a difference in social work education. I then integrate innovative teaching strategies into my instruction. Afterward, I examine their impact on students, and I take the time to document and analyze this pedagogical experience. I then share the results as a contribution to the profession through talks at the SSW, UBC and SW education conferences.
• Diversity, accessibility and social justice: As an educational leader, I have reflected on ways to promote accessibility and social justice in the classroom, the school, UBC campus, and higher education more broadly. I draw on my diverse experiences working with equity-deserving groups and take active roles in building knowledge, sharing my experience and knowledge on these topics and taking action to improve equity and accessibility. My work in this area can be summarized in four key areas:
  • Queering schools of social work and higher education
  • Teaching climate justice in social work and community organizing
  • Universal design for learning (UDL)
  • Social work with francophones in minority contexts

• Building a community of instructors and learners: I am dedicated to strengthening the teaching and learning culture at the School of Social Work (SSW) through my role as an educational leader. As part of the Educational Leadership (EL) faculty, I work to support a culture of teaching by providing mentorship and training and by engaging in dialogue with my colleagues. My efforts are crucial to the SSW, and I am committed to fostering a strong sense of community among our students. It is essential for us at the SSW to create an environment that supports our students as they work towards becoming social workers.

(b) Curriculum development/renewal

I have engaged in a wide range of curriculum development and renewal projects grounded in my areas of interest listed in the previous section.

Queering curriculum

A key pillar of my educational leadership is my work to improve 2S/LGBTQ+ education in schools of social work to better prepare students to work with 2S/LGBTQ+ populations. Learning from the experiences of queer students (see details of the studies below), I also explore how higher education can be made into a safer learning environment for 2S/LGBTQ+ students. I have engaged in various projects that examine how students in social work and the health professions are being prepared to work with 2S/LGBTQ+ populations. This work involves assessing the current curriculum and exploring potential strategies to improve it.

• Queering the School of Social Work (2021–2024): I am the principal investigator, for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Seed Project, with Hannah Kia as co-investigator. This project explores how the UBC School of Social Work prepares students to work with 2S/LGBTQ+ populations. We conducted a curricular and literature scan to determine the current knowledge of preparing SW students for practice with these populations. Drawing on insights from our scan, we conducted four focus groups in the winter of 2023 with relevant stakeholders (faculty and students) to explore pedagogical and curricular strategies to better prepare students for engagement with sexual and gender minorities. We have now completed the data analysis and are sharing the results:
  • Coulombe, A. and Kia, H (June 2024), Preparing Social Work Students to Work with 2S/LGBTQI+ Populations: A Comprehensive Evaluation of the UBC BSW Program. Canadian Association for Social Work Education Conference, Université de Montréal, Montréal. Peer-reviewed.

I have also given presentations on the topic of queer curriculum in Canadian SSWs:

• Coulombe, A., Groat, J. and Kia, H. (2021). Queering Schools of Social Work: A Conversation. Canadian Association for Social Work Education Conference, online. Peer-reviewed.
• Coulombe, A. (2024), Les écoles de travail social et les populations Queer : Réflexions critique et engagement collectif. Colloque Engagement TS, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal.

 

• Chair of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) Queer Caucus (fall 2023–present): The Queer Caucus is comprised of queer (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, two-spirit, intersex, queer and questioning) social work faculty and students, as well as their allies in Canada. The caucus offers a platform for queer members of CASWE to express their views on queer issues, needs and concerns within the scope of CASWE’s work and accreditation policies. In this way, my contribution to this caucus has implications for queering the curriculum of schools and faculties of social work across the country. This year’s meetings with members were focused on addressing the challenges the queer community currently faces in light of the rise of transphobia and homophobia, as well as the roles of schools of social work in the current era. We are currently creating a student award to promote the development of new teaching tools that instructors can utilize.

 

• PRIDE-RX (2023–present): I am a member of the Queer Curriculum and Advisory Committee (QCAC) within the Promoting 2SLGBTQQIA+ Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in Pharmacy Education (PRIDE-RX) project, which takes an integrated approach to cultivate 2SLGBTQQIA+ competencies amongst pharmacy students by scaffolding content related to sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression (SOGIE) throughout all four professional years of the entry-to-practice Doctor of Pharmacy program. The QCAC advises on developing, implementing and evaluating the SOGIE-inclusive curriculum within the UBC program.

 

• Integrating Gender Equity and Addressing Cisnormativity in Undergraduate Medical Education (2020–2022): I was a co-applicant and member of this project’s Research Advisory Committee. The project developed audit tools and a framework to improve the UBC Medical School curricula, intending to equip medical graduates with the language, skills and knowledge to better serve all patients’ needs, with a particular focus on trans, non-binary and other gender-diverse patients.

 

Climate justice curriculum

I have worked on multiple projects to create and introduce new curricula on climate justice at the School of Social Work and beyond. I aim to prepare students in social work and community organizing to be better prepared to work on climate justice. I have taken a collaborative approach, involving graduate students in the process to provide them with opportunities to actively participate, contemplate and develop leadership skills in this crucial area. In many ways, the younger generation plays a pivotal role in tackling the challenges of climate change, and I aim to support and empower the leadership of this younger generation for SW:

