UBC named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2018
UBC has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2018. These awards recognize Canadian companies that stand out through their efforts to create inclusive and respectful workplaces. Learn more about this recognition and the reasons UBC was selected at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/blog/2018/03/ubc-named-one-of-canadas-best-diversity-employers-in-2018/.
Feb. 28 2018 is Pink Shirt Day
By working together, we can all help to end bullying in schools and in the workplace.
Please join us in supporting Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 28, 2018, and learn about how you can help to stop bullying in communities across the province at http://www.pinkshirtday.ca.
At UBC, we strive to provide a safe, respectful and productive environment for our faculty, staff and students. The UBC Respectful Environment Statement outlines our principles as we work to create a respectful environment for all.
The Respectful Environment statement of principle:
The best possible environment for working, learning and living is one in which respect, civility, diversity, opportunity and inclusion are valued. Everyone at the University of British Columbia is expected to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds these principles in all communications and interactions with fellow UBC community members and the public in all University-related settings.
One of UBC’s initiatives to support a respectful environment is the Bullying and Harassment Prevention website. The website has information for UBC faculty, staff and student employees to support a respectful and positive work environment.
The UBC community works together every day to build a respectful environment for all. On Feb. 28, wear pink to show your support for an end to bullying and harassment.
Resources:
- Pink Shirt Day
- Bullying and Harassment Prevention at UBC
- Respectful Environment Statement
- Equity and Inclusion Office: Vancouver | Okanagan
- Contact your HR Advisor or Faculty Relations Manager
UBC Equity Enhancement Fund 2018: Call for Proposals
Have a bright idea to advance equity and inclusion at UBC? Apply to the Equity Enhancement Fund. The fund supports student, staff and faculty projects that enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion at UBC. Up to $25,000 is available. Apply by Feb. 28 at http://equity.ubc.ca/eef.
Join us for:
- Info Session + Showcase on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 12:30 p.m., CIRS building
- Proposal Writing Workshops on Thursday, Feb. 15, 12:30 p.m., CIRS Building
RSVP for the workshops/events at http://equity.ubc.ca/eef.
UBC Pride Week: Jan. 12-19, 2018
Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, marks the beginning of UBC Vancouver’s PRIDE Week 2018: Revelry and Resistance. You are invited to join the week of celebrating queer and trans identities. The opening ceremony, hosted by the Pride Collective and supported by the Equity and Inclusion Office, will see the pride flag raised at the student flagpole.
Date: Friday, Jan. 12, 2018
Time: 11:30 – 2:00pm
Location: The UBC student flagpole (located between the North entrance of the old SUB and the South entrance of Brock Hall at the end of Student Union Boulevard)
Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/138331156956380/ for a full listing of the week’s activities.
This Halloween, Take Care in What You Wear
If your unit/department will be hosting a Halloween party this year, please keep in mind some considerations about costumes. Be considerate of others by avoiding costumes that could be seen as culturally insensitive, sexist, or racist. We can all play a part in making our campus community a respectful environment.
Learn more at http://equity.ubc.ca/2017/10/23/this-halloween-take-care-in-what-you-wear/.
Orange Shirt Day: Recognizing the History and Legacy Left Behind by Residential Schools
Each year on Sept. 30, we recognize Orange Shirt Day as an acknowledgement of the harm that the residential school system did to thousands of indigenous children. At the same time, Orange Shirt Day has come to mean more – it is an opportunity to do anti-racism work and to reinforce anti-bullying policies; it is a time to come together in reconciliation and truth. Join us at UBC by wearing orange on Friday, Sept. 29.
On April 1, 2017, UBC raised a Reconciliation Pole at the Vancouver campus symbolizing the experiences of residential school students and the path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. Likewise, at UBC Okanagan, the Story Poles by Les Louis represent the seven bands of the Okanagan Nation Alliance and uses ancestral pictographs to tell their stories.
As a teaching, learning, and research institution, UBC’s efforts are further focused on exploring and advancing knowledge in regards to our collective history and experiences, including through the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre scheduled to be open in 2017/2018 academic year.
Learn more at http://equity.ubc.ca/2017/09/26/orange-shirt-day-every-child-matters/.
Pride Convergence – Summer Edition, July 31
UBC Alumni and the Equity & Inclusion Office invite UBC LGBT2SQIA+ staff and faculty to the Summer Pride Convergence on July 31.
Meet other members of the UBC LGBT2SQIA+ community, enjoy complimentary food and drinks, and hear from UBC’s new Provost and VP Academic Professor Andrew Szeri.
RSVP to events@equity.ubc.ca
Date: July 31, 2017
Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
Location: Main Floor, Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre
UBC named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2017
UBC has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2017. These awards recognize Canadian companies that stand out through their efforts to create inclusive and respectful workplaces.
Why UBC was selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2017:
- UBC offers an Equity Enhancement Fund to support community-based initiatives that enhance equity, diversity, inclusion and cultural understanding at the university.
- UBC hosts an annual “Thrive” week to encourage dialogue and awareness on mental wellbeing and participates in the “Not Myself Today” campaign — additionally, the university offers meditative and mindfulness programs and provides mental health training to faculty representatives.
- In addition to maintaining an on-campus Positive Space campaign for LGBT communities, UBC’s Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice supports CampOUT, a community-based summer leadership camp to help queer, trans and allied youth develop leadership skills and build self-esteem.
