UBC launches inaugural Student Diversity Census 

UBC launches inaugural Student Diversity Census 

October 19, 2023

New census will provide UBC with important demographic data to better understand the diversity of the student body, identify barriers to inclusion and opportunities to enhance student experiences, and assess progress. 

Advancing equity and anti-racism is one of UBC’s institutional priorities. Core to advancing these commitments are efforts to identify and address systemic barriers and inequities where they exist for historically, persistently or systemically marginalized (HPSM) students. The newly launched Student Diversity Census is an important step to obtaining a more accurate understanding of student diversity and of the barriers to equitable and inclusive access to programs and services.

Launched on September 25, all UBC students are encouraged to complete the confidential and secure census at their earliest convenience – and in advance of the first data analysis which will use the information provided by students up until December 11. The link to complete the census is available in a student’s Canvas inbox.

“Our efforts to improve student access, inclusion, wellness and success for all students are enabled by our ability to collect student diversity and student experience data,” says Ainsley Carry, Vice-President, Students. “This census provides a quick but important way for students to help us refine our programs and services.”

What’s the difference between a census and a survey? 

While surveys tend to rely on a smaller sample of respondents from a community, a census aims to collect information from everyone (aiming to get as close as possible to 100 per cent participation). A census is used to maximize accuracy when the aim is to gather more robust information on sub-groups within a population. 

The census takes between 5 and 10 minutes to complete. Every question has an “I choose not to disclose” option so that students can participate in the census to the fullest extent with which they are comfortable. 

The census, and census questions, have been developed and guided by consultations with students from HPSM groups. Only aggregate-level data will be reported on and no personally identifiable information will be shared. All information is confidential and hosted on a secure UBC platform. 

“This is now UBC’s principal tool to better understand the diversity of our student community, and it’s essential to our ability to identify barriers to inclusion faced by students,” says Arig al Shaibah, Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion.

“While we have qualitative data and a sense of where those opportunities already lie, the census will provide an additional and important dimension to deepen that understanding and better focus our efforts.” 

The census also fills an important gap in the coordination and standardization of student data collection. Until now, Faculties and programs have engaged in separate and varied ways to collect student demographic data. Now, through a more centralized process, Faculties and programs will be able to have access to a more robust data set for their local needs allowing them to better understand how they can support HPSM students. Faculty and staff interested in learning more about accessing or using student demographic data can contact the Student Demographic Data project team. 

In early 2024, a report on the results of the Student Diversity Census will be shared with the campus community and institutional leadership including the Board of Governors, to inform future decisions and guide institutional EDI efforts.  

Following this initial roll-out, the census will in the future be integrated into Workday Student. 

Learn more about the Student Diversity Census here.  

News and Stories |

Asian Heritage Month

May 10, 2024

Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity for all Canadians to learn more about the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of Asian descent.

Days of Significance, Featured |

Jewish Heritage Month

May 10, 2024

May is Jewish Heritage Month, an opportunity to recognize, celebrate, and learn more about the heritage of Jewish-Canadians.

The Canadian Jewish Heritage Month was established in 2018 through the passing of an official Act of the Parliament of Canada.

About Jewish heritage

Jewish heritage refers to the cultural, religious, and ethnic heritage of the Jewish people. It encompasses a rich and diverse history, language, traditions, customs, and beliefs that have been passed down through generations. It includes:

  • the Hebrew language and alphabet,
  • religious texts such as the Torah and Talmud,
  • holidays like Hanukkah, Passover, and Yom Kippur,
  • traditional foods like matzo ball soup, knishes, and latkes,
  • customs like kosher dietary laws and Shabbat observance, and
  • a history of persecution, resilience, and cultural revival.

There are several Jewish celebrations throughout the year each with its own unique history, customs, and traditions. You can view more Jewish observations on our multi-faith calendar by selecting Judaism.

Engage

Attend Jewish Heritage Month: Building Inclusion webinar on May 16, 2024.
Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.

Register now

Learn more

Read a Statement by Minister Khera and Special Envoy Lyons on Canadian Jewish Heritage Month.
Canadian Heritage

Read more

Learn more about Jewish Canadians.
Canadian Encyclopedia

Read more

Watch a selection of films that celebrate the important contributions that Jewish Canadians have made to Canada’s social, economic, political and cultural fabric.
National Film Board of Canada

Learn more

Explore Jewish and other days of significance through our multi-faith calendar.
UBC Equity & Inclusion Office

Learn more

Campus resources and communities

Days of Significance, Featured |

UBC invests $294,385 in community-led racial, disability, gender and 2SLGBTQIA+ equity projects

April 19, 2024

41 students, faculty and staff-led projects have been funded across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan.

In September 2023, the Equity & Inclusion Office (EIO) launched a re-imagined enhancement fund to support student, faculty and staff-led initiatives that seek to advance equity and anti-racism priorities across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan.

The new Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism (StEAR) Enhancement Fund provides an annual recurring investment of $100,000 from the EIO to sponsor community-led initiatives. For the 2023/2024 academic year – and to kick–off the relaunch – UBC provided an additional $200,000 for a total of $300,000 in available funding.

118 applications for funding were received and reviewed between September 2023 – when the fund had been launched – and March 2024 – when the funding pool ended up being fully allocated. From the total applications received, 41 projects – or 35 per cent of applications – were funded.

$294,385.80 was distributed as follows:

  • $93,675 for racial equity projects;
  • $70,137 for disability equity projects;
  • $18,801 for gender and 2SLGTBQIA+ equity projects; and
  • $110,772 for intersectional projects.

Funds available during this funding cycle have now been fully allocated and planning is underway to launch the next cycle of calls for applications. Interested applicants are encouraged to sign-up for the InclusiveUBC newsletter for updates on forthcoming calls.

