Culture of Care Safety Summit
Awareness to Action
In its second year, the Culture of Care Safety Action Plan continues the university’s drive to integrate safety into everything we do. This commitment to safety means increasing our community’s understanding of all aspects of safety and putting ideas into action. Awareness to Action is the guiding principle for the 2025 Safety Summit, which will focus on the three types of safety that affect the university community: physical, psychological and cultural.
President Flanagan will open this full-day conference offering opportunities to learn more about how you can be part of creating a strong safety culture here at the U of A. The Safety Summit will feature even more speakers and topics than last year addressing physical, cultural and psychological safety, including a keynote address from Florence Glanfield, Vice-Provost (Indigenous Programming & Research).
University faculty, staff and graduate students are invited to participate on January 29, 2025, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Lister Conference Centre.
The inaugural Culture of Care Safety Summit, January 2024, brought together nearly 200 safety leaders from various departments to discuss and promote the university's three-year safety action plan. The event highlighted the achievements of the plan's first year, including leadership commitments, refreshed safety training, and new recognition and reporting programs. The summit also emphasized the university's commitment to transforming safety culture across physical, psychological and cultural aspects, with the Faculty of Engineering and Library and Museums jointly receiving the 2023 HSE Committee Award for their innovative safety initiatives.
2025 Safety Summit Program overview
Keynotes
An Indigenous worldview around safety is that the whole person – their body, mind, and spirit – must be safe in order for a human to be healthy and to thrive in their working and living. This requires that ALL of us come to respect and understand the concepts of cultural, psychological and physical safety. These 3 strands, just like Elder Fernie Marty’s sweetgrass teaching in Braiding Past Present & Future: University of Alberta’s Indigenous Strategic Plan could teach each of us in unique ways to contribute to the University of Alberta as an outstanding place to work and study.
Concurrent sessions
Morning Sessions 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Speakers
Mike Bartkus, Randa Kachkar, Tim Klassen
Overview
Join us for an insightful exploration of campus safety challenges and solutions across diverse university operations. This session examines real-world experiences from University of Alberta Protective Services, Parking Services and Library Services, highlighting the evolving nature of workplace safety concerns in campus environments. Learn about practical approaches to situational awareness, de-escalation techniques and strategic facility management that contribute to creating a more secure campus community. Discover how specialized training programs and collaborative safety initiatives are helping build a robust culture of care at the University of Alberta.
Speaker
Jessica Vandenberghe
Overview
Safety is a fundamental workplace requirement and encompasses the whole person. We will explore psychological and cultural safety from an identity lens and whole person well-being approach. U of A’s community is very diverse -- ethnically, educational backgrounds, along with those who belong to equity deserving groups. This interactive session will combine lived Indigenous experience through storytelling with a grounding in industry safety experience, all building upon the Culture of Care framework.
Speakers
Anne Annicchiarico and Andrew Cooper
Overview
Discover your crucial role in fostering a safe campus environment at the University of Alberta! This interactive session explores the shared responsibility of safety across our university community. Learn about key players in U of A's safety ecosystem, your specific responsibilities and essential campus resources. Through engaging activities and real-world scenarios, you'll gain practical insights into our Culture of Care.
Led by experienced HSE professionals, this session aligns with U of A's commitment to integrating safety into all aspects of university life. Whether you're a leader, supervisor, faculty, staff or a student you'll leave empowered to champion safety in your daily activities. Join us in building a safer U of A!
Speakers
Dr. Kathleen Danser and Sarah Flower
Overview
This session outlines the importance of building professionally generous and trusting relationships that stand the test of time. We posit that developing psychologically safe environments should balance the excitement of new ways of working with the vulnerability required for adaptation. The 13 Factors to Create Psychological Safety, when applied correctly, act as guardrails to ensure safe and supportive relationships, allowing individuals to feel bold, take risks and be supported. The goal is to move into authentic relationships that welcome cultural and psychological diversity.
Afternoon Sessions 1:00 - 2:15 p.m.
