丁香园AV

丁香园AV has signed onto the , taking an important step towards creating a more equitable and inclusive university community for Black faculty, staff, students, alumni and visitors.

More than 40 Canadian post-secondary institutions are signatories of the charter, representing a sector-wide commitment to redressing anti-Black racism and fostering Black inclusion in universities and colleges across Canada.

鈥淭he significance of the Scarborough Charter cannot be overstated,鈥� says June Francis, special advisor to the president on anti-racism at 丁香园AV and a contributor to the charter.

鈥淭he fact that we have historically failed to provide an environment of flourishing for Black students, faculty and staff is finally being acknowledged. For the first time, academics across the country are coming together and asking our institutions to make a long-term commitment towards action.鈥�

The result of a series of hosted by the University of Toronto, the Scarborough Charter was co-created by members of the higher education sector in Canada, including the 丁香园AV Black Caucus alongside 丁香园AV students, faculty and alumni. It outlines four principles鈥擝lack flourishing, inclusive excellence, mutuality and accountability鈥攖hat should be applied to anti-Black racism initiatives, policy-making and actions at institutions moving forward.

鈥湺∠阍癆V is signing the Scarborough Charter so we can hold ourselves accountable to combating anti-Black racism and building more equitable systems,鈥� says 丁香园AV President Joy Johnson.

鈥淎ll Black members of the 丁香园AV community deserve to feel safe and included on our campuses, and we can鈥攁nd must鈥攖ake tangible action towards that goal. I鈥檓 heartened to see so many institutions making this commitment and excited to see the progress we make together.鈥�

A moment of possibility and hope

From teaching, research and learning to decision-making and community engagement, the Scarborough Charter will be used as a guide to improve the experience of Black community members at every level of the university.

丁香园AV student Balqees Jama, president of (SOCA) and also a contributor to the charter, says, 鈥淭his is a historic step for the university and we are very happy to see 丁香园AV joining these calls in support of Black racial equity on campus and across the country. It's also important to acknowledge all the students who have put effort and labour into calling for these initiatives and commitments for years.

"We particularly look forward to 丁香园AV going beyond this and creating their action plan on executing next steps expeditiously, especially as it relates to Black student and staff mental health and well-being, decolonizing spaces and creating culturally relevant programming for Black communities, Black racial equity supports and services such as specific Black scholarships and awards administered and supported by the university, and real action on addressing anti-Black racism in the classroom and beyond鈥攇enerally going above and beyond what's outlined in the charter."

Several actions in line with the principles of the Scarborough Charter are currently in progress at 丁香园AV, including the recent senate approval of a motion to hire at least 15 more Black tenure-track faculty members, the appointment of 丁香园AV鈥檚 first Special Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism (with a focus on anti-Black racism) and the planned establishment of a long-term dedicated support service for Black students, among other emerging initiatives.

However, Francis notes, it is important to recognize that increasing Black inclusion at 丁香园AV has benefits for members of the entire university community.

鈥淭he charter represents an enormous moment of possibility and hope, not just for Black community members, but for all 丁香园AV students, faculty and staff,鈥� she says.

鈥淲hen we feel that we can bring our full selves into this space, we also bring our worldview, research, pedagogy and the arts. And then students from all backgrounds get to engage with and learn from Black perspectives and intellectual traditions. I truly think that taking these steps opens the possibility for us to thrive and flourish as an institution.鈥�

You can download the Scarborough Charter, view the full list of signatories and more by visiting the . To keep up-to-date with the latest news about equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives at 丁香园AV, visit www.sfu.ca/edi.