“The StEAR Enhancement Fund is an important mechanism to promote community engagement and projects that address needs specifically identified by students, faculty and staff,” says Arig al Shaibah, Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion.

“While additional investments are being made to support institutional-led initiatives, this fund aims to catalyze change by supporting innovative community-led efforts.”

A new committee, jointly administered by the EIO and the Office of the Vice-President Students and comprising students, faculty and staff across both campuses, has been formed to evaluate submitted proposals.

“We’re thrilled and inspired by the level of interest and the quality of the applications received,” says Dharshi Lacey, a director with the UBC Okanagan Equity & Inclusion Office. “The success of this cycle demonstrates there is both a need for this kind of funding and capacity of the community to take on a leadership role and come up with ideas and projects to create more inclusive environments.”

The StEAR Fund is designed to contribute to the broad goals of the university’s StEAR Framework and Roadmap for Change. Projects must align with one or more of the thematic streams: racial, disability, gender and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ equity.

Fund facts

  • 118 applicants from across UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan
    • 18 applications from UBC Okanagan and 90 applications from UBC Vancouver
  • $1,187,145.22 total requested in funding
    • $284,385.80 allocated
    • UBCO: $72,541
    • UBCV: $221,844.80
  • Number of applicants by type:
    • Students: 51 (undergraduate: 30; graduate: 21)
    • Faculty: 40
    • Staff: 27
  • 41 application awarded funding (34 per cent of total applications received)
    • Student-led projects: 16 (8 undergraduate and 8 graduate)
    • Faculty-led projects: 14
    • Staff-led projects: 11
  • Number of projects funded by stream / funded amount by stream:
    • Racial equity: 15 / $93,675
    • Disability equity 9 / $70,137
    • Sexual and Gender equity: 3 / $18,801
    • Intersectionality: 14 / $110,773

Funded projects

Racial equity stream: $93,675

UBC Vancouver

Project title: Central Asian New Year
Applicant: UBC Central Asian Student Union, AMS
Project description: This project aims to advance racial equity by connecting the Central Asian community, educate non-Central Asian students about our culture and history and address harmful stereotypes. One Nowruz is a Persian New Year celebrated across Central Asia and Tsagaan Sar is the Mongolian New Year celebrated across Siberia and Mongolia.

Project title: Cultural Continuity (Beading and Art)
Applicant: Indigenous Business Association, AMS
Project description: This project seeks to directly support the Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and staff at UBC by enabling them to learn about Indigenous culture and traditions. All students and staff will have the opportunity to attend two planned events: the first event will facilitate learning the traditional art of Metis Beading; the second event will facilitate the learning of traditional Indigenous Artistry. Both events allow Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to connect, learn, and support one another through Indigenous cultural continuity.

Project title: Cultural night
Applicant: Africa Awareness Initiative, AMS
Project description: This event plays a pivotal role in fostering cultural appreciation, raising awareness, and facilitating a profound understanding of the diverse and rich tapestry of African cultures among the wider campus community. Ultimately, it contributes to the cultivation of a more globally conscious and inclusive campus environment.

Project title: Designing and Piloting a Support Framework for Indigenous and Black Undergraduate Researchers
Applicant: UBC Mechanical Engineering
Project description: Undergraduate research experiences are vital for encouraging participation in graduate education, and building a pipeline that will allow us to see student and faculty populations that mirror the society we serve. This initiative builds a support framework for a cohort-based, team-centric undergraduate research experience track for Indigenous and Black students from UBC and partner Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and endeavours to increase BIPOC representation in graduate studies.

Project title: Peer 2 Peer Mentorship Program
Applicant: Post Graduate Medical Education Office, Faculty of Medicine
Project description: The Peer to Peer (P2P) Mentorship program seeks to provide additional enhanced support to some of the groundbreaking work done by the PGME office. The PGME office is utilizing a multi-pronged approach to equity, diversity and inclusion within medicine: first with an anti-racism self-reflection tool, then modules. As a follow-up to these aforementioned prongs, we hope to create the P2P program so peer resident mentors (with the guidance of faculty) can facilitate debriefing sessions dedicated to valuable post-module and self-reflection conversations. Through these debriefing sessions, we not only maximize the knowledge transfer process, but also create relationships for attendees to ask critical questions. This nuanced approach ensures that our educational efforts are both comprehensive and tailored to incredibly challenging and complex topics.

Project title: Space(s) in Chinatown: A YARROW Intergenerational Society for Justice, Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, and Hatch Art Gallery Collaborative Community Zine Project
Applicant: Hatch Art Gallery, AMS
Project description: The primary goals of this initiative includes creating opportunities for cross-community collaborations between UBC students and elders living in Vancouver Chinatown through a zine project. The desired impact will include expanding student’s understanding of underrepresented perspectives and lived experiences outside of colonial history. The project intends to support both UBC students and low-income Chinese elders.

Project title: Learning about Histories of Discrimination and Racism in the Lives of Indigenous Peoples through Connection with Local Communities
Applicant: Dr. Melanie Nelson
Project description: This project will address antiracism and promote inclusivity in the context of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The key objective is to enhance understandings of discrimination in the everyday lives of the Indigenous peoples. This will be accomplished by connecting with Elders from local Indigenous communities. In this way, this project will raise awareness about the impacts of systemic racism and the role of critical social justice for Indigenous peoples.

Project title: Volentia Research Translation: Breaking Down Language Barriers, Expanding Research Diversity
Applicant: Lynda Li
Project description: Diverse ethnocultural research samples are essential for conducting research that is both meaningful and applicable across various ethnicities, cultures, and social backgrounds. Despite extensive evidence supporting the importance of diverse research representation, a predominant majority of research participants remain White, university-educated, and middle-class. This creates a notable barrier to achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion in both research endeavors and their real-world applications. Among those least likely to be represented in research are individuals with low English-language proficiency. This gap can be effectively addressed through the provision of language translation services. Volentia Research Translation is a project dedicated to providing free language translation and interpretation for UBC research investigators. By promoting the importance, awareness, and accessibility of research-based language translation services, our goal is to enrich the generalizability of UBC-affiliated research to better reflect the diversity of Canada’s population.

