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In response to racist graffiti, profs using n-word in class & publicly berating students who object & campus security profiling Black students, @uottawa is disbanding one antiracism committee & creating another.
BIPOC students & faculty are right—this is unacceptable. THREAD
BIPOC students & faculty are right—this is unacceptable. THREAD
As far as I can tell, this new committee has no budget, no clear authority, no staff, no ability to do anything concrete. Despite the word “action” in the title, the committee is mandated to study racism on campus & make recs abt how to address it. See: https://www.uottawa.ca/president/strategic-areas/presidents-priorities/global-approach-against-racism-on-campus
A mandate to study, review & make recs is particularly galling given that:
1. Problems are obvious already.
2. Multiple prior committees have made recs w/o implementation
3. @UOttawa hired consultants to study #EDI in 2017, then largely ignored their recommendations
1. Problems are obvious already.
2. Multiple prior committees have made recs w/o implementation
3. @UOttawa hired consultants to study #EDI in 2017, then largely ignored their recommendations
Even worse, @uOttawa admin is framing this new committee as serving the needs of BIPOC people on campus. Yet it is ignoring their LOUD objections and pushing ahead regardless. Kinda ironic for an initiative that’s supposed to be about inclusion.
Now, BIPOC faculty caucus has refused to participate & students have staged a sit-in to protest https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/uottawa-student-protesters-hold-sit-in-outside-presidents-office
Lest you think, “oh protesters, they must have crazy extreme demands,” that’s not the case here. The BIPOC students & faculty are simply asking #UOttawa to adopt best practices that have been the norm at most other unis for 20+ yrs.
For example:
-Hire a vice-pres or vice-provost for diversity, equity & inclusion ( @uottawa currently has no such role)
-Have that person run an office w/staff & budget
-Require training ( @uottawa is only place I’ve EVER worked that doesn’t req ANY anti-discrimination training)
-Hire a vice-pres or vice-provost for diversity, equity & inclusion ( @uottawa currently has no such role)
-Have that person run an office w/staff & budget
-Require training ( @uottawa is only place I’ve EVER worked that doesn’t req ANY anti-discrimination training)
People sometimes say, “but why do we need a new office & exec position? Why can’t you just let the existing human rights office handle this?”
Well.
Have a look at that office’s website: https://www.uottawa.ca/respect/en
Well.
Have a look at that office’s website: https://www.uottawa.ca/respect/en
You may notice they don’t run any anti-racism programs. Human rights office focuses on human resources issues, disability accommodations & gender but not race. Racism deserves a specialized, pro-active response.
All evidence suggests the human rights office is not achieving good outcomes re: race on campus (see: recent events). And their mission statement on diversity & inclusion DOESN’T EVEN MENTION RACE. At a super-diverse school with huge problems re: racism?
Quoting in its entirety:
“Diversity is a fact. It’s naturally occurring. We’re all diverse within ourselves, with a unique mix of values, beliefs and talents, not to mention characteristics like gender, sexual orientation, culture, language, and more. ... https://www.uottawa.ca/respect/en/diversity-inclusion
“Diversity is a fact. It’s naturally occurring. We’re all diverse within ourselves, with a unique mix of values, beliefs and talents, not to mention characteristics like gender, sexual orientation, culture, language, and more. ... https://www.uottawa.ca/respect/en/diversity-inclusion
“Diversity also exists among people and within institutions, with their many ways of doing and of being.
Inclusion takes effort. It’s how we try to bring out the unique strengths of individuals, groups and institutions. ...
Inclusion takes effort. It’s how we try to bring out the unique strengths of individuals, groups and institutions. ...
“Research shows that by adopting and integrating inclusive practices and policies, and by managing them well, institutions and the people within them thrive. They become more engaged, innovative and productive. ...
“One of the key aims of the Human Rights Office is to help people develop the skills needed to integrate inclusive practices in everything they do.”
So — does @UOttawa really need to hire a VP for #EDI, create an office & hire experienced, fulltime staff? Yeah, I’d say so.
So — does @UOttawa really need to hire a VP for #EDI, create an office & hire experienced, fulltime staff? Yeah, I’d say so.
As a spouse, I see the toll it takes when people have to fight just to be acknowledged as belonging @UOttawa. And as a prof, it pains me to know my students are being treated poorly by their own university.
At #UOttawa I’ve had the privilege of teaching foreign students from Jamaica, Brazil, France, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia, plus Canadians from or w/family ties to Colombia, Haiti, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Italy, Rwanda, Eritrea, Iran, the Philippines & more.
None of them fit neatly into a bicultural university that emphasizes needs of two groups: (white) Francophone Canadians & (white) Anglophone Canadians. I get the history of anti-Francophone discrimination & conflict btw those 2 groups, but that vision leaves a lot of people out.
How can a historically bicultural university evolve to equitably & inclusively serve its multicultural students, staff & faculty?
This is a crucial question & @UOttawa’s latest anti-racism committee is ill-equipped to answer it. BIPOC students & faculty are right to demand more.
This is a crucial question & @UOttawa’s latest anti-racism committee is ill-equipped to answer it. BIPOC students & faculty are right to demand more.
