Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at SFU: August in Review

Amid preparations for the fall term, the Equity Office and partners continue to work towards operationalizing our value of equity and belonging. Here is a snapshot of EDI actions advanced at SFU in August.    

SFU at Pride

More than 60 faculty, staff and students joined the SFU delegation of the 2024 Vancouver Pride Parade on August 4 to celebrate, support and recognize our 2SLGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse communities. Thank you to all who joined the delegation! 

SFU Pride 2024 delegation. Photo taken by Candace Ratelle. 

Accessibility Committee: New members

We are thrilled to have an amazing group of people continue the important work of the Accessibility Committee, who support our commitment to creating a more inclusive and barrier-free SFU.  The Accessibility Committee will be finalizing and sharing the Accessibility Plan in the fall. Please welcome the following new members to the Accessibility Committee: 

• Parm Gill, Center for Educational Excellence
• Kristen John, Department of Chemistry
• Julie Jones, Library
• Jonathan Mendel, Department of Psychology
• Zoreen Nuraney, International Services for Students
• Vicki Parnell, Department of Psychology
• Julianne Piper, Faculty of Health Sciences
• Sylvia Richardson, Library
• Dr. Inna Stepaniuk, Faculty of Education
• Bahar Zandrazavi, Faculty of Education

See the full list of Accessibility Committee members here.

EDI Community of Practice (CoPr) update   

With a commitment to continuous learning and adaptation in our process, the EDI CoPr is being supported by Developmental Evaluation, a tool for supporting social change initiatives in complex environments. The 2024 Developmental Evaluation report is now available online. 

Over the summer, several CoPr members shared their highlights and learnings from the past year. Read their stories here:

• Opening doors: Tess Williams' inspiring journey championing trans equity at SFU
• Strengthening a culture of support and mutual understanding: Lyana Patrick, SFU EDI Community of Practice
• Creating space for connection through equity work: Vivian Chang

Days of Significance

In August, we observed several days and months of significance including Emancipation Day, International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, World Humanitarian Day and International Overdose Awareness Day.

We're also preparing for the Month of Welcome for undergraduate students. Be sure to check out all the events and activities happening across all SFU campuses throughout the month of September!