Project title: Honoring the Land: Indigenous Welcoming Day during UBC Jumpstart
Applicant: Building Bridges
Project description: We propose to establish a two-days program during UBC’s Jumpstart to honor Indigenous history, educate incoming students on Indigenous cultures and traditions, and encourage an authentic welcome by the land’s original stewards.

Project title: Expanding seed2STEM: Extending the impact of the Summer Research Program for Indigenous Youth
Applicant: The International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), UBC School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) and BC’s Gynecologic Cancer Initiative (GCI)
Project description: Our goal is to increase the number of Indigenous people in STEM. In 2018, ICORD developed the seed2STEM program, offering paid STEM research internships to Indigenous youth, normalizing Indigenous participation in research teams and fostering awareness of barriers faced by Indigenous peoples pursuing STEM careers. We seek to expand seed2STEM to offer cancer research internships through the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative.

Project title: Anti-Islamophobia
Applicant: Halina Faqirzada
Project description: The primary goals of this initiative is to combat Islamophobia. An article published on November 13, 2023, by Montreal Gazaette shares “The National Council of Canadian Muslims reports a 1,300 per cent increase in the number of hate incidents since October”. This project supports Muslim students at UBC and aims to educate non-Muslims in order to abolish misinformation and stereotypes.

Project title: Spotlighting Black-focused and Black-led Scholarship
Applicant: UBC Black Graduate Student Network (BGSN)
Project description: This initiative will spotlight Black-led and Black-focused scholarship. Studies have shown that Black-led and Black-focused scholarship is undervalued and underrepresented as evidenced by fewer publications, citations, tenured positions and promotions as compared to their non-HPSM counterparts. Thus, we challenge this disparity by directing financial resources towards Black scholarship on campus and developing a platform for Black scholars to share their work and engage others on its importance and value.

Project title: Kickstart – A peer network support for ECED IBPOC students in Year One of Graduate Studies
Applicant: Faculty of Education Graduate Students
Project description: This project proposes to create a peer network for incoming IBPOC students within the ECED and HDLC program in the Faculty of Education with the primary goal of enabling them to navigate university life. Research shows that peer mentorship for graduate students contributes to academic success, social bonds, psychological well-being and future career prospects (Lorenzetti et.al, 2019). The project intends to combat barriers such as a lack of knowledge and experience of institutional systems, academic expectations and living in a new environment.

UBC Okanagan

Project title: IBPOC@UBCO: Staff and Faculty Group
Applicant: IBPOC@UBCO: Staff and Faculty Group
Project description: IBPOC@UBCO is an initiative led by IBPOC identifying staff and faculty members across Faculties dedicated to cultivating inclusive and safer environments that facilitate connection, celebration, and community-building by and for racialized colleagues. This initiative emerged in 2021 in response to recommendations outlined in the ARIE report, emphasizing the critical need for spaces of belonging, particularly on the Okanagan Campus where community-building and networking opportunities by and for IBPOC communities are limited. Through the StEAR Enhancement fund, our objective is to create more avenues for IBPOC staff and faculty to engage in networking, community-building, and professional development, while celebrating joy and fostering a sense of belonging.

Project title: Health Research Panel: Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Community Collaboration
Applicant: Dr. Chooniedass, Rishma, Dr. Natalia Gallo, Natalia, Dr. Jun, Jane and Dr. Donna Langille
Project description: Through this collaboration, the UBC Okanagan Library and Faculty of Health and Social Development aim to provide a panel presentation on Indigenous Data Sovereignty in the context of supporting and informing health research. We plan to reach out to the following individuals to serve on the panel: Kayla Lar-Son (Xwi7xwa Library, UBCV), Hanna M. Paul (Office of Research Services, UBCO), Human Rights Commissioner, and an IH representative from a local Indigenous community and/or an individual from the Syilx community.

Disability equity stream: $70,137

UBC Vancouver

Project title: Disability Inclusion Curriculum at SALA
Applicant: UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA)
Project description: This project will have SALA work with Annie Boivin (she/her), a SALA alum and Senior Architect at Perkins and Will. Annie’s main focus will be on strengthening disability inclusion in the SALA Curriculum through the themes of Disability Culture, Ableist Standards, and Disability Ingenuity. Initially, Annie will present findings of our current state and then make recommendations for changes that SALA can make.

Project title: Enhancing Disability Equity and Community Engagement: The Anxiety, Stress, and Autism Program (ASAP) Community Advisory Board Initiative
Applicant: Anxiety, Stress, and Autism Program (ASAP) Community Advisory Board, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts
Project description: The ASAP Lab at the Department of Psychology aims to create a community advisory board (CAB) to (1) include the perspectives of historically and systemically marginalized autistic populations in student learning and training, and (2) build UBC institutional capacity in fostering meaningful and ethical community engagement and building accessible and equitable structures and spaces. Both neurodivergent and neurotypical students will assume leadership, management, and outreach roles in the CAB’s development, working alongside varied community shareholders. The CAB’s overarching goal will be to promote community-engaged learning and equity, with particular emphasis on fostering a deeper understanding of the priorities and needs of the autistic community in student learning and supporting universal accessibility priorities. This project is not of a research nature. Instead, by first launching this initiative in the smaller lab setting and developing foundations for ethical decision-making processes with community shareholders, we aim to ultimately broaden its scope to address ableism and enhance equity in student teaching and training at UBC.

