News
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at SFU: March in Review
This March, we undertook a number of activities at SFU in support of creating a more equitable and inclusive campus environment for all. Here is a snapshot of what the Equity Office has been up to.
Equity Compass
After conducting consultation over several months, the Equity Office is pleased to share the first draft of the Equity Compass, SFU's first institutional equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategic plan. The Equity Compass upholds all of SFU’s values as noted in What’s Next: the SFU Strategy but in particular operationalizes the value of equity and belonging. We are currently collecting feedback on the draft and welcome your thoughts. The survey is open until April 6.
Days of Significance
In March, we observed several days of significance across the university. This included Self-harm Awareness Day, International Women’s Day, Deaf History Month, International Day of La Francophonie, Nowruz, International Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, World Water Day, International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave. Trade and the International Transgender Day of Visibility.
International Women's Day
On International Women’s Day, we celebrated women leaders at the university. From those making administrative change to those conducting groundbreaking research and more, we acknowledged the contributions of women leaders at SFU and in our communities.
Universities Canada also featured President Joy Johnson in a profile honouring the day.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we launched our campaign “Racism has no place at SFU” – a reminder that creating a safe, respectful university environment is our collective responsibility. The campaign shares educational materials as well as strategies and tools to support the elimination of racism on our campus and in our communities.
Community of Practice
The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Community of Practice (EDI-CoPr) launched in December 2022 with 75 members, including the RADIUS SFU design team and administrative support team. Members of the EDI-CoPr were invited via a process of communication with Deans for nominations from the faculties and schools, and identifying staff practitioners known to be working in EDI-related spaces, projects, and positions.
Members have begun learning about Equity-Centered Design via online modules and training sessions with RADIUS.
The community is still in the process of identifying and inviting faculty members. Please reach out to Theresa Burley, Director, EDI, Strategic Initiatives at tburley@sfu.ca if you are interested or have any questions about the EDI-CoPr.
Memorandum of Understanding with Simon Fraser Student Society
We continue to actively pursue completion of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) that allows SFU to intervene on incidents within SFSS that affect students under SFU policies GP 47 (Bullying and Harassment) and GP 18 (Human Rights) as well as GP 44 (Sexual Violence and Misconduct Prevention, Education and Support) as previously established. This MOU is a partnership with SFSS, given that SFSS is independent of SFU’s legal jurisdiction and SFU cannot take over their leadership, governance or operations without specific agreement and their consensus. The draft MOU is currently with the SFSS and progressing through their internal review process. We are hopeful that the MOU will be advanced and finalized over the summer. The MOU covers the conduct of individual students, not the SFSS at large.
EDI-related supports are available
The news cycle and current affairs, locally and globally continues to be difficult for many in our community, including the recent act of vandalism to a statue here on our Burnaby campus. We recognize that this incident and other affairs surfacing in the news are upsetting to members of the community. A reminder that supports and services are always available to those who need them. Please reach out if you need help.