News
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at SFU: January in Review
This January, we undertook a number of activities at SFU towards our commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive community where all feel welcome, safe, accepted and appreciated in learning, teaching, research and work. Here is a snapshot of what the Equity Office has been up to.
Welcoming new team members
We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Kandjii as the Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for Student Services. Jennifer will work with all Student Services departments to ensure that policies, programs, practices, and initiatives are aligned across the organization to ensure all student services are equitable, inclusive, and culturally safe. This key role will also work in collaboration with the Office of People, Equity and Inclusion and Campus Safety to advance a number of priorities such as Respect and Safety Principles for SFU, the Black Student Centre action plan, and support the launch of associated awareness, expectation and educational campaigns. Welcome Jennifer!
DAYS OF SIGNIFICANCE
In January, we observed several days of significance across the university including World Braille Day; Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, Tet for the Vietnamese community, or Solnal for the Korean community; and International Holocaust Remembrance Day. We also recognized United Islam Awareness Week.
As January is also Sexual Assault Awareness Month, SFU’s Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office hosted a series of engagement opportunities as they do annually. This year’s theme was “From Awareness to Action,” encouraging our communities to identify actions they can take to prevent sexual violence and support survivors. Please do check out the website for a variety of resources and supports available via our Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office. Visit the SVSPO website or follow @sfu.svspo for recordings of key events.
COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE LAUNCH
In December 2022, we were excited to launch our Community of Practice for Equity Practitioners at SFU, bringing together faculty and staff from across the university who lead equity initiatives within their teams. The work of the Community of Practice will support and enhance education and capacity building across the institution by supporting community of practice members with a supportive peer network for knowledge sharing, collaboration and design of equity programs and initiatives to support the advancement of equity goals at the unit level across SFU.
EDI-RELATED SUPPORTS ARE AVAILABLE
For many, the news cycle has been very difficult this month.
From the recovery of more Indigenous children in unmarked graves in Williams Lake to regional and world events with incidents of violence against trans communities, another incident of police violence, racially motivated shootings and international conflicts—these events can be triggering, distressing and (re)traumatizing. We encourage all of us to continue to center our wellbeing and engage in self-care and community supports. Whether you are a student, staff or faculty, please do access the supports available for you as needed.