Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism

The UBC Okanagan Provost office IDEA portfolio provides faculty and staff with strategic advice and resources to support and grow a respectful culture of inclusion, equity and diversity.

Building a culture of inclusive excellence

UBC is taking steps to advance inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism in our community. We are grateful to the many UBC community members who lent their wisdom and lived experiences to support the development of the recommendations, goals and actions that will lead us forward to build a more inclusive university and world.

Leadership

UBC leaders have been appointed to support the implementation of plans and recommendations and serve as an important bridge to the community as we undertake this important work to foster change at UBC.

Rehan Sadiq

Provost and Vice-President, Academic
Co-executive Lead for Anti-Racism

Ainsley Carry

Vice-President, Students
Co-executive Lead for Anti-Racism

Arig al Shaibah

Associate Vice-President, Equity & Inclusion

Saher Ahmed International Student Advisor, Global Engagement Office
Gaya Arasaratnam Director, Student Wellness
Damien Bell Graduate Academic Services Officer, College of Graduate Studies
Shirley Chau Associate Professor, Faculty of Health and Social Development
Rishma Chooniedass Assistant Professor of Teaching, Faculty of Health and Social Development
Kathryn Douglas-Campbell Projects and Administration Coordinator, Faculty of Health and Social Development
Dharshi Lacey (co-chair) Director, IDEA
Jenica Frisque Equity Education Strategist, Okanagan Equity and Inclusion Office
Mary Jung Associate Professor, Faculty of Health and Social Development
Dan Keyes Associate Professor, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies
Cindy Leonard Ombuds Officer, Office of the Ombudsperson for Students
Jessica Lougheed Assistant Professor, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Denise Maines Research Development Officer, Office of the Vice-Principal, Research & Innovation
Earllene Roberts Manager, Disability Resource Centre
Sumer Seiki Assistant Professor of Teaching, Okanagan School of Education
Shilo St. Cyr Director, Sexual Violence & Prevention Response Office
Robert Szilagyi Associate Professor, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
Leah Terai Senior Manager, Faculty and Employee Relations
Erin Trifunov Client Services Manager, Information Technology
Adrienne Vedan (co-chair) Senior Advisor on Indigenous Affairs
Robin Young Assistant Professor of Teaching, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science
Tareq Yousef Lecturer, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

StEAR Framework

The new Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism (StEAR) Framework has been developed to support the ongoing implementation of UBC’s equity and anti-racism plans and recommendations. The framework reflects the need for individual and systemic-level action and identifies four domains for change – structural, curricular, compositional, and interactional.

Supporting plans

PATHWAY. The President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Final Report.

The President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) Final Report

Released in April 2022, the ARIE Task Force’s final report outlines 54 recommendations aimed at addressing the many forms of systemic racism at UBC.

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Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP)

The ISP sets out a series of eight goals and 43 actions the university will collectively take to advance our vision of becoming a leading university globally in the implementation of Indigenous peoples’ human rights.

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Inclusion Action Plan (IAP)

The IAP supports Shaping UBC’s Next Century by operationalizing the theme of inclusion and supporting the themes of innovation and collaboration with five goals and 36 actions to build a more inclusive university.

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UBC Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diversity Task Force Final Report

Released in 2023, the UBC Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diversity Task Force Final Report identifies specific recommendations related to several areas of work, as well as four key recommendations for UBC.

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Coming together—join the campus community for events related to culture, inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism at UBC Okanagan by visiting events.ok.ubc.ca.

Community Champions

Working Together for a better tomorrow

Rishma Chooniedass has never turned down an opportunity to learn. Whether learning about new colleagues and students or pursuing educational opportunities across various disciplines, Rishma’s deep love of learning is contagious, making her vocation as an educator, researcher and nurse a fitting combination . . . 

READ MORE

Building equity connections at UBC Okanagan

Read Electra Eleftheriadou’s story

The Courage to Think Differently

Read Dharshi Lacey’s story

Learning & Resources

Toolkits

Guides and Resources

We encourage you to make use of these helpful guides and courses, along with the many helpful resources from the Equity and Inclusion Office and other units, to learn more about how you can support inclusive excellence in your work at UBC.

Get started with these featured resources:

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in Teaching and Learning

Workplace Learning

This self-paced, free online Canvas course was created for instructors in all disciplines who are interested in developing their capacity to create more inclusive classrooms and learning environments but are not sure of where to start. The content is relevant for anyone involved in supporting teaching and learning in higher education, including teaching assistants, educational developers, or staff who support instructors.

Learn more

THE IMPORTANCE OF EMBEDDING INDIGENOUS HISTORY IN COURSES AND CURRICULUM ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES

Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic

Syilx Okanagan Nation Elders Chris Marchand and Eric Mitchell, along with their daughter, Vanessa Mitchell, Interior Health join UBC faculty for a webinar to share their experiences and perspectives on the importance of embedding Indigenous history in education across the many disciplines of academia.

Watch the recording

Indigenous peoples: language guidelines

UBC Brand and Marketing

Gender diversity guides and resources

UBC Equity and Inclusion Office

Employment Equity—information and reports

UBC Equity and Inclusion Office