Project title: Developing Multi-Layered Resources to Support the Diverse Learners in Higher Education
Applicant: Dr. Anusha Kassan, Psych, School of Applied Child Psychology, Faculty of Education
Project description: The proposed project is being put forth by the CCSJ in SACP. Each year, our committee prioritizes an area of social justice, with ableism being our most recent area of focus. Through this StEAR initiative, we would like to develop resources to highlight the needs and experiences of diverse learners in higher education. This will include a series of infographics geared to faculty, staff, and students as well as a scholarly manuscript for publication.

Project title: Mobile Sensory Room
Applicantt: Best Buddies UBC
Project description: The Mobile Sensory Room initiative by Best Buddies UBC aims to address ableism and advance disability equity by creating a portable, inclusive space for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and other stress-related challenges. By offering a calming environment with features tailored to diverse needs, the project seeks to counter ableism and promote a more accessible and supportive community at UBC. The project envisions a campus where individuals with disabilities, including intellectual or developmental disabilities, can access a resource that caters to their specific needs, fostering a sense of belonging and reducing barriers to participation. The desired impact is to contribute to the reduction of ableism and the promotion of disability equity. The project intends to support Best Buddies UBC club members, which includes individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and students facing stress or sensory overload, with a specific focus on addressing ableism and advancing disability equity.

Project title: The Disabled Voices Project: Outlining Disabled Experiences at UBC and Calls to Action for Change
Applicant: Dr. Jennifer Gagnon
Project description: We, a group of researchers with lived experience with disability, led by PI Dr. Jennifer Gagnon, endeavor to collect stories from disabled UBC community members from both campuses, representing a wide range of disabilities, and including intersectional voices wherever possible. From these stories, we will compile a final report addressed to the UBC Accessibility Committee with a list of formal calls to action for the University of British Columbia.

Project title: Accessibility in innovative health pedagogy: electronic health records in teaching and learning (The aEHR project)
Applicant: Dr. Jason Min, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Project description: This project seeks to directly impact all health program students at UBC through accessibility enhancements built into an innovative teaching and learning tool: the Academic Electronic Health Record (aEHR) system. The three goals of the project are: (1) to enhance an exemplary online educational tool (the aEHR) with practice-standard accessibility features, (2) pilot and iterate the accessibility features with a broad, interprofessional audience of students and faculty, and (3) raise critical awareness among faculty and future health practitioners on disability inequities that current plague commercially available electronic medical record products in Canada.

Project title: Employee Resource Group for Parents and Caregivers of Children and Adults with Disabilities
Applicant: Levonne Abshire, Health Equity Promotion and Education, Vice-President, Students
Project description: Parents and caregivers of children and adults with disabilities have unique family experiences that impact wellbeing. From advocating for equitable education to out-of-pocket healthcare costs and experiences of stigma and discrimination, this group experiences greater stress and isolation. The Parents and Caregivers of Children and Adults with Disabilities is a space where UBC employees can share the challenges and joys of supporting children and adults with disabilities. Caregiving is a gendered role, with more women engaged in caregiving activities, and, perhaps not surprisingly, women are more likely to experience negative impacts from caregiving such as feeling tired, worried, and anxious. There is increasing recognition that caregivers need to be better supported in this role through a combination of government policy and employer programs. This proposed project is timely and urgently needed by caregivers who work at the University.

Project title: Recreational Adaptive Devices (RAD) Project
Applicant: Dr. William Miller, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine
Project description: Adaptive devices (ADs) can help people with mobility limitations (PWML) participate in outdoor activities but are expensive. We, with community and campus partners, aim to provide low barrier access to ADs at UBC Vancouver. We will 1) Understand user needs, 2) Establish a low-cost equipment facility (GearBox) at UBC for sharing ADs via a mobile app, and 3) Evaluate user experiences. We aim to sustainably deliver ADs to the community at a nominal fee, enhancing the accessibility of outdoor activities for PWML so they can fully experience and participate in outdoor recreational activities within and beyond the UBC campus.

Project title: Sensory-friendly Spaces for Students and Staff in the Neville Scarfe Building
Applicant: Lu Tian, Teacher Education Office, Faculty of Education
Project description: This project aims to repurpose existing rooms in the Scarfe building into sensory-sensitive spaces for students & staff without private offices. Tailored for those on the Autism Spectrum, neurodivergent individuals, and those with panic/anxiety or PTSD/head injury issues, the primary goal is to provide a quiet, safe environment for decompression. If two spaces are possible, one will serve as a private area for nursing mothers to pump or breastfeed, and for individuals awaiting medical services to rest.

2SLGBTQIA+ and gender equity stream: $18,801

UBC Vancouver

Project title: PrideMind Hub: Providing essential research and well-being resources for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Psychology
Applicant: UBC Psychology’s PrideMind
Project description: PrideMind Hub is a proposed website aimed to facilitate the professional development and well-being of 2SLGBTQIA+ Psychology students. PrideMind Hub aims to improve retention of 2SLGBTQIA+ students by increasing the accessibility of 2SLGBTQIA+- related research opportunities and mental health care. The Hub’s presence will foster a sense of community for 2SLGBTQIA+ students in the Psychology Department.

Project title: Advancing the Queer Collections Project at UBC Library
Applicant: Dr. Gregory Mackie (He/Him), Dr. Kyle Frackman (He/Him)
Project description: The initiative proposed for StEAR funding augments the Queer Collections Project (QCP) in UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections. The funding supports the acquisition of additional rare printed materials that are regularly integrated into faculty’s teaching and research projects. With a grant from StEAR, we can make very significant additions to the Library’s collections to support undergraduate and graduate primary resource research into the study of sexuality and gender identity.

