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.
Task Force on Anti-Racism & Inclusive Excellence
The President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) was created as part of the response to the institutional commitment to build a more inclusive university community. The ARIE Task Force convened for an intense period of work in April 2021 to provide recommendations to guide UBC on its pathway of anti-racism and inclusive excellence. Comprised of members from both campuses, the Task Force included six committees representing Work and Study constituencies and Equity Deserving Racialized Groups at UBC. The work of the Task Force was supported by the Office of the President and the Co-Executive Leads for Anti-Racism.
In April 2022, the ARIE Task Force released 54 recommendations aimed at addressing the many forms of systemic racism at UBC.
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
Jannik Eikenaar
Associate Provost, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Supporting plans
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
IDea(s) in action
community Champions
Faculty of Health and Social Development Equity Diversity and Inclusion (FHSD EDI) Committee
Established in late 2021, the FHSD EDI committee supports the Faculty on strategic matters, academic standards, academic governance and engagement matters. The EDI committee’s vision is to integrate EDI principles and best practices into all operations and academic activities.
Respect Magazine
UBC Okanagan educators Anita Chaudhuri and Rishma Chooniedass are working to create an online space where students can share their experiences in the realm of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
Diversity in Biology Speaker Series highlights early career academics
The Diversity in Biology Speaker Series took place in 2022, highlighting the work of early career academics who identify with groups traditionally under-represented in biological sciences. These talks highlighted excellent science across many sub-disciplines of Biology.
14 Not Forgotten memorial ceremony
UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering hosted their annual 14 Not Forgotten memorial ceremony in December to remember the 14 women whose lives were lost in the École Polytechnique massacre.
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.
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.