• I worked with Kayla Kenney, a Ph.D. student in the Certificate Program in Advanced Teaching and Learning Mentorship at UBC (2023–2024). I supervised and mentored their work as they presented the topic of climate justice in SOWK440C/529A, Communities, Social Development and Community Organizing, and SOWK335, Social Analysis for Social Work Practice. As their mentor, I provided them with opportunities for teaching, learning, mentorship and feedback. This collaboration was an excellent opportunity for us to explore how to teach climate justice in social work while integrating elements of UDL and Kolb’s experiential learning theory.
• CASWE conference presentation (2022): Coulombe, A., Shannon, M., Short, J. & Turje, M. (2022). Environmental Justice and Climate Change in SW Education: Students Leading the Way. Canadian Association for Social Work Education Conference, online. Peer-reviewed.
• Climate Education Grant, UBC Sustainability: Community Organizing for Climate Justice (2022): As principal investigator, I worked with project coordinator Shannon Murphy to integrate climate justice into curriculum for SOWK440C/529A Communities, Social Development and Community Organizing. The project identified relevant pedagogical techniques and content on climate change impacts and injustices through a literature review. We established partnerships with community organizations in Vancouver to give students an opportunity to undertake a community-based project focused on climate justice. The project was completed in August 2022, but these partnerships are ongoing, and continue to provide opportunities for sustained community project-based learning in the future.
• Developing new course content on climate justice: Since 2020, I have collaborated with graduate students to develop new course content on climate justice in three courses:
  • “Community Organizing for Climate Justice” (2022): With Shannon Murphy, MSW student, I developed two new sessions on environmental justice for the course SOWK440C/529A Communities, Social Development and Community Organizing.
  • “Environmental Justice and Green Social Work” (2021): With Jamin Short, MSW student, I developed a new three-hour session on environmental justice in SW for the course SOWK335 Social Analysis for Social Work Practice.
  • “Environmental Justice and Social Work” (2020): With Mik Turje, MSW student, I developed a new three-hour session on environmental justice in SW for the course SOWK550 Social Work and Social Justice.

Curriculum on francophones in minority contexts

I have recently started exploring ways to improve the BSW and MSW curricula with respect to working with francophones in minority contexts, especially those who are part of marginalized groups:

• Groupe de recherche sur la formation et les pratiques en santé et service social en contexte francophone minoritaire (GREFOPS): Evaluation of synchronous and asynchronous interprofessional simulations on the current service offerings in French: This study aims to evaluate and improve training materials for health workers who engage with francophones in minority contexts. Since July 2024, I have been supporting the study locally in my role as BSW Chair by helping BSW and MSW instructors at the SSW to include the training materials in relevant courses, and then evaluate the effectiveness of the training materials. The inclusion of these training materials also augments the SSW’s curriculum on francophones in minority contexts.

Additional contributions to the curriculum include:

• Moving Beyond a Statement of Accountability and Commitment: Actions towards Indigenous Resurgence in the School of Social Work (2022–2024): Working with principal investigator Marie Nightbird, I am a co-investigator in this project along with Kelly Allison, Donna Baines, Christiana Bratiotis, Lea Caragata, Grant Charles, Hannah Kia, Barbara Lee, Sheila Marshall and Harpell Montgomery. This project, funded by the UBC Indigenous Strategic Initiative, aims to make substantive changes on Indigenous issues in the BSW curriculum and field education programs and serve as a model for change in the MSW program. The project is divided into three phases: (1) gathering information and building relationships; (2) developing and implementing resources and field sites; and (3) evaluation and knowledge mobilization. Anticipated outcomes include the development of open educational resources, publications and conference presentations.
• BSW Quality Assurance Survey (2020–2021): In 2020, I facilitated program evaluation meetings attended by program chairs, the School Director and members of the CTLT to discuss program evaluation at the SSW. During the meeting, we decided to proceed with a review of the BSW and field education evaluation process. As a result, in collaboration with Kelly Allison and Carrie Hunter of the CTLT, I spearheaded the creation of a new BSW Quality Assurance Survey to gather more comprehensive and actionable results for the development and improvement of the BSW program. For this, we conducted research on the best practices for program evaluation used by other UBC faculties, and analyzed strengths, weaknesses and opportunities in other programs. We created a pilot survey for SSW students and rolled it out at the end of Term 2 in 2021. We then reviewed and revised the survey based on lessons from the pilot. The updated survey was launched in winter 2022 and repeated in winter 2023, following which we analyzed student response data and presented the results in two reports. We shared the results from these reports with faculty and discussed them at the BSW Curriculum and Field Education Committee (CFEC) meeting:
  • UBC BSW Program Evaluation Survey Report: Curriculum, 2021, 2022, 2023, Carrie Hunter and Antoine Coulombe.
  • UBC BSW Program Evaluation Survey Report: Student Experience, 2021, 2022, 2023, Carrie Hunter and Antoine Coulombe.

• Health and interprofessional learning (2019–2023): Through multiple endeavours, I have worked to strengthen the links between SW education and health practice to make education more relevant to practice and prepare students for the professional environment.
  • 2020: I reviewed the integration of UBC’s Health Interprofessional Curriculum within the BSW program, with Kelly Allison. Following the review, student evaluations showed increased satisfaction with the UBC Health workshops and BSW program integration.
  • 2019–2021: I participated in discussions with UBC Health about the current interprofessional curriculum design and on moving to an online environment.
  • I delivered numerous UBC Health workshops:
    • BSW CFEF meeting (2019): Organized and facilitated a discussion on integrating UBC Health workshops into the BSW program.
    • iEthics Q1 Workshop: facilitator, 2019 and 2022.
    • iEthics Q3 Workshop: co-facilitator, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023.

• BSW program discussion (2019 and 2022): I organized meetings for instructors at the BSW level to improve BSW course curriculum.
  • June 2022: I presented the Quality Assurance Survey BSW Report at a meeting with BSW instructors. Instructors identified areas for improvement, such as reducing overlapping content and rebalancing theoretical and practical course materials, with further recommendations provided to the BSW Chair.
  • May 2019: Evaluated strengths, gaps and possible improvements to the BSW program and strengthened professional relationships in a meeting co-facilitated with Dr. Grant Charles. Suggested improvements to BSW course curricula included identifying the need to address advanced ethics in social work and plan course coverage to deliver this content.