UBC Okanagan

Project title: UBCO Heat Pride Night
Applicant: Heat Athletic Council
Project description: Within UBCO Athletics and Recreation, we are actively working on dismantling harmful prejudices in many ways including organizing our Pride Night! In collaboration with our volleyball teams, we intend to support the UBCO EDI Office and the Etcetera! Youth Group to create a safe, inclusive, exciting, supportive, and fun event for all, primarily for 2SLGBTQIA+ and Trans and Gender Nonbinary (TGNB) youth- further encouraging their involvement and development in sport.

Intersectional stream: $111,773

UBC Vancouver

Project title: Educational Support to Foster Inclusivity at UBC Pharm Sci
Applicant: UBC Pharm Sci Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Forum (EDIF)
Project description: The Pharm Sci Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Forum (EDIF) aims to foster an inclusive community and culture within the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences that is welcoming to all. Our focus is providing educational programming and community-building events that act as a hub to connect and support affinity groups and raise awareness of EDI+I issues within our Pharm Sci community.

Project title: “Show Me, Don’t Tell Me”: Utilizing Theatre to Raise Instructor’s Awareness about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Dental Programs
Applicant: HsingChi von Bergmann
Project description: This initiative aims to develop a sustainable resource to raise the awareness of instructors in the dental and dental hygiene programs at UBC Dentistry regarding racism, sexism, and microaggressions in the learning environment. This resource will present the struggles and challenges reported by students using Research-based Theatre to create dramatized, fictional scenes and provide a safe space for educators to reflect, discuss, and contribute to developing strategies to ensure a psychologically safe environment for learners.

Project title: Enhancing the Age-Friendliness of UBC campus with Community-dwelling Older Adults
Applicant: Age-Friendly UBC Project Team
Project description: The initiative is to collaborate with community-dwelling older adults of diverse backgrounds (e.g., indigenous groups, people of colour, LGBTQIA2S+, and people with different physical and mental capacities) to explore barriers and supporting strategies to enhance the age-friendliness and inclusiveness of the UBC campus. The activities will generate a toolkit and an exhibition to share priorities in creating an age-friendly UBC.

Project title: Increasing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Classroom Teaching and Research Labs
Applicant: Amori Yee Mikami (she/her), Associate Head for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Department of Psychology
Project description: One year ago, the Psychology Department established an EDI Consultation Service to provide tailored input and 1:1 support to faculty and other Department members on how best to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in their research and teaching, as part of our Department’s broader 5-Year EDI Strategic Plan. The current proposal seeks to continue and expand the EDI Consultation Service in the 2023-24 academic year.

Project title: UBC ARTIVISM: A Festival of Creative Resistance
Applicant: Debora Pickman (she/they) and Jesse Medrano-Ramos (she/her)
Project description: The ARTIVISM festival’s primary goals are: To highlight stories of resilience and student activist art practices that challenge dominant narratives through arts and culture. To involve and amplify the voices of marginalized student communities and support them by showcasing their work, as well as some of their counterparts in the wider community. To create an opportunity for these students to benefit by getting involved in, and/or to witness their peers creating, exhibiting, performing and sharing their works of artistic activism throughout the UBC campus. The desired impact is for the participants to become empowered through the arts, engage in experiences that create greater understanding across differences and experience a greater sense of efficacy, develop resilience and enhanced sense of belonging at UBC and in the world.

Project title: ResiStories: Stories from Resistors
Applicant: Sydney Lines (she/her) and Alyssa Sy de Jesus (she/her)
Project description: ResiStories convenes under/misrepresented HPSM communities to tell their own stories on their own terms in Vancouver’s oldest museum and further engages HPSM UBC students and faculty working in and with HPSM peoples and cultures in publicfacing work and service. The project compensates local HPSM community knowledge holders, artists, and activists engaged in reparative work and supports ongoing collaborative work between academic institutions and community organizations.

Project title: Women’s Empowerment Expo
Applicant: Student Alumni Council
Project description: This one-day event aims to promote diversity and inclusion by creating a space for UBC women alumni from diverse backgrounds to share their career experiences and foster student-alumni connections. The event will feature workshops on topics like women in global leadership, meaningful mentorships, and overcoming career challenges, with a focus on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC perspectives. While open to all UBC students, our primary goal is to empower students who have faced gender discrimination in their academic careers and/or lives. Through this event, we hope to highlight various career paths led by female leaders and offer networking opportunities and valuable insights from alumni to assist students in overcoming barriers in their careers and making informed career decisions.

Project title: Community-Based Research and Knowledge Equity Institute in the Downtown Eastside
Applicant: Dr. Michelle Stack
Project description: Residents of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) are often said to be over-researched and under-served. The proposed two-day workshop leverages the collective strengths of artists, advocates, students and academics to move from knowledge to community impact. The workshop will be a collaborative effort that includes DTES community organizations and UBC units. Participants will develop plans to leverage collective knowledge for policy impact. The project will impact participants from the DTES and UBC.

UBC Okanagan

Project title: Empowering I.D.E.A.s in Health and Exercise Sciences
Applicant: Graduate Health and Exercise Science Society (GHESS)
Project description: This initiative seeks to define expectations and mobilize knowledge related to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) for graduate students in Health and Exercise Sciences (HES). The plan includes multiple initiatives such as a Sex and Gender Initiative workshop series, a year-end student-led conference, a PhD podcast, movie nights, and a Canvas course. These activities aim to bring sustained structural, curricular, and interactional changes.

Project title: Intergenerational STEM an Inclusive Approach for Equitable Access to University
Applicant: Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science, & Technology (WWEST)
Project description: WWEST increases access of underrepresented people to participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities. Older adults are an underrepresented group in campus activities, yet we are a recognized Age Friendly University. The primary goal is to create Intergenerational STEM activities that align with locally and nationally recognized dates (eg; Gender Equity Week, National Seniors Day, Women as Persons Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Black History Month) with partner organizations, (eg; Okanagan Regional Libraries, Chartwell Retirement Residences, Okanagan Indian Band) to promote equity and anti-racism through hands-on science activities and knowledge-sharing.

