SFU's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council welcomes new members

This article was updated July 9, 2021 with additional information about the selection process for new Advisory Council members.

At the June 7 meeting of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Council, nine new members were welcomed to the group.

The EDI Advisory Council provides guidance and advice to SFU President Joy Johnson on the university’s EDI priorities and commitments. Discussions center around priorities including data collection, educational opportunities and inclusion for equity-deserving groups.

“The Advisory Council has been so meaningful for me,” says Johnson. “I’ve benefited tremendously from the guidance, advice and support I’ve received from the Council since its inception, and I’m excited about the diverse perspectives that our new members will bring to this work.”

The new members are:

Students
Amy Qi-Li Zheng (Graduate student, Beedie)
Berthier Kyobela (Undergraduate student, FASS)
Gem Lee (Undergraduate student, FASS)
Serena Bains (Undergraduate student, FASS)
Sonia Orlu (Graduate student, FASS)

Faculty
Adel Iskandar (Assistant professor, FCAT)
Paul Li (Professor, Faculty of Science)
Venecia Williams (Language Instructor, Continuing Studies)

Staff
Aslam Bulbulia (Coordinator, Outreach and Community Engagement, FASS)

These new members were selected following review of 230 expressions of interest by a subcommittee of current Council members and support staff. Members were added to maintain the equal complement of students, faculty and staff on the Council, and the committee prioritized representation of equity-deserving groups.

Expressions of interest were evaluated based on a number of factors including personal or lived experience with equity, diversity and inclusion, commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, EDI-related work, skills or research, and ability to attend all meetings.

Rather than representing constituencies, council members have been asked to work together to consider the needs of the entire university and serve as EDI champions.

“I offer my thanks to those members who have completed their time on the Council,” says Johnson. “The beginning of any new group comes with extra effort, and this group truly did the work to create an advisory body that will continue to benefit inclusion at SFU.”

“As we move forward, the Council will continue holding me and university administration accountable to achieving our goals. They have played a critical role in our ability to make progress and I am deeply grateful for their time, insights, hard work and dedication to creating a campus community that is inclusive and equitable for all.”

You can learn more about the EDI Advisory Council and see the full list of members by visiting the EDI website.