(c) Pedagogical innovation

• Pedagogy of freedom and critical pedagogy: Since summer 2020, I have been designing a pedagogical framework inspired by Paolo Freire and other critical educators such as bell hooks, Parker Palmer and Henry Giroux to provide SW students with an engaging and critical learning experience and to reduce possible obstacles and barriers. I integrated key elements of this framework into my pedagogy for SOWK335 Social Analysis for Social Work Practice (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024), SOWK440C/529A Communities, Social Development and Community Organizing (2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023), and SOWK550 Social Work and Social Justice (2020).
• Community of Practice (CoP) pedagogy: CoP pedagogy enables students to engage as a community of learners in an active learning experience and build knowledge collectively. With the support of the SoTL Seed Program, I investigated the applicability of CoP pedagogy to learning social work in the course SOWK335 Social Analysis for Social Work Practice in winter 2020. Using qualitative research techniques (e.g. focus groups and participant observation), I investigated how CoPs can create a discussion space for challenging subjects, evaluated its principal applications and determined the limits of this pedagogy. The following presentations stemmed from this project:
  • Coulombe, A. (2021). Les Communautés de pratique: l’analyse sociale et l’apprentissage du travail social, International Association for Social Work with Groups Symposium, online. Peer-reviewed.
  • Coulombe, A. and Tembrevilla, G. (2021). Community of Practice Pedagogy and Teaching Analysis in a Practice-Based Profession. Teaching and Learning in Practice-Based Professions conference, Mount-Royal University, Calgary. Peer-reviewed.
  • Coulombe, A. (2020). Les Communautés de Pratique, l’analyse sociale et l’apprentissage du travail social. CASWE Conference – Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peer-reviewed.
  • Coulombe, A. (2020). Communauté de pratique: une pédagogie pour promouvoir l’engagement professionnel dans un cours d’analyse. 31ème Congrès de l’Association internationale de la pédagogie universitaire (AIPU), Québec City – Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peer-reviewed.
  • Coulombe, A. and Tembrevilla, G. (2020). Teaching Social Work Analysis through Community of Practice Pedagogy. E-poster, Celebrate SoTL, UBC.
• Process-Based Learning (PBL) and Community Engaged Learning (CEL): I redesigned the course SOWK440C/529A Communities, Social Development and Community Organizing to integrate PBL and CEL pedagogy. To support this work, I initiated an ongoing collaboration with the UBC Centre for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) to build and strengthen community relationships. Integrating PBL and CEL pedagogy has positive educational outcomes, as students show significant engagement in the course and build meaningful projects that help community organizations. Below is a list of the projects completed by student teams as their main assignment in this course, which had impacts beyond the classroom:
  • Engaged Citizens at UBC: Promoting student engagement in democracy during the 2019 federal election by sharing stories on social media. Collaboration with the UBC Seeds Sustainability Program and AMS, fall 2019.
  • Trans Rights on Campus: Raising awareness about the rights of transgender, gender-diverse and Two-Spirit individuals at UBC by mobilizing students to become allies. Collaboration with Shelby Dakota, a trans rights activist affiliated with Queer Vancouver groups, fall 2019.
  • Decolonizing Activism on Campus, in collaboration with UBC Indigenous student groups, fall 2020.
  • Digital Equity Among Immigrant Communities: Promoting digital equity during the pandemic by conducting community surveys about digital accessibility in Neighbourhood Houses and sharing results. Collaboration with Learning Exchange UBC, fall 2020.
  • Community Conversation on Gender-Based Violence with Frontline Workers: Raising awareness about the differential and inequitable treatment of Black, Indigenous and women of colour (BIWOC) by the police. This project involved organizing a discussion with frontline workers about their experiences in dealing with BIWOC who have experienced gender-based violence (GBV) and reporting these incidents to the police. Collaboration with the Battered Women’s Society, fall 2020.
  • Green Rainwater Infrastructure Citizen Science Pilot: Piloting a citizen science project to support and increase citizen involvement in monitoring, maintaining and reporting back on green rainwater infrastructure performance. Collaboration with the City of Vancouver, fall 2020.
  • Safe Spaces for Women in the Downtown Eastside (DTES): Increasing community awareness and building empathy around the impact of COVID-19 on services and spaces in the DTES. The team organized a letter-writing campaign to draw attention to the lack of safe spaces for under-housed women in the DTES. Collaboration with DTES Women’s Centre, fall 2020.
  • Introducing Decolonial Activism to UBC Students: Designing and promoting decolonial activism guidelines on campus. Collaboration with Indigenous student groups at UBC, fall 2020.
  • Resisting Cisnormativity and Heteronormativity in Sexual Health Education in High Schools: Developing resources for educators to provide inclusive and accessible information about all bodies and experiences, and to resist heteronormativity and cisnormativity in sexual health education. Collaboration with Qmunity, summer 2022.
  • GHG Emission Tracking for Not-for-profit Organizations: Promoting a net-zero future by creating and sharing a guide to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions specifically targeted at NPOs. Collaboration with Food Stash, summer 2022.
  • Promoting Anti-racism at the UBC School of Social Work: Creating an educational toolkit that focuses on anti-racism education and practices to develop critical awareness and promote the inclusion of Black history, culture and present-day issues within the current program curriculum. The toolkit was presented to the Program Chairs. Collaboration with Lama Mugabo, Hogan’s Alley Society, summer 2022.
  • Community Accountability and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence at UBC: Engaging students, faculty and staff in dialogue about their individual roles and community accountability in challenging systemic and personal violence as it pertains to sexual and gender-based violence. Collaboration with the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office at UBC, summer 2022.
  • Active Witness Workshop: A Toolkit to Fight Against Anti-Black Racism at UBC: Helping members of the UBC community develop skills and agency to act in a safe and informed manner when witnessing or experiencing acts of racial harassment. Collaboration with Lama Mugabo and the UBC Black Caucus, fall 2023.
  • Organizing Trans Rights at UBC: Increasing access to education resources to empower UBC students to critically engage with the education system and recognize the power that individual and collective efforts have in changing cultures of violence. The initiative also focuses on raising awareness among Two-Spirit, trans and gender-diverse students about existing reporting systems and processes. Collaboration with UBC Trans Coalition, fall 2023.
  • Food Security Survival Kit for UBC Students: Raising awareness about food insecurity among social work students in the UBC community, and helping students access food resources through school events and a resource guide. Collaboration with Food Stash, fall 2023.
  • Decolonizing Spaces in the DTES: Raising awareness about the need for decolonized services in the DTES and advocating to service providers for holistic resources. Students conducted a survey with members of the Kettle Society and organized a community discussion on decolonizing spaces. Collaboration with the Kettle Society, fall 2023.
• Toolbox for Community Organizing: Students Engaging with Communities (CCEL Advancing Community Engaged Learning Grant, UBC) (2022): I was the recipient of the CCEL’s Advancing Community Engaged Learning Grant in December 2022, for the project entitled Toolbox for Community Organizing: Students Engaging with Communities. In this project, with Kristi Pinderi as the Project Coordinator, I developed a toolbox to support students in implementing community organizing projects as part of the course SOWK440C/529A Communities, Social Development and Community Organizing.
• Community Organizing, DTES and Hogan’s Alley: Partnership Recognition Fund (2022 and 2023): I partnered with Lama Mugabo from Building Bridges Rwanda, the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition and Hogan’s Alley Society to enhance the learning experience in the course SOWK440C/529A Communities, Social Development and Community Organizing. Lama Mugabo served as a community partner for student-led projects, advising and supporting teams working on community organizing projects related to racism and colonization in the Downtown Eastside. In 2022, Lama Mugabo gave a talk in class on the Rwandan experience of building communities after the genocide. In 2023, Lama Mugabo gave a talk and a field visit to the historical neighbourhood of Hogan’s Alley.
• Recipient of the UDL Fellow Program Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund, UBC (2023–2024): I worked with Bosung Kim, a Learning Design Consultant from CTLT, on a project to increase accessibility in the Bachelor of Social Work at UBC School of Social Work by implementing and testing UDL ideas in the course SOWK335 Social Analysis for Social Work Practice. In the summer of 2023, I participated in the UDL Fellow Program activities, which provided me with the necessary knowledge and tools to work on this course. Our primary focus was on developing a UDL syllabus, improving assignment descriptions and creating a new tool to support students in group work. I presented on this topic at the following events:
  • Coulombe, A., and Bosung, Kim (May 2024). Implementing UDL in Social Work Education: A Case Study with SOWK335, presentation to the new UDL 2024–2025 Fellows cohort.
  • Coulombe, A. (August 2023). Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Social Work Education: SOWK335 A Case Study, UDL: Projects Showcase.

