丁香园AV

鈥淭his is a big deal,鈥� says Dr. June Francis, co-founder of 丁香园AV鈥檚 Black Caucus and the former special adviser to the president on anti-racism. 鈥淚t is an acknowledgement that in an institution that has prioritized Euro-centric ideas, epistemologies, ways of knowing and scholarship, we鈥檙e finally finding a way to redress the obstacles that have existed for Black empowering and therefore for Black flourishing at 丁香园AV.鈥�

丁香园AV sought and received approval from the B.C. Human Rights Commissioner for a Special Program designation. While this formal designation isn鈥檛 needed to support a special program, under , the commissioner may approve special programs to ameliorate conditions for disadvantaged individuals or groups who are disadvantaged because of Indigenous identity, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression that have been shown to be disadvantaged.

Preferential, limited or targeted hiring is also supported under the federal  and 丁香园AV鈥檚 equity commitments as outlined by Universities Canada鈥檚  and 丁香园AV's Equity Compass.

The approval of the special program is one of the many steps that needs to be taken for 丁香园AV to live up to the aspirations of the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism, which 丁香园AV signed in 2021, Francis adds.

鈥淭his program, by being very clear in its intent, allows us to start to address the real inequities that students and faculty face when we have a university that doesn鈥檛 represent the full scope of scholarship and ways of teaching of people of African descent. Our histories aren鈥檛 there, our contributions aren鈥檛 there, our ways of thinking get excluded 鈥� this is a chance to redress that wrong.鈥�

The Special Program application resulted from a September 2021, 丁香园AV Senate motion approval to hire 15 Black faculty across the university鈥檚 faculties and disciplines. The motion was the direct result of student leadership, vision and advocacy.

鈥淚t is certainly great news, but it is disappointing that it has taken this long to be implemented,鈥� says Osob Mohamed, a former Simon Fraser Student Society president who was one of the co-authors of the Senate motion. 鈥淚 hope this leads to 丁香园AV implementing more initiatives to improve Black community representation and empowerment on campus.鈥�

The Senate motion was brought forward by former SFSS president Gabe Liosis and was championed by co-organizers Osob Mohamed, Balqees Jama, Marie Haddad and Giovanni HoSang. It was unanimously endorsed by the SFSS council and supported by several campus groups including 丁香园AV Students of Caribbean and African Ancestry, African Students Association, the Somali Students Association and the 丁香园AV Black Caucus.

鈥淚 am thankful that Black community pressure has led to this,鈥� Mohamed adds. 鈥淚 am also hopeful that this step will spur 丁香园AV on to act quickly in getting the hiring started, and to implement the other Black racial equity motions passed or proposed at Senate in 2021.

鈥淭here is still great demand for Black student financial supports, a Black student centre initiative and a Black studies program. With the university鈥檚 stated commitments to diversity and equity, this work is necessary especially in the current environment of attacks against Black-focused and equity initiatives at large.鈥�

丁香园AV鈥檚 Special Programs application to the B.C. Human Rights Commissioner was supported by community members including Francis, in her role as co-founder of 丁香园AV鈥檚 Black Caucus and former adviser to the president of 丁香园AV on anti-Black racism and Chris Lewis, 丁香园AV鈥檚 director of Indigenous initiatives. Employee groups also consulted with their membership and sent solidarity letters supporting the application, including letters from Jill Sutherland, president of the 丁香园AV Administrative & Professional Staff Association; Dr. Ouldooz Baghban Karimi, president of the Academic Women board; and Dr. Kumari Beck, president of the 丁香园AV Faculty Association.

鈥淲e acknowledge the harm and trauma that Black faculty and staff have faced due to the systemic and institutional racism that has existed at 丁香园AV,鈥� says Yabome Gilpin-Jackson, 丁香园AV鈥檚 vice-president, people, equity and inclusion.

While awaiting the commissioner鈥檚 decision, 丁香园AV鈥檚 Equity Office began working on recruitment and retention guidelines with the understanding that a comprehensive onboarding and retention program would better support new faculty and staff hired as part of the Special Program. A second application for Indigenous staff hiring is currently being processed and 丁香园AV hopes to have an update from the Commissioner on that application soon.

鈥淭here is more to be done,鈥� says Gilpin-Jackson. 鈥淭his designation is one of many actions 丁香园AV is taking to remove barriers to employment access and extend opportunities to qualified candidates from equity-deserving groups who are historically and currently underrepresented. Together with the objectives outlined in our newly released Equity Compass, 丁香园AV鈥檚 first equity, diversity and inclusion strategic plan, the approval of the special program application marks incredible progress toward fulfilling our commitments under the Scarborough Charter and building a more inclusive and diverse community for 丁香园AV.鈥