Safety on SFU's campuses

Earlier this year, a group of community members from across the university was brought together to provide recommendations for how we can have a meaningful conversation with the SFU community about personal safety on our campuses. 

The Steering Committee met from April to October of this year and has now concluded their work. The full report and recommendations are now available online. I extend my gratitude to members of the steering committee for helping lay the groundwork for our future consultation surrounding the topic of safety on campus. I know this was difficult and personal work for many participants. Your time and emotional labour helped create a foundation that allows us to move forward in a good way.

The committee was struck in response to an unsettling event involving a Black SFU alumnus, campus public safety and the RCMP that occurred in the Burnaby campus dining hall. This incident was distressing for many, particularly Black and Indigenous members of the SFU community, and it raised important questions about our processes and protocols for addressing safety on campus. 

In the new year, we will be initiating a broader conversation with the SFU community about personal safety on campus, and this report will guide our work. I look forward to sharing future updates on our progress and to working with you to create a campus environment where all feel welcome, safe, accepted and appreciated in learning, teaching, research and work.

Sincerely,

Joy Johnson