This project has ripple effects at the School of Social Work and at UBC more broadly. In July 2024, we introduced a new UDL syllabus template at the School of Social Work, will be shared more widely via the CTLT.

 

(d) Applications of and contributions to the scholarship of teaching and learning

• Community Engaged Teaching Fellow (2024): I was invited to participate in the Community Engaged Teaching Fellow program at the Centre for Community Engaged Learning, beginning in August 2024. This program offers a chance to collaborate with UBC instructors who are dedicated to community-engaged learning and allows for self-reflection and scholarly examination of teaching methods in this context. In the collaborative project “Learning from Community and Teaching Community Organizing,” we will analyze teaching practices in the context of SOWK440C/529A Communities, Social Development and Community Organizing, offered in fall 2024. The project is conducted in partnership with Lama Mugabo, a community collaborator.
• Queering Schools and Faculties of Social Work in Canada Initiative (2022–2024): We are studying how Canadian schools and faculties of social work address the inclusion of queer individuals in higher education and prepare students to work with 2S/LGBTQ+ populations. Our project examines students’ experiences, curriculum and social work policies. The project committee members include Nick Mulé (York University), Hannah Kia (UBC), Kevin Lavoie (Laval University), Fritz Pino (University of Regina) and myself. In 2023, with me as principal investigator, we applied for a SSHRC Insight Development Grant for our project, “Queering Schools/Faculties of Social Work in Canada: Photovoice and Exploring the Experiences of 2S/LGBTQI+ Students.” We were unsuccessful, but resubmitted in 2024 and successfully secured funding.
• Queering Schools and Faculties of Social Work in Canada: Photovoice and Exploring the Experiences of 2S/LGBTQI+ Students (2024): In 2024, my team was awarded a SSHRC Insight Development Grant with me as principal investigator for this project. 2S/LGBTQI+ individuals face various forms of marginalization and discrimination on the basis of their diverse genders and sexual orientations. This issue extends to queer students in social work, a field dedicated to justice for equity-deserving communities. While there is some research on this topic in the US, Canadian studies are limited and often lack representation of racialized people’s experiences and those based on ethnocultural differences. To address this gap, this study will explore the experiences of 2S/LGBTQI+ social work students in Canada. It will involve 40 students from four provinces using the photovoice method, a participatory research method where individuals use photography to capture and share their perspectives on their experiences. Findings will be shared through exhibits and will support the Queer Caucus within CASWE in implementing recommendations. This research aims to improve learning environments, curricula and equity for 2S/LGBTQI+ students in Canadian social work education.
• Queering Healthcare Professions at UBC (2023): In fall 2023, I organized and facilitated two meetings with UBC colleagues who are currently working on queer projects in their respective schools and faculties. These meetings aim to facilitate networking and create opportunities for us to learn from our diverse experiences of queering curricula in health professions and to explore possible collaborations. The meetings were attended by colleagues from various schools, including the Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Dentistry, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy and Physiotherapy. We will continue these meetings in the future and look for opportunities to collaborate.
• Queering Schools of Social Work, a literature review (2022): In collaboration with CASWE Queer Caucus, as principal investigator, I conducted a literature review and supervised the work of a research assistant, Adeerya Johnson. This literature review was presented at a Queer Caucus meeting and to members of the Queering Schools and Faculties of Social Work in Canada Initiative.
• ISoTL UBC: Member Scholar (2021–present): I joined the Institute for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISoTL) Membership program in 2022. This was established in 2021 to create a formal group of experts to strengthen SoTL at UBC. Members work with the ISoTL leadership team to strengthen the UBC community of SoTL practitioners, engage in independent and collaborative SoTL within and beyond the classroom, and support each other in scholarly dissemination. We are currently working on implementing a UBC Journal for the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching. We aim to expand opportunities, especially for Educational Leadership faculty, to present their essential work to our community. We also organize SoTL events at UBC and I have collaborated with member scholars in offering the following events:
  • Baniassad, E., Coulombe, A., Jarus, T. and C. Rawn. (2023). Celebrate SoTL: World Café, Celebrate SoTL Week, UBC. In this workshop, I covered the topic of justice, equity, decolonization, Indigenization and inclusion (JEDII) in SoTL.
  • Bartolic, S., Coulombe, A., Graves, J., Jarus, T. and Rideout, C. (2022). Creating a SoTL Project. Celebrate SoTL Week, UBC.

