In a small seminar room at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, the usual boundaries between student and instructor begin to dissolve. There is no podium, no rows of silent note-takers, no midterm looming overhead. Instead, there is a circle of chairs, a shared sense of purpose, and a group of students building a course together in real time.
This is the Student Directed Seminars (SDS) program—an initiative that allows upper-year undergraduate students to design and lead their own three-credit seminars on topics not currently offered at the university. For student facilitators like Stephanie Busse and Madison Eagle, the program has become far more than an academic opportunity. It has reshaped how they think about learning, teaching, and the role of the university itself.
For Stephanie, the path to becoming an SDS coordinator was anything but linear. Beginning her undergraduate degree as a Biochemistry major, she initially immersed herself in laboratory research, joining Dr. Robert Godin’s SolarSpec lab to study hydrogen-generating systems. While she found the work meaningful—particularly its connection to sustainable energy—she began to feel something was missing.
“I slowly realized that while I absolutely love research, I love people a little too much to be working at a lab bench all day,” she explains.
That realization led her into the social sciences, where she launched an honours project focused on the neuroendocrinological foundations of stress. The experience shifted her perspective. “I realized how important the social sciences are in becoming not only a well-rounded researcher, but a well-rounded person,” she says.
Her introduction to the SDS program came during her final year, when she enrolled in a student-led seminar on eating disorders. The experience was transformative. “For the first time in a long time, it felt like I was actually directing my own learning,” she recalls.
Inspired, Stephanie set out to design her own seminar, Stress and Trauma: An Interconnected Experience. The course builds on her research while expanding into broader questions about how trauma shapes individuals and societies.
For Stephanie, the topic is not only academic—it is deeply personal. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, she has spent years navigating the complexities of trauma and healing. “At some point, I grew tired of the cultural messaging that surviving trauma, especially in childhood, makes you broken,” she says. “I feel that it also made me who I am today, and I am really proud of that person.”
Her seminar was designed to create space for conversations that are often avoided. Drawing on both research and lived awareness, she encouraged students to engage with difficult material in a way that was structured, respectful, and safe. Boundaries were established early: participation was flexible, personal disclosures were never required, and discussions were grounded in an academic framework.
“I hope that participants became more comfortable with the uncomfortable,” she says.
In a different seminar, but within the same program—Madison Eagle was building a course of her own. Like Stephanie, her journey began as a participant in an SDS course, where she discovered a different model of learning.
“I loved that I could engage in interesting conversations about a topic without the stress of examinations,” she says. “It allowed me to engage deeper with the topic than I otherwise would have been able to.”
That experience sparked an idea. What if she could create a space centered on conversations she was passionate about?
The result was her seminar, Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination, developed under the supervision of Dr. Paul Davies. Rooted in social psychology but open to interdisciplinary perspectives, the course invited students to examine how bias operates across contexts and communities.
“This topic came to mind immediately,” Madison explains. “Having multiple perspectives in conversations about discrimination is critical, and this seminar provided a unique opportunity to create a space for these conversations.”
Like Stephanie, Madison intentionally designed her course to prioritize flexibility and curiosity over rigid structure. Assignments were adaptable, and students were encouraged to pursue research topics that genuinely interested them.
“My goal with this course was to create a learning space that encouraged curiosity rather than pressure,” she says.
Despite differences in subject matter, both seminars share a common foundation: active, student-driven learning. Discussions are not scripted but evolve organically, often shaped by the interests and insights of participants.
Madison quickly learned that some of the most meaningful moments came from the unexpected. “Some of the best conversations we had in the seminar were not prompted by planned discussion questions,” she says. “Students’ personal interests had drawn the conversation to a topic that I as the facilitator had not considered.”
Stephanie observed something similar in her own classroom. By assigning students to lead weekly discussions, she ensured that every participant had a voice in shaping the course. The result was a level of engagement she had rarely seen in traditional lectures.
“The calibre of the material produced by the participants was amazing,” she says. “We came prepared to have engaged, passionate discussions with a level of active participation that I feel is often missing from many other undergraduate classes.”
For both facilitators, the experience has also been a powerful exercise in growth. Beyond content knowledge, they developed skills in leadership, organization, facilitation, and adaptability.
“I have gained a new respect for the time required to prepare a strong lesson,” Madison reflects. “It does not always come to mind right away.”
Stephanie echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of both preparation and flexibility. “Create a solid course plan early,” she advises, “but leave room for flexibility, because some of the best parts of a seminar come from following the interests and energy of the group.”
At the end of the term when their seminars concluded, both students felt the experience was one of the most rewarding aspects of their undergraduate careers.
For Stephanie, who is preparing to graduate, the seminar represents a meaningful culmination of her time at UBC Okanagan. “The SDS program captures all of the skills I have tried to build—research, teaching, learning, and collaboration,” she says. “It really feels like the perfect last few pages.”
Madison, meanwhile, sees the experience as a bridge to the future. “I will be able to speak to the university experience not only as a student, but also as a facilitator,” she says, noting its relevance to her aspirations in graduate school and advocacy work.
Together, their stories reflect the core promise of the Student Directed Seminars program: that education can be more than a passive experience. It can be collaborative, deeply personal, and shaped by the people within it.