Career Exploration & Education staff receives Matus Award of Excellence
Posted April 6, 2022
For her exemplary leadership in socially just and equitable student services and as national influencer in student services curriculum, assessment and in career services, Atifa F. Karim has received the Jill Matus Excellence in Student Services Award.
The honour is one of the Awards of Excellence presented by the University of Toronto Alumni Association in collaboration with the university. The prestigious program dates back to 1921 and recognizes outstanding faculty, staff and students.
As the Assistant Director, Career Education at St. George campus’ Career Exploration & Education, and in service to national student services and career development committees, Ms Karim is known as a student development thought leader, articulating student development from a systems-based lens, and as such, offers insights and impact in the collective work across the University of Toronto.
Her reputation for meaningful, cooperative, and engaged partnership precedes her. In deep partnership with on-location and cross-University partnerships, Ms Karim shapes how we collectively think and work to serve students. In particular, her knowledge of the U of T landscape – and the many decentralized cultures that emerge in our structures, have helped us contextualize shared vision for whole student learning and development.
In honouring Karim, the alumni Association notes that supervisors and peers commend her leadership in advancing a career learning curriculum framework as well as equitable approaches to assessment as an exemplar in student services spheres. Karim’s impact is noted through collaboration and consultation, including the integration of anti-colonial ways of orienting to learning, curriculum, and assessment. Sought-out as a consultant to student service units’ curriculum, assessment, and equity initiatives, Atifa F. Karim is renowned for her ability to influence leadership dialogues; Karim engages with the University’s efforts to connect our work to the impact of our decisions in the immediate lives of students.
