By Melissa Baluk on June 1, 2022
The Anti-Racist Teaching and Learning workshops are for UBC faculty, staff, and educators who wish to cultivate a teaching or facilitation practice that serves as a form of solidarity, and is premised upon research and popular education pedagogy in the areas of anti-racism, equity, and inclusion.
This is an exceptionally challenging and wildly important time to be an educator, as our students grapple with isolation from their regular social connections, a new educational landscape, traumatic images in the media, and some big questions that arise as a result of current events. Sometimes referred to as a “double pandemic,” the systemic racism resulting in George Floyd’s murder and the COVID-19 crisis have created circumstances that challenge us to reflect, unlearn, look inward, and imagine new ways to generate educational – and societal – change.
Through the Anti-Racism Teaching and Learning workshop series, participants are guided through reflection on their own roles and fears as educators, and develop an introductory understanding of concepts such as anti-racism, privilege, allyship, and solidarity especially in the context of online teaching and learning. They also include the identification and intensive unpacking of harmful phrases that can lead to further marginalization of racialized or excluded students. Particular attention is paid to helping educators with specific teaching strategies, practical tools, and relevant resources for their teaching practice.
Recent workshop topics included Identifying and Responding to Harmful Phrases; Identity Maters: Connecting Power, Privilege and Bias to Anti-Racism Work; and Exploring Complex Classroom Dynamics Using Case-Studies.
Visit the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology for future workshop offerings.
Posted in Catalyst #2: I can grow my career | Link | No Comments
By Melissa Baluk on April 23, 2022
Equity, diversity and inclusion are necessary conditions for attracting and retaining the best and brightest students, faculty and staff from around the world. This requires that we create inclusive environments free from racism in which to work, learn and live.
Over the last year, UBC has launched a series of initiatives addressing systemic racism within our community. They include launching an Anti-Racism Initiatives Fund on both campuses, providing $200,000 for cultural programming; launching the Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Program to support recruitment and scholarships for Black Canadian students; hosting Canada’s first National Forum on Anti-Asian Racism; launching UBC’s Inclusion Action Plan and establishing a task force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (ARIE) supported by the Office of the President and the Co-Executive Leads for Anti-Racism.
The ARIE Task Force, which includes 32 students, faculty and staff, convened for an intense period of work between March and July 2021. In April 2022, the task force put forward 54 recommendations in a final report to address systemic racism against Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPOC) within the UBC community and to promote inclusive excellence across UBC’s two campuses.
The recommendations collectively underscore the reality that UBC has a deep-seated problem of institutionalized, systemic, and other forms of racism that cut across its various units on both campuses, and affect Indigenous and racialized students, faculty, and staff.
Six major themes emerged:
- There is a need for anti-racist education for all individuals at UBC, including senior administration
- There is a need to both recruit and retain IBPOC faculty members and staff
- There is a need for developing a system for handling complaints involving IBPOC faculty members, staff and students
- There is a need to establish and routinize anti-racism as academic, intellectual and activist work at UBC, including through an office and a living library
- The well-being and sense of belonging of IBPOC members of the community featured prominently in the recommendations
- Finally, action is required to address workload inequities experienced by IBPOC faculty members and staff
View the full report
The ARIE task force joins the Indigenous Strategic Plan, the Inclusion Action Plan and other projects as primary aspects of UBC’s continuing efforts to address all forms of discrimination and to make for a more equitable and inclusively excellent institution.
Visit https://antiracism.ubc.ca to learn more.
Posted in Catalyst #1: I am part of a diverse, inclusive, safe and vibrant workplace | Link | No Comments
By Melissa Baluk on April 20, 2022
For the 11th consecutive year, UBC is recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers in 2022.
This special award recognizes Canadian employers that lead the nation in creating a culture of environmental awareness, developing exceptional sustainability initiatives, and are attracting employees because of their environmental leadership.
Some of the reasons why UBC is being recognized with this award include:
- UBC’s Workplace Sustainability Fund offers small grants to Sustainability Coordinators in departments to support a range of impactful sustainability projects across the campus, such as recycling of surplus office equipment, a campus farmers’ market, plastic reduction initiative, and community climate action virtual movie nights.
- UBC adopted the LEED Gold certification standard for all new construction and major renovations of institutional buildings, with 26 registered and certified buildings (the most for any Canadian university) — and with over 400 buildings, UBC has long-standing building renovation programs (dating back to 1998) to retrofit and upgrade with new energy saving features.
- UBC offers an impressive range of highly focused sustainability initiatives across campus that aim to foster a culture of sustainability among staff, students and the community — from Sustainability Tours to the Green Labs Program that promotes sustainable behaviours to the 24-hectare on-campus certified organic farm with over 200 varieties of crops.