 

(e) Teaching and Learning Grants

Project	Granting agency and type of grant	$ Total (per year)	Years	Principal investigator	Co-investigators
Queering Schools and Faculties of Social Work in Canada: Photovoice and Exploring the Experiences of 2S/LGBTQI+ Students	Insight Development Grant, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council	$59,987 total ($28,825 year 1)	2024–2026	Antoine Coulombe	Nick Mulé (York), Hannah Kia (UBC), Kevin Lavoie (Laval), Fritz Pino (Regina)
Learning from Community and Teaching Community Organizing	Community Engaged Teaching Fellows, Centre for Community Engaged Learning	$5,000	2024–2025	Antoine Coulombe	Lama Mugabo
Community Organizing, DTES, Hogan’s Alley and Social Innovation	Partnership Recognition Grant, Community Engagement UBC	$1,500	2023	Antoine Coulombe	Lama Mugabo
Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Social Work Education	UDL Fellow Program Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund	$12,000 3-credit course release and CTLT support	2023	Antoine Coulombe	Bosung Kim
Toolbox for Community Organizing: Students Engaging with Communities	CCEL, Advancing Community Engaged Learning	$3,000	2023	Antoine Coulombe	Kristi Pinderi
Moving Beyond a Statement of Accountability and Commitment: Actions towards Indigenous Resurgence in the School of Social Work	Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund	$91,200	2022– 2024	Marie Nightbird	Kelly Allison, Donna Baines, Christiana Bratiotis, Lea Caragata, Grant Charles, Antoine Coulombe, Hannah Kia, Barbara Lee, Sheila Marshall, Harpell Montgomery
Community Organizing for Climate Justice	UBC, Climate Education Grant	$5,000	2022	Antoine Coulombe	Shannon Murphy
Community Organizing, Hogan’s Alley and Experiences of Community in Rwanda	Partnership Recognition Grant, Community Engagement UBC	$1,500	2022	Antoine Coulombe	Lama Mugabo
Queering Schools and Faculties of SW in Canada – Literature review	CASWE Queer Caucus	$1,000	2022	Antoine Coulombe	Nick Mulé
Queering the School of Social Work and Beyond	UBC, CTLT Seed Grant	$5,000	2021– 2024	Antoine Coulombe	Hannah Kia
Queering the School of Social Work and Higher Education	UBC Arts, Dean’s Award for Educational Leadership and Innovation Projects	$10,000, 3-credit course release	2021– 2022	Antoine Coulombe
Integrating Gender Equity and Addressing Cisnormativity: Building a Framework to Audit Medical Education Undergraduate Curricula, piloted at UBC	UBC, Faculty of Medicine, Strategic Investment Fund	$85,870	2021– 2022	Mei-Ling Wiedmeyer (UBC)	Antoine Coulombe, Jill Chettiar, A.J. Lowik, Hélène Frohard- Dourlent, Maria Hubinette, Harper Keenan, Hannah Kia, Emily Wiesenthal
A Community of Practice Pedagogy and Teaching Social Work Analysis	UBC, SoTL Seed Grant	$5,000	2020	Antoine Coulombe	Gerald Tembrevilla

 

(f) Formal educational leadership responsibilities

• Chairperson of the Bachelor of Social Work Program, School of Social Work, UBC, July 2023 to present.
• Co-Chair of the Bachelor of Social Work Program, School of Social Work, UBC, January to June 2023.
• Chairperson of the Bachelor of Social Work Program, School of Social Work, UBC, January 2019 to June 2021.

