Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

Michiko Sakamoto-Senge: Serving Learners and Her

Community with Nobility and Care

I was first hired at Camosun

College in the Spring of 1976 to
replace a faculty member who
was ill. Although I had received
an MA in Sociology in 1967 in
Chicago, my focus was medical
social work and social work for
families and children. When I
was offered the job, I felt a mix
of excitement and
apprehension. I had no formal
teaching experience and there
was little time to prepare, which
caused me to question whether
I could handle the job. My first
child, Erik, was in a pre-school
and my second child, Kristen,
was only a year old.
Fortunately, my husband
offered to look after the children
while I was at work. His
encouragement helped me
Michiko make the decision to accept the
offer and I taught until the end of
the Winter Semester of 1977
I recall the very first class in a small seminar room on the second floor of
the Young Building. The textbook was rather difficult for the students and I
was required to explain the subject matter in great detail. Lectures and
discussions went smoothly but, when it came to the first exam, I had
difficulty with one student. He was in his late 20s and this was his first
encounter with post-secondary education. When he saw the mark on his
exam, he confronted me, somewhat aggressively, to say that he felt I was
punishing his “previous lack of educa4on”. Through an open discussion we
explored his goals in post-secondary educa4on, the benefits of learning,
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

Michiko with her children in 1970s

Above: Erik, Michiko, Kristen
Right: Erik and Kristen

how he might improve his learning skills and methods. Propelled by my

encouragement, he worked hard and achieved his goal. Both of us learned
from each other through this experience.
In teaching this first class I also recognized how valuable students’
participation in discussions can be for creating an environment conducive
to learning. One mature female student contributed to meaningful
discussions by sharing her relevant life experiences and observations
which played a part in the overall success of the class.
After my year at Camosun, I got a job with the Immigrant Services
Program at the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA). It was
a new position which allowed me to explore and establish a variety of
services for new immigrants. The work was enriching and satisfying. We
were helping newcomers settle and learn about Canadian society,
developing activities that embraced multiculturalism and anti-racism, and
contributing to society’s overall well-being.
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

In 1981 I received a call from Pat

Floyd, the Director of Liberal and
Applied Arts at Camosun, inviting me
to teach Sociology in both the
University Transfer and Social
Service Programs. My background,
with an M.A. in Sociology and
practical work in the fields of social
work and community development
would be put to good use.
At that time, the Social Science
Department, housed in Dunlop
House, consisted of Anthropology,
Pat Floyd Geography, Political Science,
Psychology and Sociology. The
timetable at the College allowed me the flexibility to teach while also
attending to my family/household responsibilities. Although it was
challenging to carry both paid and unpaid work, I loved the opportunity.
What a joy to further my academic career while also raising my children!
I remember how intimidated I initially felt in the Young building theatre
classroom standing in front of the stage with more than sixty eyes staring
down at me. Thank goodness I had a podium in front of me! I soon began
to enjoy teaching and found it stimulating and invigorating. I felt lucky to
be able to share my knowledge with students, to encourage them to
expand their minds and to learn from them as well. Teaching is such a
noble profession.
What I liked most about teaching was the students. They contributed a lot
of themselves to each class. I also enjoyed helping students develop their
ability to explore their world objectively and examine it critically. I believe
that learning about the society in which we live, understanding the world
beyond our own immediate surroundings, and knowing that we are here to
contribute to the betterment of society is the essence of Sociology.
In the 1980's female faculty and staff at the college formed an
informal group to address gender equality issues and to encourage the
college to become more institutionally and academically egalitarian. Barb
Latham initiated and Marjorie Mitchel, Catherine Winter and I were some of
its members. I hope its action was the beginning of awareness of the
importance of gender equality within the college community.
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

