Decolonising Learning and Teaching in SCCA – Workshop Summary
On a rainy Friday afternoon in November last year, the Senate Room in the University of Glasgow’s iconic Gilbert Scott Building became a space for shared reflection, listening and a commitment to change. Hosted by the SCCA EDI Committee, the workshop ‘Decolonising Learning and Teaching in SCCA: Aligning our Efforts’ brought together staff from across the University to begin what many recognised as both a timely and long-overdue conversation.
Rather than offering presentations or delivering research findings, the session was purposefully designed to foster inclusive, reflective and ‘slow’ conversation. It aimed to create an entry point for staff who had not yet engaged with decolonising work, while also offering space for those already active in the field to share, collaborate and deepen their understanding. The event featured a panel of speakers from across the University – representing policy, academic development and grassroots practice – each bringing vital insights into the institutional frameworks and lived experiences that shape this work.
Dr Nighet Nasim Riaz, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy Adviser from the University’s central EDI Unit, brought crucial context on institutional policy and the university’s wider commitments around decolonisation and anti-racism. Professor Sarah Richardson, Dean of Learning, Teaching & Student Experience for the College of Arts & Humanities, reflected on the broader learning and teaching strategy and the role of senior management in embedding decolonising efforts across faculties.
From the grassroots and community-of-practice perspective, Dustin Hosseini, Associate Tutor and doctoral researcher in the School of Education, and co-lead of the Decolonising the Curriculum (DtC) initiative, offered reflections on building collaborative momentum from the ground up. He was joined by fellow DtC co-leads Dr Julia Bohlmann, Lecturer in Academic Development and Deputy Director of the RET accreditation framework; Dr Michele Vincent, Lecturer in Education (Modern Languages) from the School of Social & Environmental Sustainability; and Dr. Colette Mair - Lecturer in Statistics, School of Mathematics and Statistics, who all shared insights into how decolonial thinking is actively informing their work across pedagogy and curriculum design.
The workshop explored foundational questions: What does it mean to decolonise the curriculum? Who is it for? And how can it be embedded across teaching and learning rather than positioned as an optional extra? Participants reflected on the structures of exclusion embedded in curriculum design, the hierarchies that shape who gets to teach and what gets taught, and the deep-rooted colonial assumptions that still inform many of our disciplines.
Concepts of solidarity, disruption and reimagining emerged as central. Discussions spanned from the need to re-historicise knowledge and diversify assessment, to the importance of acknowledging students’ lived expertise and making space for multiple ways of knowing, especially beyond Euro-American norms and canons. Decolonising, it was discussed, is not a checklist but a deeply relational, political and ongoing process. It asks educators to move from a ‘have to do’ mindset toward one of ‘wanting to do,’ grounded in love, care, justice and collective responsibility.
The conversation did not shy away from tensions. What does it mean when decolonising is used interchangeably with diversity or anti-racist practice? Is it at risk of becoming a metaphor, rather than a material transformation? And how do we ensure the labour of change is shared across roles – from academic staff to technicians to professional services – rather than falling on a committed few?
What emerged clearly was that decolonising is not just about content. It’s about pedagogy, power, representation and voice. It’s about asking where knowledge comes from, how it is delivered, and who is allowed to question it. As the session drew to a close, the energy in the room reflected not only the complexity of the work ahead but also a shared sense of possibility. A commitment to learning, unlearning and doing better, together.