Audit of Gender Diversity at UBC

Overview

UBC’s Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diversity Task Force has engaged an external and independent agency, TransFocus Consulting, to conduct an audit of gender diversity at UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan from October 2020 to June 2021. The audit will help enhance the university’s understanding of student, staff, and faculty members’ needs, and in particular the needs of those who are transgender, Two-Spirit, and gender diverse (T2SGD). The audit will result in a public report outlining recommendations, strategies, actions, and measures of success needed to achieve greater inclusion of gender diversity at UBC.

The following six areas are covered by the audit:

  1. Climate: Sense of belonging, safety, and inclusion along with levels of support for gender diversity.
  2. Information systems: Legal and chosen first names, gender categories, pronouns, titles in UBC systems
  3. Programs and services: Experiences with health care, counselling and gender-specific programs and services at UBC.
  4. Housing: Experiences with and ideas for on-campus housing, including all-gender options.
  5. Athletics and recreation: Experiences with intramural sports and athletics at UBC, including the value of U Sport Transgender Inclusion Policy.
  6. University engagement: Determine best or preferred ways of engaging T2SGD students and employees at UBC.

The Principal Investigator for the study (Behavioural Research Ethics Board ID #H20-03431) is Sara-Jane Finlay, Associate Vice-President, Equity & Inclusion, who can be reached at sara-jane.finlay@ubc.ca or at 604.822.5454.

Consultation Process Overview

As part of the consultation and discovery stage of the audit, consultations with the UBC community will include a university-wide survey, focus group, and strategy sessions. The purpose of these engagements is to surface what has been done to date at UBC in terms of T2SGD inclusion, what gaps exist, and what are some of the ways to address them.

University-wide communications will be issued in early February in order to broadly notify students, faculty, and staff of opportunities to participate in this consultation process and to inspire their engagement.

University-wide survey

Both T2SGD and non-T2SGD UBC community members are invited to complete an anonymous and confidential online survey. The survey, available for completion from January 25, 2021 to March 15, 2021, will provide important insights into community members’ experiences and will help shape meaningful solutions to improve their wellbeing and performance at school and work.

Hearing from non-T2SGD community members at UBC will also help TransFocus and the Task Force to better understand the range of perspectives, needs, and awareness with respect to gender diversity.

Complete the survey

Intersectional focus groups

UBC community members who self-identify as both T2SGD and Indigenous, and/or a Person of Colour, and/or a Person with Disabilities are invited to sign-up for one of three online focus groups. The focus groups are intended to help surface compounding challenges and nuanced experiences among people with intersecting identities and refine solutions with them in mind. A $25 honorarium will be provided to all focus group participants.

The best way to sign up for a focus group is by submitting your email at the end of the survey or directly via this interest form. Only the lead consultant on this project, Kai Scott, will have access to your information.

Strategy sessions

Several strategy sessions will be conducted with representatives from a selection of relevant departments across the university, including Enrolment Services, Human Resources, Athletics and Recreation, Student Housing and Hospitality Services. Participants will be invited to discuss the challenges, what has been done to date, what else needs to be done, and what is required to realistically achieve desired changes.

Communications Toolkit

You can help this project succeed by raising awareness of the survey and other opportunities to participate. Please download the toolkit below to access suggested text and images prepared for communications via email and social media.

Communications Toolkit for Audit of Gender Diversity at UBC

Next Steps

Following the completion of the audit, a summary report of the findings, overall recommendations, short, medium, and long-term actions, and proposed measures of success will be released publicly and will be available on this page. We expect the data and the report to be published here in September 2021.

Contact Information

For more information on this process, please contact the task force coordinator, Hélène Frohard-Dourlent or the lead consultant on this project, Kai Scott.