Catherine Winter Barb Latham Marjorie Mitchell

Equally important, in terms of collegial activity outside of the classroom,

was a group called Teachers Against Nuclear Armament. Larry Dettweiler,
Allan Brain (a temporary Sociology instructor), Nora Lupton and I
organized several lectures and events. Students responded and
participated eagerly.
In the 1980’s, I also became the founding President of the Vancouver
Island Human Rights Coalition. Various community organizations had
formed the B.C. Human Rights Coalition, a non-profit and non-
governmental organization which was broken to regions. The purpose of
the Coalition was to improve and protect the human rights of society’s
minority members by addressing issues, advocating changes in legislation
and public policies, and educating the public. My volunteer work in this
field and my professional work as a Sociology instructor melded together
very well. I could bring justice issues into class discussion and I felt
encouraged when students were inspired by ideas of equality, equity,
diversity and inclusion.
I was involved in the CCFA for a few years as the Chair of the Contract
Management Committee. It was a privilege to work with such dedicated
faculty members. I was constantly reminded of the importance of working
for and on behalf of the faculty through negotiations in a complex
employer/employee relationship.
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

Also, in the 1980’s Peter Maidstone, another Sociology instructor, returned

from a year’s sabbatical in China and proposed that we collaborate to
develop the Pacific Rim Studies Program. The Program would include
courses about Traditional and Modern China; Traditional and Modern
Japan; Chinese Language; Japanese Language; Traditional and modern
South-East Asia. Peter, Marjorie, Ross and I participated in developing the
core program, teaching the original four core courses, and hiring language
instructors and South-East Asia specialists. This program grew and
thrived. Students furthered their studies in Asian countries and at various
Canadian universities.

Social Science Department around 1991

Back Row: Frank Leversedge
Middle Row: Brenda Clark, Michiko Sakamoto-Senge, Marjorie Mitchell
Front Row: Ron Glendinning, Karin Kaercher, Peter Maidstone, Allan Clark

photo by Ray St. Arnaud

When Barb Latham became the Associate Dean of Liberal and Applied
Arts, I inherited the Women in Canadian Society course. A strong sense of
collegiality developed among the instructors who taught courses focused
on women. Marjorie Mitchell from Anthropology, Margaret Whitehead from
History, Moira Walker from English and myself exchanged course outlines
and discussed course content. This allowed students to learn about
women’s status, position and experience through different lenses. I tasked
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

students with a new type of assignment that I learned from Barb Latham.
The assignment combined academic research with an analysis of personal
experiences. It was not an easy paper for some, but the result of the
assignment was astounding: the process of self-exploration and
examination, integrated with academic research, had a compounding
effect. Another dimension I added to the assignment was a study of
organizations within our community. The students’ understanding of
women in society increased by leaps and bounds.
In 1990 John Conklin of the Psychology Department invited Arts faculty
members to create the Co-ordinated Studies Program. The program
members consisted of John from Psychology, Marjorie from Anthropology,
Ross from Political Science, Thom Bland from English and me. Our goal
was to establish an integrated approach to general arts education, with an
emphasis on critical thinking. We exchanged course outlines and content
in order to develop shared student outcomes. Additionally, the students
and instructors met regularly. This was an inspirational collegial activity
that, unfortunately, did not last long due to budget constraints.
From 1990 till 1993 I served as the Chair of Social Science, a position that
gave me the opportunity to meet Chairs from other departments and
programs. It was an invaluable experience for developing contacts and
relations and learning about other disciplines, budget matters, and
organizational structures and
procedures.
In January 1993, when the new
Division of Arts and Science was
established, I was appointed as
the Acting Dean for Arts. Although
the term was short, I came to
understand the many difficult
tasks that confront College Deans
and to better appreciate their
work.
In 1993 I remarried and took a
leave of absence during which my
husband and I towed our 23-foot
sailboat ”Akatombo” (which means
red dragon fly in Japanese) Michiko with husband, Maurice Preece
around North America, putting the
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

boat into any waterway that appealed to us. Our ultimate goal was to sail
the Intra-Coastal Waterway, the eastern coastal canal system of the USA.
The year-long journey covered 19,000 miles and 4,000 sea miles. The
highlight of the trip included the Bahia de Los Angeles in the Sea of Cortes
in Mexico, the Florida Keys, and the Intracoastal Waterway from St.
Augustine, Florida to the Urbanna Creek in the Chesapeake Bay.

