A Message from Dr. Dunsi Strohschein

Dear new and returning University of Alberta students,

My name is Dunsi Strohschein and I am thrilled to welcome you to this new academic year as the inaugural Assistant Dean, Community Wellness Supports. This new academic year stirs up a deep well of emotions in me, far beyond the excitement of another school year. I find myself reflecting on the rich diversity in our community, diversity of both people and knowledge together within the university. I take comfort in knowing that the true strength of our community lies in our ability to come together—regardless of our differences—to learn, to listen, to heal and to build.

My portfolio includes responsibilities for the U of A Sexual Assault Centre and the Community Wellness Programs. I am also an Adjunct Professor at the School of Public Health here at the University of Alberta.

Through my experience in healthcare, public health, and the social services sector, I am deeply committed to advancing the health and well-being of communities by integrating community voices with evidence-based methodologies. Over the past two decades, my professional endeavours have centred on the development and implementation of community engagement strategies and governance frameworks aimed at fostering healthier communities by bridging theory with practice. My contributions span critical areas where I have driven impactful change and innovation in public health research, gender-based violence prevention, partner engagement, people management and big data analytics.

I am truly humbled and excited to join Dr. Ravina Sanghera, Vice-Provost and Dean of Students, in leading the U of A’s Sexual Assault Centre into its next phase. We are fully committed to flourishing our small yet mighty team through this next phase of growth.

The work of the Centre and community wellness is multifaceted in nature. The potential for this work to be done well involves collective action from different systems and communities to address the intersectionality of the work. In this case, the crucial bedrocks are safety, well-being, engagement, student and staff experience, and centring the experiences of our students and community through co-creation work.

A fundamental aspect of our work at the Centre is prioritizing the safety and well-being of all students, as well as the staff and volunteers who serve as trauma stewards, providing trauma support to those in need. As we revitalize the Centre together, we are committed to exploring approaches to support our dedicated staff and volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to provide spaces for our students and prevent violence. Our efforts are grounded in the principles of dignity, equality, co-creation, community, well-being, safety, and violence prevention, with a commitment to valuing and respecting every individual through the principles of “what works for whom and in what context.”

From my conversations so far with campus partners and engaged community members, four key themes stand out that I want to offer as we make the transition into our growing phase together:

• broaden the Centre's mission to be explicitly inclusive of sexual and gender-based violence impacting all gender expressions;
• sustainability and longevity of core survivor support and awareness services and programs—including full-time in-person drop-in crisis care services, education and a volunteer program;
• transparency and accountability of the Centre’s operations in line with peer Canadian centres and university policies, procedures and resources—including continuity practices and annual reporting; and,
• regular engagement and co-creation opportunities for internal and external collaborators, and interested community members, as part of the Centre’s revitalization.

I am grateful to the good works of the staff and volunteers who have paved the path of the U of A Sexual Assault Centre over the last 30+ years, and my thanks in advance to those of you who will join us in the growing year ahead. There is much to learn and to do. I am looking forward to moving this important work forward together with you.

I invite you to visit the Community Engagement and Action Plan 2024-25 and About Us sections of our Centre’s website to see recent progress and anticipated next steps. I also invite you to watch this space for community messages and engagement opportunities as they become available.

With the support of the team around me and you, I’m already looking forward to our next updates in the weeks ahead.

Sincerely,
Dunsi Strohschein
Assistant Dean, Community Wellness Supports