Speakers
Adam Conway and the Emergency Management Team
Overview
Strong emergency response plans are critical to have in place prior to an emergency situation. Plans that are accurate, practiced and readily available greatly increase positive outcomes. In this workshop groups will recognise key units on campus and their emergency response roles. Participants will work collaboratively to identify important information of an emergency response plan for several emergencies that can occur on our university campus.
Speakers
Kerri Shier and Jocelynn Hoult
Overview
This session will explore overarching trends in personal security on campus through a comprehensive analysis of 2024 UAPS incident data. Key themes and effective crime prevention strategies will be highlighted, emphasizing a Culture of Care. Participants will be guided in identifying potential risks and adopting proactive measures, empowering them to transform awareness into impactful actions that enhance both personal and community safety.
Speakers
Erin Bayne, Michelle Rooker, Kim Schaerer, Philip Stack
Overview
At any given time the university has individuals undertaking field research around the world from urban environments, to the deep oceans, to the tops of mountains. The university implemented a number of field research safety enhancements in 2024 to better deal with the breadth of activities that defines field research. Attend this session to hear what we learned about these enhancements, what you had to say and what this means for the 2025 field season.
Speaker
Nella Sajlovic
Overview
In alignment with institutional commitments found in Braiding Past, Present and Future, A Culture of Care and Shape, among others, this session explores the vital role of incorporating Indigenous culture into workplace safety and wellness. Efforts to find ways to build Indigenous cultural and other practices into administrative or other processes engages respectfully with Indigenous community members and contributes to reconciliation. Explore the "why" of Indigenous cultural inclusion work while reviewing examples that have emerged at the University of Alberta in the last five years.
By considering what practices the university might revisit, we also consider the whole human in conceptions of safety, tackling the Indigenous knowledge gap and fostering wellness. Highlighted initiatives include the Affirming and Acknowledging Indigenous Ceremonial Practices at the University of Alberta, the Indigenous Peoples Editorial Resource, the Indigenous Honoraria video and the Sweetgrass Teachings video.
Afternoon Sessions 2:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Speakers
Elder Jackie Bromley, Dionne Edgecombe, Emily Fleming, Dr. Stephanie Montesanti, Erynne Sjoblom, Dr. Esther Tailfeathers
Overview
Cultural safety has emerged as a framework to improve healthcare services for Indigenous Peoples, addressing common experiences of discrimination that can worsen health outcomes. Lessons from healthcare can also apply to institutions such as universities with similar historical contexts and power dynamics.
In a presentation and panel discussion, a primary care physician and an Indigenous Elder will join Dr. Montesanti’s CARE Lab to share insights on fostering culturally safe environments. Participants will learn how to approach cultural safety as an evolving practice rather than a checkbox.
Speaker
Kristopher Marks
Overview
As a new generation of employees, leaders, clients, and business owners enters the workforce, a notable shift in values and priorities has drawn focus to the importance of mental health, work/life integration and personal growth.
How are professional and community leaders adapting to -- and benefiting from -- these changing mindsets? What are the most effective ways to promote resilience and safety, enhance communication, and foster innovation across all industries and positions within an organization?
This immersive learning session utilizes interactive elements that allow participants to apply lived experiences with actionable tools.
Speakers
Darryl Sparling, Greg Hodgson, Syed Biyabani, Avi Mehra
Overview
Join us for an enlightening panel discussion on critical infrastructure safety challenges and solutions at the University of Alberta. Expert speakers will explore USOF's infrastructure management approach, occupational hygiene considerations including indoor air quality, comprehensive safety protocols for equipment and occupancy and climate resilience strategies. Learn how leading professionals are addressing aging infrastructure, regulatory compliance and environmental hazards while balancing cost-effectiveness and operational continuity. This session delivers practical insights for creating safer, more resilient facilities in today's changing university environment.
Speaker
Kathy Belton
Overview
Injury is an important public health issue that must be addressed jointly across sectors. Preventable injuries cost the Alberta economy $7.1 billion in a single year, including $4.6 billion in direct health-care costs. The story does not end there. The human cost of injury brings pain, suffering and diminished health and well-being to individuals and their families. In this session, participants will explore the burden of injury and the inter-disciplinary nature of injury prevention and how you can protect yourself, friends and family from injury. Some of Alberta’s injury prevention success stories will also be shared.