 

(g) Innovation in the use of learning technology

• Moving Online: Innovation and Supports for Instructors (2020):
  • Trained and supervised two student-workers hired to support the SSW transition to online education as a result of the pandemic:
    • Conducted six onboard training and supervision sessions.
    • Provided direction on how to best support SSW instructors, and introduced accessible learning design, teaching tools and templates at SSW.
    • Discussed projects that supported instructors and problem-solved challenges.
    • Designed consistent and accessible courses on UBC’s Canvas online learning platform.
    • Created new online collaboration tools appropriate to teaching SW.
    • Explored tools and options to increase accessibility.
    • Gave a workshop on online learning at the SSW for BSW and MSW students, August 25, 2020.
  • Provided one-on-one support to colleagues on using technology during the transition to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Social Work Canvas template: Developed and implemented a School of Social Work Canvas template. This template was used in over 10 social work courses from 2019 to 2021.

 

(h) Other educational leadership contributions

 

Building a community of instructors and learners

I have promoted a stronger and more resilient teaching and learning culture at the SSW through the following activities:

• Supporting colleagues and sessional instructors
  • Social Work Education and Learning Lounge (SWELL) (2019–present): Established in 2019 by EL faculty (Kelly Allison, Marie Nightbird and me), SWELL aims to foster a robust culture of teaching and learning at the School of Social Work. These events, open to all faculty, adjuncts and PhD students, cover a wide range of topics. We have offered quarterly workshops to promote teaching excellence among the School of Social Work faculty and PhD students. Here are examples of topics we facilitated:
    • Looking Back, Moving Forward. April 20, 2021.
    • Lessons Learned from Online Teaching in Social Work. October 20, 2020.
    • Surviving Online Teaching in Social Work. May 28, 2020.
    • Intro to Rubrics. November 14, 2019.
    • Canvas and Technology in Teaching Social Work. September 29, 2019.

• Sessional and adjunct orientation (2019, 2020, 2023): Planned and co-facilitated with colleagues.
• One-on-one mentorship (2019–present): I provide ongoing support, mentoring and training to colleagues and new members of our adjunct faculty. This includes helping with course design, coaching on School and UBC policies, and problem-solving in difficult situations, among other tasks. I have done this for the following courses:
  • SOWK200 Introduction to Social Welfare (2019)
  • SOWK201 Introduction to Social Work Practice (2024)
  • SOWK315/316 Integrative Seminar and Practicum (2022, 2023)
  • SOWK335 Social Analysis for Social Work Practice (2023–2024)
  • SOWK305C Social Work Practice with Community (2020, 2023)
  • SOWK305G Social Work Practice with Groups (2022–2023)
  • SOWK405 Social Work Practice II (2022–2024)
  • SOWK415/416 Advanced Integrative Seminar and Practicum (2020, 2022)
• BSW Instructors Newsletter (2023–present): In July 2023, I introduced the BSW Newsletter for Instructors. The Newsletter aims to provide all instructors with essential information about the upcoming school year. This includes the schedule of courses being taught each year, introductions of new instructors, technical information such as syllabi and student orientation, a summary of the BSW program evaluation, and explorations of artificial intelligence and ethics in education.
• Teaching SW and Pedagogy (2021): A three-hour introductory workshop for Ph.D. students in the School of Social Work (SOWK601 Doctoral Seminar).
• Lessons Learned from Online Teaching Survey (2020): Ideation, development and launch of a survey about online teaching to determine lessons learned and improvements to make, in collaboration with Kelly Allison and Marie Nightbird. The information collected helped us better understand the online teaching experience and guided our work as EL faculty at the SSW.

 

• Supporting learners
  • BSW orientation (2019, 2020, 2023, 2024): Planned, organized and facilitated the BSW orientation for new BSW students. These orientations are usually organized in collaboration with student representatives and involve three to four sessions covering different topics, including the BSW curriculum, student elections, student services and well-being, APA style and the library.
  • Counselling services for social work students (2021–present): Initiated a pilot project to offer SW students counselling and mental health services in collaboration with Donna Baines (former Director, SSW), Laura Moss (Arts-UBC) and UBC Counselling Services. There is now a well-established partnership between the SSW and Counselling Services, which provides our students with the necessary support to promote their well-being as they engage in social work.
  • RSW Information Workshops (2019–2023): Co-organized and co-facilitated the registration information workshops in collaboration with colleagues. I also helped organize a new partnership with the UBC Okanagan SSW, which allowed their students to attend our workshops.
  • Pride event at the School of Social Work (2023): Organized a social event for queer and allied faculty and graduate students during Pride Vancouver in the summer of 2023.
  • Jump Start UBC (2022–2023): In August 2022 and 2023, I was a Faculty Fellow at Jump Start UBC, where I gave five seminars in 2022, and three seminars in 2023, to two groups of new UBC students on SW theories, perspectives and practices with communities.
  • BSW Student Newsletter (2023–present): In July 2023, I launched the BSW Student Newsletter, which provides all the essential information for new students.
  • Diversifying Health and Human Service Professions Education—D’HoPE (2023): I was invited to speak on a lived experience panel about my experiences as a queer social worker in healthcare.
  • Building Community at the School of Social Work: An accessible BSW fourth-year placement (2021): During the COVID-19 pandemic, I developed a BSW fourth-year placement at the SSW designed specifically for a student with accessibility needs. In the placement, the student was tasked with finding ways to help BSW students and student groups engage virtually during the pandemic. The student incorporated community organizing theories and values in their work and organized online forums, discussions and events. Their work helped create a supportive environment for students and groups by decreasing student isolation and facilitating discussions and dialogue despite the pandemic. Through this placement, the SSW also learned lessons about the conditions, ethics, and opportunities for creating placements at the School itself.
  • BSW Mentorship Program (2019, 2020): Supported and facilitated a training session with BSW students on implementing a mentorship program for first-year BSW students, which has supported students’ success at the BSW, especially during the pandemic.
  • Speaker Series (2020): Organized the Speaker Series for BSW students to attend guest speaker talks in SSW courses other than their enrolled courses.