Project title: Introduction to Inclusive Marketing to UBC Okanagan Campus Communicators
Applicant University Relations
Project description: Through a moderated session (offered by AndHumanity) and a follow-up facilitated conversation with the EIO, UR aims to elevate the underrepresented voices and diversity on campus in its communications and marketing. This initiative aims to both support and impact communicators attending the session, all campus communicators (through sharing of best practices), and ultimately all of UBC Okanagan’s audiences.

Project title: Prayer/Meditation Pod
Applicant: Spirituality and Multifaith Services
Project description: A sound-proofed Prayer Pod will allow UBCO to expand the types of prayer and spiritual spaces it has on campus. Currently, UBCO has one multipurpose spirituality/prayer space that is often used by large groups for communal prayer. A Pod will accommodate students whose spiritual and religious traditions require solitude and/or silent prayer, or confidential religious rites such as confession.

Project title: Promoting equitable and diverse conversations on academic integrity with students as partners and leaders
Applicant: Faculty: Anita Chaudhuri (she/her) Student partners: Kamil Kanji (he/him), Nataasha Khattar (she/her), Jiayi Lu (she/her), Naeem Nedaee (he/him), Ximena Cayo Barrantes (she/her)
Project description: The knowledge translation project takes an asset-based approach to gather diverse student views on ethical implications of using generative AI for learning and its impact on academic integrity matters. The project will address StEAR Roadmap’s structural (1.8 C) and curricular change (2.1 B & 2.2 B) domains to “diversify curriculum and ways of learning” (p. 20) and UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI to gather response on “digital access inequalities” (p. 33).

Project title: STEADII – STEM Teaching for Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusive Impact
Applicant: STEADII Organizing Committee
Project description: The conversation around STEM education and EDIA (equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility) is that it comes with unique challenges. The one-day STEADII Conference for faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students (Inaugural Spring 2024) would provide a space for presenting how academics teach from an equitable perspective in the scientific disciplines. The main topics would be inclusive curriculum enhancements, equitable and accessible consideration of student needs, and research and other practices that focus on enhancing the academic experience and inclusion of underserved populations (from early education community-based interventions through to access to graduate education).

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2024 Transgender Day of Visibility

March 28, 2024

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Reflection on the 2024 Transgender Day of Visibility

March 28, 2024

Transgender Day of Visibility, held annually on March 31, invites us to celebrate transgender and non-binary community members and recognize their many contributions to the society, including here at UBC.

We are proud to uplift transgender (trans) and non-binary community members at UBC and celebrate their strength, resilience and joy – all the more important in light of a continued trend of intensified, hate-filled anti-trans efforts aimed at disrupting progress made on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) education, gender-affirming practices in schools, and access to gender-affirming car, and sports, spaces, services and shelters aligned with one’s gender.

Targeting of trans and non-binary communities is, however, not just limited to the political forums or policy domains. Even with consideration of being typically under-reported, police reported hate-crimes based on sexual orientation, sex and gender have all continued to increase, along with warnings of a threat of extreme violence.

Amidst these efforts to silence and make invisible, here, at UBC, we are working to provide a different environment – a safe and welcoming community for trans and non-binary students, faculty and staff.

We remain steadfast in our commitments to trans inclusion and are proud to recognize the many trans and non-binary community members coming together in mutual support, resistance, advocacy, joy – as well as struggle – in order to bring visibility and advocate for their rights and systemic changes. Trans and non-binary students, faculty and staff – we see you and we value you as vital members of the university.

Recognizing leadership of trans and non-binary community members

In the spirit of celebration, recognition and visibility, the following trans community groups and individuals are just some of the continued examples of changemakers working to enhance trans inclusion:

  • UBC Trans Coalition: for their successful efforts to expand gender affirming care provided through the AMS and continued advocacy to improve the experiences of trans students at UBC, including through work with Student Health, Student Housing, and the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice.
  • UBC Trans Mentorship Program coordinators Al Huuskonen and Clio Lake: for their continued leadership on supporting trans community members at UBC through the Trans Mentorship Program. Created in 2020, the program has to date engaged 145 applicants or 71 mentor-mentee pairs, and the numbers continue to trend up. The program provides valuable support to trans community members navigating the university, including across academia, careers, and life.
  • Trans community members at UBC: for sharing their perspectives and experiences as part of a community consultation to inform the development of UBC’s inclusive washroom guidelines. Report on the consultation and guidelines are forthcoming.

Our commitment and progress

Integrated into the Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism (StEAR) Roadmap for Change as strategic priorities, institutional efforts are underway to activate Trans, Two-spirit and Gender Diversity Task Force recommendations aimed at building more trans inclusive classrooms, workplaces, programs, community spaces, services, and information systems.

Responding to specific recommendations to support trans and non-binary students’ health, UBC’s Student Health has worked to enhance the capacity of staff, protocols and processes around the use of pronouns, acceptance, and with respect to internal resources and referral knowledge.

Broadly across the university, efforts have included the development of forthcoming inclusive washroom guidelines, addition of new family planning benefits, and expansion of gender marker options in the forthcoming release of Workday Student, UBC’s new student information system. In fall of 2023, as a result of a partnership with the Musqueam First Nation, UBC installed a Coast Salish Two-spirit Mosaic. The mosaic – designed by Mack Paul (xwməθkwəy̓əm) – is a symbol of Coast Salish Two-Spirit unity, dignity, respect and support for Two-Spirit/Indigenous LGBTQ+ programming and community members. It is also an acknowledgement of the land, identities and experiences of Two-Spirit ancestors and relatives. In support of 2SLGBTQIA+ specific programming, some $18,800 has been allocated to community-led initiatives through the StEAR Enhancement Fund during the inaugural fall 2023 to spring 2024 cycle.

