Our school
The School of Public Health and Social Policy (PHSP) at the 探花系列 is located on the unceded homelands of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Coast Salish peoples.
As an academic and professional community, we welcome diverse identities, learning needs and perspectives, based on lived and professional experience.
Our school opened in 2011, and has attracted leading faculty, dedicated staff, hundreds of students—who are now contributing to the health and wellbeing of their communities as graduates—and community and practice partners who work with our school in teaching and research. A core set of values grounds us as we engage with a wide range of public health and related social issues and policies.
Our values
The following list of values guides our school’s priorities in teaching, research and practice:
- critical analysis grounded in principles of social justice and equity
- collaborative action across sectors, professions and disciplines
- community-based approaches and partnerships with people and populations served
- political awareness and engagement
- respect for Indigenous rights and knowledges
- inclusive practices that promote diversity and cultural safety
Grounding our values in place
Our school values motivate us to go beyond acknowledging the local territory on which the 探花系列 stands, to intentionally consider the ways in which this place and lək̓ʷəŋən Knowledge can guide our work. This includes understanding our roles and responsibilities, whether invited or uninvited visitors, occupiers or Indigenous to these lands.
As a school we remain committed to making space for Indigenous Knowledge and content across our programs. Students play an integral role in strengthening relationships to Indigenous Knowledge by examining their own connections to place and positions within contexts of settler-colonialism.
Our logo
In 2021, PHSP worked with local Coast Salish artist Sarah Jim of the W̱SÁNEĆ nation to conceptualize her creation of the Moon Mandala that now serves as a guiding framework for how we live, learn and teach in PHSP.
The mandala features 4 native species important to Coast Salish wellness:
- pacific honeysuckle
- sword fern
- stinging nettle
- coastal sage
Please take a moment to view this artwork and read the artist’s note below. We invite you to come visit the PHSP office to see the original piece.
Artist's statement
“What an honour to create this piece for the folks at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the 探花系列. The themes they had in mind were relationships, collaboration, community, connection to land, and balance. I wanted to honour those ideas by creating a piece that depicts the interconnectedness of the land, sea, and sky.
The moon in the centre reminds us that life is cyclical and does not move in a linear path. We are constantly changing and experiencing different phases. It also pays homage to the W̱SÁNEĆ 13 moon calendar and I really like the calm, feminine energy that it radiates.
The plants are all local Indigenous foods and medicines to this territory. I always like to honour their significance by depicting them in my art. There are added Coast Salish elements within their leaves to symbolize their importance and acknowledge that the culture is informed by the land.
The blue crescents and trigons can be seen as ripples in water or the four directions. These are common shapes in Coast Salish art.
And the raindrops are representative of nourishment. It’s what makes the land lush. It’s necessary for all life. We have an origin story of the first W̱SÁNEĆ man who fell from the sky with the rain, so all W̱SÁNEĆ people are descendants of the rain.
Thank-you for trusting me with this creation.”
—Sarah Jim