 

• Syllabus review—concession process (2023): During the summer of 2023, I collaborated with Christine Graham to clarify the SSW’s policy and process for concessions. Our work aimed to increase student autonomy in managing concession requests and reduce the requests received by instructors and our program advisor. We incorporated the concession description into all BSW syllabi, and we successfully reduced the number of requests received by our Program Advisor.

• BSW accreditation (2023): In winter 2023, as co-chair of the SSW’s BSW Program, I supported the program’s accreditation process with CASWE. I provided information, participated in meetings and contributed to the accreditation report. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the SSW was awarded an eight-year accreditation with a high score.

• BSW admissions process: Review and redesign (2019–2020): From spring 2019 to winter 2020, I led a review and redesign of the BSW admissions process, focusing on improving accessibility and equity for all students. Our recommendations were implemented in the winter of 2020, resulting in a more efficient and solid admissions process.

 

C- SCHOLARLY AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

 

(a) Areas of special interest and accomplishments

My academic interests centre around social justice, critical pedagogy and inclusive practices in social work. I prioritize ongoing learning and reflective practices. Diversity and inclusion are key components of my work, as evidenced by my many projects described in this CV. I am a proponent of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to establish accessible learning environments—work I began ten years ago and continue to this day. My early work involved exploring the roles of social workers in combatting homophobia and empowering LGB youth, which continues to inspire my advocacy efforts. Furthermore, I incorporate social justice principles into field education to equip future social workers for fair and just practice.

(b) Invited presentations

• Chapple, C., Coulombe, A., Greaves, K., Lolliot, S. and Robertson, H (August, 2024). Transformative Tools that Make Teaching and Learning Better for You and Your Students, Arts ISIT Welcome Back Conference, UBC.
• Coulombe, A. (August 2023). D’Hope Program, UBC.
• Coulombe, A. (July 2022). Lessons Learned from Critical Pedagogy for Continuous Learning in Social Work. International Summer University of Social Work, Conference and Workshop, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Coulombe, A. (May 2021, February 2021, December 2020). Introduction to Social Work in BC. Workshop offered to members of the Project-Based Labour Market Training team and the Multicultural Worker Training Program team, Immigrant Services, Surrey.
• Coulombe, A. (October 2020). French-Canadian, Queer and Social Work. Invited presentation for the course SOCW 514 Diversity and Critical Reflexive Practice with Dr. Rachelle Hole, Master of Social Work, UBC Okanagan.
• Allison, K., Coates, J., Coulombe, A., McMenamie, M., Bryson. and Little, J. (2020). Social Justice in Field Education: A UBC Panel Perspective. School of SW 90th Anniversary Symposium, UBC.

(c) Other presentations

Presentations given previous to joining UBC – SoTL

• Coulombe, A. (2016). Developing Universal Design for Learning in a College Context: Process and Building a Community of Practice. Québec Association for College Pedagogy Conference, Québec City. Peer-reviewed.
• Coulombe, A. (2016). Universal Design for Learning and Teaching Social Work. Conference for the Association of College Social Work Instructors of Québec, Montréal. Peer-reviewed.
• Coulombe, A. (2016). One Note, Collaborative Work and Teaching Social Work. Web conference, Québec.

Presentations given previous to joining UBC – Social Work

• Coulombe, A. (2012). Fight Homophobia, Step by Step. Regional Symposium on the Fight Against Homophobia, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Gatineau. Peer-reviewed.
• Coulombe, A. (2011). Fighting Homophobia and the Empowerment Perspective. Symposium on Fighting Homophobia in the Education Network, Université du Québec, Montréal. Peer-reviewed.
• Coulombe, A. (2010). Empowerment Practices with LGB Youth: A Focus on Group Work. 32nd International Symposium for Social Work with Groups, Montréal. Peer-reviewed.
• Coulombe, A. (2010). Homophobia in High School and the Empowerment Perspective. Québec City Gay Pride Conference Day, Québec City.
• Coulombe, A. (2007, 2008). Groups and Empowerment Practices. Guest lecture in an MSW course, Université du Québec, Montréal.
• Coulombe, A. (2007). I Did Not Choose My Sexual Orientation. What About You? LGBT Youth Regional Symposium, Québec City.

(d) Other

• Interviewed by a social work student about my experience as a queer social work researcher, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, course TSO4106 Introduction à la recherche en travail social (2024).
• Allison, K. and Coulombe, A. (2019). Co-emcee for the opening event of the CASWE Conference, UBC.

(e) Conference participation

• International Summer University of Social Work (ISUSW) (2022): During the summer of 2022, I had the honour of representing the School at the International Summer University of Social Work (ISUSW) at the University of California, Los Angeles. This two-week academic program, organized by nine universities, provided MSW students with a unique opportunity to attend social work presentations and activities, interact with students and faculty from all over the world, and deeply reflect on our roles as social workers globally. In this capacity, I engaged in meetings with colleagues, actively participated in the summer university, and provided support to three of our students who had the privilege of attending this extraordinary event.

 

D- SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY AND THE COMMUNITY

As a dedicated faculty member at SSW, I prioritize service to the university and community. My main focus is enhancing safety, support and community for queer and trans faculty, staff and students, reflecting my long-standing commitment to 2S/LGBTQ+ communities. I also work on decolonization, Indigenous inclusion and improving access for francophones, as part of my contribution to the diversity and success of our school and campus.

SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY

(a) Areas of special interest and accomplishment

As BSW Chair, I lead key initiatives that align with UBC’s strategic priorities. I played a pivotal role in the strategic evaluation, accreditation and renewal of the BSW Program, securing an eight-year reaccreditation from CASWE. I am also spearheading a strategic program review, updating the curriculum to integrate equity, inclusion and climate change principles.

My commitment to equity and inclusion is evident through my active participation in various initiatives at the School and UBC. I contribute to numerous committees and projects. For example, as part of the Jack Bell Renewal Group, I have advocated for universal design, accessibility and gender-neutral washrooms. As well, through the Faculty Association Queer Caucus, I push for UBC to promote social justice in keeping with its broader goals of creating an inclusive and equitable campus environment.

(b) Areas of service undertaken to advance the inclusion of all those who have been historically excluded based on gender, race, religion, sexuality, age, disability, or economic circumstances

• Faculty Association Queer Caucus and Equity Committee member (2023–present): This year, I contributed to designing an equity survey for faculty members and to discussions on safety and security for queer faculty, staff and students on campus in light of increased transphobia and homophobia.
• Indigenous Program Committee member (2019–2021)

(c) Memberships on committees, including offices held and dates

• UBC Health (2019–2021)
  • Integration Retreat member
  • Joint Practice Education Committee and Health Curriculum Committee Meeting member
  • UBC Health Curriculum Committee member
• Jack Bell Renewal Working Group (2022–2023): I represented the School and advocated for a building that is more accessible, inclusive and conducive to a community of learners.
• Workday transition network meetings (2022–2024): I represented the School. My role is mainly to support our Program Advisor and Administrator as they navigate this new system.
• Undergraduate Heads and Chairs Meeting, Arts, UBC (2021, 2023, 2024).
• Member of the adjudication committee for the UBC SoTL Linkage Grant (2024).
• Member of the adjudicating committee for the Dean of Arts Award for Educational Leadership and Innovation, UBC Arts (2023).
• Service to the Department
  • BSW Curriculum and Field Education Committee
    • Chair: June 2023–present
    • Co-Chair: January–June 2023
    • Member: 2022
    • Chair: January 2019–June 2021
  • Student Awards Committee: Chair (2021) and member (2022)
  • BSW Admissions
    • BSW Admission Committee Chair: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
    • Reviewer of candidates’ statements: 2022
  • Director’s Advisory Group: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024

(d) Other service, including dates

• Translation into French of the survey used for an international study entitled Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Caregivers (2020) led by Dr. Christine Linehan and Dr. Tim Stainton.

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

 My commitment to the CASWE Queer Caucus as both a member and Chair underscores my dedication to promoting equity and social justice. As well, in June 2024, the BC Government announced BC’s first Francophone Community Health Clinic. I am honoured to serve as a consultant for this project. In this role, I contribute to designing and establishing SW services tailored for francophones.

(a) Service undertaken to advance the inclusion of all those who have been historically excluded based on gender, race, religion, sexuality, age, disability or economic circumstances

• CASWE Queer Caucus: Member since 2021, Chair since 2023

(b) Memberships on scholarly societies, including offices held and dates

• CASWE: Member since 2019
  • Attended General Meetings: 2019, 2021, 2024 as School Representative
• International Association for Social Work with Groups: Member, 2021–2022
• Association Internationale de Pédagogie Universitaire: Member, 2020–2021

(c) Memberships on other committees, including offices held and dates

• British-Columbia College of Social Workers (BCCSW), Registered Social Worker (2016–present)
• BCCSW Quality Assurance Committee: Member (2019–2022)
• Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) Post-Secondary Education and Research Table: Member (2019–2021)

(d) Reviewer (journal, agency, etc., including dates)

• Canadian Social Work Review – Revue canadienne de service social: Reviewer (2022 and 2024).
• Nelson Education: Peer reviewer, Promoting Community Change: Making It Happen in the Real World, (2019),

(e) Consultant

• BC’s first Francophone Community Health Clinic (2024–present): In June 2024, the BC Government, in partnership with RésoSanté, announced the establishment of this clinic, where I have the honour of serving as a consultant on the design and establishment of their social work services for francophones.
• Parkinson Society of BC (PSBC) (2019-2020): Designed and delivered training sessions to improve the PSBC Support Group Facilitator Training Program.

(f) Other service to the community

• Zuru Ling Society, Tibetan Buddhist Temple (2017–present): President of the Board of Directors, translator and meditation instructor.

 

E- AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS

• Dean’s Award for Educational Leadership Projects (2021). Project: Queering the School of Social Work and Higher Education, UBC.

 

THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Publications Record

• Kia, H., MacKinnon, K. R., and Coulombe, A. (2021). “Where is the ‘T’? Centering trans experiences in social work curricula addressing LGBTQ+ issues.” Journal of Social Work Education, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.1969302 (20% contribution) 
• Kia, H. and Coulombe, A. (2021). “Social work practice with sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities in the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Social Lens, School of Social Work Blog, UBC.
• K. and Coloumbe, A. (2024, In Press). “Tips for starting a practicum.” In Drolet, J. and Charles, G. (eds). The Student Handbook on Field Education.

 

Antoine Coulombe, Social Worker – RSW, MSW, BSW

BC College of Social Workers # 12637

CORE COMPETENCIES

Social Work Process Analysis and Theory Skills

• Specialized in Social Work processes with individuals, groups and communities in a diversity of health care, school and non-profit settings.
• Talented at understanding how complex organizations function and identifying appropriate references in the continuum of services with the right professionals.
• Up-to-date knowledge of research in social work: interview process, action research, quantitative and qualitative research.
• Adept in understanding legislation and policies, including being able to understand and apply legal frameworks. 

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