Beyond administrative efforts, as a university, we have a unique opportunity to generate knowledge and evidence that counters assumptions and hostile rhetoric and seeks to inspire more informed perspectives, understandings and practices – and shape a more inclusive world. A number of academic and research initiatives continue to generate and mobilize knowledge related to trans and non-binary people’s experiences, including through the work of Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre, Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, SOGI@UBC, and the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice.

Ways to engage

On this Trans Day of Visibility, UBC will again raise the Trans flag across our campuses as a symbol of our institutional commitments and values. I encourage all of our community members to visit UBC’s Trans Day of Visibility page to learn about ways to get involved through events and access learning and support resources.

Trans and non-binary people regularly report and have a higher risk of experiencing discrimination, harassment, and violence. They also experience a higher incidence of mental health issues, primarily a result of experiences they encounter while navigating a cis-normative culture that creates systemic barriers and contributes to regular violence (administrative, symbolic, and even physical).

We can all play a part in shifting these patterns by supporting inclusion of trans and non-binary people. Ensuring we use pronouns, chosen names and inclusive language, that we demonstrate respect, bring attention to systemic challenges that are reported to us, and further our learning through the Positive Space: Foundations course are steps all of us can start taking.

Additionally, the following resources are available:

For more information on gender diversity, please visit UBC’s gender diversity knowledge hub.

Please note that while at UBC, you are entitled to learn, work and live in a discrimination-free, respectful environment. Your human rights at UBC are protected under UBC’s Policy SC7: Discrimination and the BC Human Rights Code. If, as a member of the T2SNB community, you have concerns related to your experiences at UBC, please contact our office at trans.inclusion@equity.ubc.ca for support.

Arig al Shaibah
Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion

Our priorities on trans inclusion

The following priorities have been identified in the Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism Roadmap. Priorities have been drawn from a range of institutional plans, including the Trans, Two-Spirit, and Gender Diversity Task Force report. Efforts across all priorities are in-progress.

  • Develop educational resources on gender diversity and inclusion in the classroom
  • Establish a protocol for name choice at every stage of the academic journey        
  • Develop a centralized TGNB information hub with wellness and inclusion resources
  • Increase access to TGNB-competent mental health providers through increased benefits
  • Explore opportunities to secure scholarships for TGNB students
  • Identify supports for TGNB athletes
  • Expand TGNB health and wellness initiatives (training practitioners, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and referral support)
Learn more

Numbers and terms

Did you know?

  • Based on the 2023 Employment Equity Report, some 1.72 per cent of UBC employees identify as trans, non-binary or both.
  • Canada is the first country to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people.
  • Canadian Census results show that some 0.33 per cent of Canadian population, 15 years and older, identify as trans (0.19 per cent) or non-binary (0.14 per cent).
  • 58 per cent of T2SNB student, faculty and staff respondents to 2021 Gender Diversity Audit report a sense of belonging at UBC – compared to 79 per cent of their cisgender counterparts.

Learn the terms: Trans and non-binary

This expression refers to the diverse communities of people whose gender is different from the gender that they were assigned at birth. This phrase attempts to capture a shared experience with, and relationship to, gender, rather than specific identities; people may use many different words to describe their gender identity.

Learn more

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International Women’s Day

March 7, 2024

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Statement on the 2024 International Women’s Day

March 7, 2024

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) is Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress with a message that “gender equality is one of the most effective ways to build healthier, more prosperous, and more inclusive communities.”

IWD invites us to celebrate the progress made on gender equity and inclusion, but also to acknowledge the ever-present local and global forces acting against these goals. Today, let’s take time to recognize and appreciate the presence and accomplishments of cis and trans women – across ethnoracial identity, ability, and sexual orientation – who, in the face of persistent challenges, inspire us to sustain and build on efforts we have made towards achieving ever-more expansive gender-based equity and inclusion.

While Canada ranks relatively high on the global gender gap index, ranking 30th, the Canadian Women’s Foundation statistics on rates of sexual harassment and assault, gender-based and intimate partner violence, femicide, unemployment among women, women living in poverty, gendered impacts of social determinants of health, and underrepresentation of women in leadership reveal there is still much work to be done to inspire gender inclusion across the nation. This is particularly true for Black women who are “woefully underrepresented in leadership positions in North American businesses” and on corporate boards across eight Canadian cities (0.8 per cent are occupied by Black women directors).

At UBC, our recent employment equity survey data demonstrates increasing gaps in representation of women among senior-most leadership, among increasingly higher faculty ranks, and among professional and managerial staff. Conversely, women students are in the majority across all of UBC’s program types (from undergraduate to doctoral levels) – an important consideration as we strive to build a complement of faculty and staff that is proportionally reflective of our student body. Globally, women tend to slightly outnumber men as tertiary education students, yet in 2021 only 20 per cent of leaders of top 200 universities were women; in Canada, this number was 31 per cent.

Women continue to experience double standards with respect to explicit and implicit societal and workplace expectations. For example, studies on gender bias and perceptions of women leaders demonstrate that women who are considered “agreeable” will be supported as leaders, however, qualities associated with successful leaders generally are qualities that are not palatable when women display them! There are many other double standards that women must contend with.

All women are expected to be…

  • Intelligent but not too clever…
  • Assertive but not too bold…
  • Decisive but not too strong-minded…
  • Nurturing but not too emotional…
  • Elegant but not too attractive…

Racialized women are expected to be…

  • Interested but not too ambitious…
  • Vocal but not too loud…
  • Confident but not too powerful…

All of these expectations, of course, are based on perceptions and projections shaped by a culture that both obscurely and obviously reinforces sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia.