UBC puts sustainability at the heart of teaching, learning and research and is integrated through our operations and infrastructure. We are committed to leadership in Climate Action, and our sustainability efforts are proudly delivered by students, faculty and staff — learn more about how you can get involved.
In addition to being recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers this year, UBC was also recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers, one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People, and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.
To see all of Canada’s Greenest Employers in 2022, visit https://www.canadastop100.com/environmental/
Posted in Awards, Catalyst #3: I am shaping the future of research, teaching and work | Link | No Comments
By Melissa Baluk on March 9, 2022
View the UBC Broadcast
UBC strives to foster inclusive environments for all faculty and staff, where those who are historically, persistently, or systematically marginalized are treated equitably, are respected, and belong.
Informed by UBC’s Inclusion Action Plan, consultations with community members, the Disability Affinity Group, and employment equity data, strategic efforts are underway to work towards the goal of reducing and eliminating barriers for disabled faculty and staff.
As part of this work, Human Resources is pleased to announce the launch of a new Centre for Workplace Accessibility (CWA) at UBC Vancouver. The aim of the CWA will be to help remove barriers, expedite the accommodation process, and where possible, minimize the medicalization of disability by identifying resources, supports, or workplace adjustments.
Effective April 2022, and in partnership with UBC’s Centre for Accessibility, this new supportive office will be housed in a central location on the Vancouver campus. In the coming weeks we will be recruiting three new full-time positions to provide confidential on-site or virtual support. The objectives of the CWA are to:
- Provide a central location where faculty and staff can confidentially discuss accessibility and accommodation needs, including information on the types of accommodations available, how to access them, and what to expect in the process.
- Expedite the accommodations process by, for example, purchasing accessible equipment, software, or support services and coordinating implementation where approved.
- Through a centralized Workplace Accommodation Fund, reduce any legitimate or perceived financial barriers that departments may have when accommodating a faculty or staff member.
- Wherever possible, minimize the medicalization of disability by identifying resources, supports, or temporary workplace adjustments that can be arranged without requiring supporting medical documentation.
- Increase awareness and education around inclusive workplace practices and the physical, social, and cultural barriers that exist for disabled faculty and staff.
The process for disability-related workplace accommodations for faculty and staff is currently supported by Workplace Health Services at UBC Vancouver and the Work Reintegration and Accommodation Program at UBC Okanagan. The CWA does not replace these programs, but rather is intended to enhance these resources by creating a central hub for faculty and staff to receive information, resources, and tools, and to support accommodations in order to promote meaningful participation in the workplace.
A Workplace Accommodation Fund will be set up to cover approved and reasonable expenses and reduce any perceived or legitimate financial barriers that departments may have, within acceptable financial limits or by established program guidelines. Funding for the CWA will extend into 2025.
Learn more about the CWA
We look forward to the evolution of the CWA and the support it will provide for disabled faculty and staff. This is an important part of UBC’s strategic efforts to ensure it is an inclusive and accessible environment for all our faculty and staff. We will provide further updates as this work progresses.
Posted in Catalyst #1: I am part of a diverse, inclusive, safe and vibrant workplace | Link | No Comments
By Melissa Baluk on March 8, 2022
UBC is recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2022. This designation recognizes employers across Canada with exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs.
Some of the reasons why UBC is selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers this year include:
- Since 2019, UBC hosts IBPOC (Indigenous, Black and/or People of Colour) Connections to provide a space for self-identifying staff to have candid conversations, collaborate, and coordinate when appropriate.
- Along with UBC’s longstanding Equity Enhancement Fund, the university recently launched a dedicated Anti-Racism Initiatives Fund to support initiatives that seek to celebrate and elevate diverse communities and advance anti-racism efforts — an annual allocation of $200,000 will be made available each year and students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to apply for the funds in support of anti-racism initiatives.
- UBC organizes a Through the Lens series of interactive workshops designed to enhance staff, faculty and community members’ understanding of diversity, while offering practical ideas for creating a more equitable and inclusive campus — the series aims to provoke meaningful conversations on issues of identity, intersectionality, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Read more about Canada’s Best Diversity Employers awards and the selection process at https://www.canadastop100.com/diversity/
Looking for resources or support to help you contribute to making UBC a respectful and inclusive place to work? UBC’s Equity & Inclusion Office offers resources and support to help us create a community in which human rights are respected, and equity and inclusion are embedded in all areas of life at UBC.
Learn more about how we’re making UBC an inspiring place to work through Focus on People 2025.
Posted in Awards, Catalyst #1: I am part of a diverse, inclusive, safe and vibrant workplace, Focus on People Framework | Link | No Comments