Left: Akatombo in the

sea of cortez
Above: Maurice by the
Akatombo
Right: Michiko on the
Akatombo

I returned to teaching refreshed and ready to be immersed in serious work.

Unfortunately, a half a year later I became ill and I had to reduce my
workload. I will never forget the support and understanding I received from
colleagues, the administration and the Faculty Association. During my
recovery I added one more form of therapy: singing. I always loved singing
and this time I began singing lessons, mainly of operatic and classical
songs. It definitely helped my recovery.
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

I was so happy to return to teaching. I cannot express to what extent

students helped to reconnect me to the “real world” and reestablish my
identity. They were a source of inspiration and helped the process of my
recovery. If I am asked what the best thing about teaching is, I will say
there are two things: first, the students; and second, the constant
opportunity for learning through teaching. The best gift teaching offered to
me was to witness students’ growth even within a relatively short period of
time. In other professions, such as social work, it is unusual to see the
results of your effort blossom so quickly.
I became the Chair of the Pacific Rim Studies Program in 1999. By then,
many second-year courses and new faculty had been added. Francis Yee,
Randall Garrison, James Keefer and Helen Lansdowne all helped students
expand their knowledge. Masayuki Fukushima and Ying Sun taught
Japanese and Chinese. We continued developing our academic
relationship with UVic’s Department of Pacific and Asian Studies. In
addition to Morioka College, we expanded the exchange program to
include Josai University in Japan and study abroad programs at Capitol
Normal University in Beijing and the University of St. La Salle in the
Philippines. We offered self-directed courses, organized an annual spring
festival of Asian cultures plus film festivals and guest speakers. I worked
hard to keep the enrolment up by reaching out to high school students and
establishing an advisory committee composed of specialists in the
academic, business and community fields. To our greatest regret,
however, the program was eliminated in 2002.
My professional development activities over the years were another source
of enrichment for me. P.D. took me to a women’s study seminar in Costa
Rica; to a human rights seminar in Northern Ireland; a study on
professional immigrant women in Victoria; and to studies on Shintoism,
Ainu culture, contemporary women’s labour and profession, as well as
translation of literature on women during the Meiji Period in Japan.
From 1992 to 2003 I served on two Law Society of B.C. committees:
initially, the Multicultural Committee and, later, the Diversity and Equity
Committee. From the 1980’s to my retirement from the College in 2005,
my volunteer work focused on issues of multiculturalism, human rights,
diversity, equity and inclusion -- a parallel trajectory to my work at the
College. In retrospect I see how lucky I was, not only to teach course
content that was personally meaningful, but also contribute to social justice
issues through my volunteer positions.
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

After retirement I have taken lessons in

watercolour and acrylic painting and the
Queen Elizabeth II’s
traditional Japanese art of the Ways of Diamond Jubilee Medal
Tea (typically called the tea ceremony). (left)
I continue to enjoy these hobbies as
Below: Michiko wearing
well as attending arts, music, theatre her Diamond Jubilee
and cultural events. My husband and I Medal in 2012

con4nued travelling abroad and sailing

un4l a few years ago. I took friends from
Victoria on a Japanese tour in 2007. I
have been an organizer of Victoria Asian
Heritage Month Celebra4ons since 2012 and
founded the Japanese Culture Club in 2015
where members teach and learn different
aspects of Japanese culture.
I was honoured to receive the Queen
Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award in
2012 in recogni4on of my community
service.

The best thing that has happened to me

recently is the birth of my two
grandchildren, Yuzuru Diego (seven year
old boy) and Affie Miyuki (two month
old girl), both of
whom bring a bright light into my life.

Left: Michiko’s grandchildren:

Yuzuru Diego and Affie Miyuki
 Excerpted from CCARE Newsletter, April 2021

Michiko’s family
Left to right: daughter, Kirsten, Michiko, husband Maurice,
son Erik.

Born and raised in Japan un4l I

was 23 years old, I am spiritually
s4ll connected to Japanese culture
even aXer my parents’ death;
however, I am a proud Canadian. I
am grateful that Canada offered
me a wonderful life, enriching me
in many ways – including
innumerable experiences I had at
Camosun College.