To address these gaps and persistent biases – and action commitments to gender equity – the university continues to invest in various initiatives such as: enhanced assessment of employment equity, inclusive hiring education and initiatives to improve representation, recognition efforts, awards and scholarships, building communities for women, academic and research endeavours, and various programs aimed at increasing inclusion of women in STEM (UBC Science, Computer Science @ UBC Okanagan, and UBC Engineering). Many of these efforts also align with UBC’s involvement in supporting progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including SDG 5: Gender Equality.

On this International Women’s Day, we should celebrate and recommit our efforts to advance gender equity and inclusion not only as matter of individual educational and employment rights but also as a matter of institutional vitality and viability. As agents of change, universities are well positioned to explore and demonstrate promising practices and serve as beacons for change in the wider world.

What you can do

Learn more

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UBC’s Ladner Lock Tower, University Commons illuminated to mark Black History Month

February 29, 2024

February is Black History Month – a time to intentionally dedicate space to elevate and celebrate Black history and excellence.

To raise visibility of and recognize Black History Month, the Ladner Clock Tower and University Commons outside the AMS Nest were lit up in red, yellow and green.

As we reach the end of February, take a moment to reflect on the many historical and contemporary contributions of Black Canadians, Black British Columbians and Black students, faculty and staff at UBC. Illuminating the clock tower was just one of many ways that Black History Month was celebrated at UBC. Check out the Black History Month page on the UBC events calendar to find resources for support and UBC community groups to join.

The initiative to illuminate public spaces for Black History Month proceeded with endorsement from the UBC Black Student Union. The selected colours represent Pan-Africanism, and the presence of one or more of these colours in the flags of African and Caribbean countries.

The use of the Ladner Clock Tower and the University Commons lights reflects an understanding that public spaces play an important role as sites for expression and community building, and to further socialize UBC’s commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion.

News and Stories |

Celebrating Pink Shirt Day: Promoting acts of courage 

February 28, 2024

The following remarks were delivered at the annual Vice-President, Finance and Operations Pink Shirt Day event held on February 28, 2024.

Good morning, everyone. 

My name is Arig al Shaibah (she/her), and I oversee the Equity & Inclusion Office with team members on both Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. 

I am grateful for the generosity of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) and Syilx (Okanagan) Peoples on whose traditional, ancestral and unceded territories we have the privilege to live and work. 

Thank you for inviting me to make remarks on this national Pink Shirt Day, which gives us an opportunity to pause to reinforce our value for inclusion and our commitment to preventing and addressing bullying and harassment in our communities and our workplaces.  

There are many types of bullying and harassment – physical, verbal, sexual, social, and cyber bullying or harassment.

All of these forms contravene UBC’s Respectful Environment Statement, and some may contravene our Discrimination Policy if the behaviour denies opportunities to or unfairly treats individuals or groups on the basis of one or more protected characteristic, such as race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, and political belief for example. 

Bullying and harassment create a hostile or intimidating environment. 

We all have a responsibility to check our own behaviour, and we are invited to seek out help or consult if we are experiencing or have witnessed this kind of behaviour. 

However, I do want to take a moment to talk about the role of leaders in modeling and fostering respectful behaviour. 

This year’s theme is Acts of Courage. 

According to a study conducted by Deloitte – a consulting firm –  courage is one of six core qualities of inclusive leadership.

If we are to succeed in preventing and addressing bullying and harassment at UBC, these six qualities are so important to cultivate in all of us, and especially in leaders:

  • The first quality is Commitment – a commitment to inclusion because it aligns with our personal values and because we know inclusion enriches our community and organizational health and success;
  • The second is Curiosity, that comes with empathy an openness to different and divergent perspectives; 
  • The third is Cognizance, or awareness of personal biases so that we can ensure we are making fair, transparent, consistent, and equitable decisions;
  • The fourth is Cultural Intelligence, which grows with a drive to learn about different cultures and to become more capable of engaging across diverse communities;
  • The fifth is Collaboration, to empower others so that they feel comfortable to use their voice and contribute in teams; and
  • The sixth is Courage – the courage to speak up and challenge the status quo and to have the humility to acknowledge the limitations of our own experiences, knowledge, or skills.

A respectful climate requires all individuals to develop these inclusive qualities and to regulate their behaviour but, more importantly, it requires leaders to work hard to shift the culture by disincentivizing bullying and harassing as well as discriminatory behaviour. 

These are difficult and emotionally fraught times, when individual behaviours and organizational culture profoundly matter to student, faculty, and staff success as well as to the university’s vibrancy and vitality.

Courage invites us contribute to “brave spaces” – to foster constructive engagement and dialogue across difference.

I know that during these times we can feel at a loss for whether and how to respond, and I want to reinforce that we will always do better in these situations if we focus on the six qualities I mentioned, and if we insist on showing care and compassion for each other.

I hope today serves to strengthen our collective efforts to create the kind of respectful, inclusive, safe and brave campus environment we all deserve. 

Thank you!

Arig al Shabiah, (she/her)
Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion

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Kara Ellison

February 5, 2024

Human Rights Advisor

Campus: UBC Okanagan

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Bio

Kara provides impartial human rights advice and information to all members of the UBC community.

Prior to joining the EIO, Kara was a litigator in private practice, practicing primarily in the areas of employment, human rights, and labour law. She obtained her J.D. from the University of Victoria, and obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration from Thompson Rivers University.

Kara’s education and experience has given her a thorough understanding of human rights law and policy. In applying this knowledge to her role with the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office, Kara strives to bring a balance of compassion, creativity, and practicality to her work. Kara hopes to foster a more equitable and inclusive society by improving access to, and understanding of, legal rights and obligations.

Email: kara.ellison@ubc.ca

Address:

Admin 100C 
1138 Alumni Avenue
Kelowna, BC 
V1V 1V7

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