Positive Space Training this Spring
The Positive Space Campaign is a campus-wide awareness and visibility initiative to make UBC more welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, trans and queer students, staff, faculty, alumni and allies in all our working, learning and living environments.
It aims to foster a welcoming atmosphere and inclusive, respectful dialogue on campus for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities by identifying spaces where sexual and gender diversity is supported and valued.
Staff, faculty and students in the UBC community can take part in our renewed Positive Space training this spring:
Vancouver campus
- April 21 – 10:00 to 12:00pm, Irving K Barber Learning Centre
- May 16 – 1:00 to 3:00pm, Irving K Barber Learning Centre
Register at http://positivespace.ubc.ca/workshops-vancouver/
Positive Space Workshops (Spring 2017)
The Equity and Inclusion Office is hosting three Positive Space workshops this spring at the Vancouver campus:
- Feb. 23: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
- April 21: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- May 16: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Register online at http://positivespace.ubc.ca/workshops-vancouver/.
The Positive Space Campaign is a campus wide awareness and visibility initiative to make UBC more welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, trans and queer students, staff, faculty, alumni and allies in all our working, learning and living environments.
It aims to foster a welcoming atmosphere and inclusive, respectful dialogue on campus for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities by identifying spaces where sexual and gender diversity is supported and valued. Workshops are offered through the Equity and Inclusion Offices at the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.
UBC Equity Enhancement Fund 2017: Apply by Feb. 28, 2017
Do you have a bright idea to help make UBC even better, but are unsure how to fund it? The UBC Equity Enhancement Fund can assist.
The fund supports community-based initiatives that enhance equity, diversity, inclusion, and intercultural understanding at UBC.
Small and large project applications are welcome. All student groups, academic or administrative units are invited to apply by February 28, 2017.
Learn more at http://equity.ubc.ca/eef-fund/.
Update to Policy #3 (Discrimination and Harassment)
On Dec. 6, 2016, the Board of Governors approved the amendments to Policy #3 (Discrimination and Harassment).
The amendments to the Policy reflect the change in the BC Human Rights Code by adding “gender identity or expression” to the list of enumerated grounds covered by the Code in section 2.1, and removing “gender identity” and “gender expression” from the list of examples provided as interpreted grounds under the ground of “sex” in section 2.2.
Read more about this policy change at the UBC Equity & Inclusion site.
Inclusive Winter Celebrations at UBC
This winter at UBC, in addition to Christmas, our community is celebrating events and holidays from around the world. Our students, staff and faculty come from many cultural backgrounds and faith identities, and at this time of year, we have an opportunity to celebrate the cultures that make up our UBC community.
Some of the major events at this time of year are beginning in the upcoming weeks, including Hanukkah (Judaism), Yule (Paganism), Mawlid an Nabi (Islam) and Christmas (Christianity) are in just a few weeks’ time. In January, we will see festivities for the Lunar New Year (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist). See the full Days of Significance list to see all the events and celebrations coming up soon.
Ways to Celebrate in the Workplace
At this time of year, there is a great opportunity to celebrate the season together, in a respectful and positive way that includes everyone and can help us all build intercultural understanding.
- Display a multi-cultural calendar in your workplace to raise awareness of important cultural/faith events and holidays throughout the entire year.
- Celebrate all faiths present in your workplace.
- Consider having a New Year’s celebration party instead of a holiday party in December.
- Be flexible with the needs of different staff around faith and/or holiday celebrations.
- In your workplace or at celebration events, bring together decorations and food from the different cultures in your workplace, and encourage staff to share stories about their favourite traditions.
- Be respectful of religious holidays at this time of year when planning events and meetings. Check the Days of Significance calendar for details.
Office Decorations
Here are some tips to make your office decorations inclusive and respectful of all cultures and beliefs:
- Aim to maintain a neutral decor in the front-facing areas of your office
- Ensure your office is accessible and make sure decorations do not prevent or block access to public services.
- Consider how your office might celebrate dates significant to the members of your workplace community. When providing ideas for decorations, you can include Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Solstice as well as Christmas. Refer to the Days of Significance calendar.
- Invite staff from all faith identities to be involved in the office decorating discussion.
- Set an agreed upon limit to the number of days that your office will display decorations, and have a discussion about what other times of year you might want to decorate, in celebration of other events.
- Use the holidays as an opportunity to build community within your office, and with the people your office serves or supports.
If you are feeling excluded as a result of office celebrations, you are encouraged to reach out to a colleague or a supervisor and have a conversation about how you feel and how you would like your culture or beliefs to be included. At UBC we should all feel comfortable to share our culture and beliefs with others. You are welcome to contact the Equity and Inclusion Office or your HR Advisor to discuss.
We hope that this advice provides some suggestions on how to foster community and inclusion at this time of year through encouraging the celebration of our many cultures and faiths on campus.
Links
Considerations On Halloween Costumes
A guest post from the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office
It’s Halloween party season and many UBC employees are planning their costumes for events on and off campus. Halloween is the one time of year when people dress up for fun in costumes – some of us do this to honour or spoof themes of creatures of the night, witches and otherworldly beings, others dress up to reflect prevalent themes in society.
The Equity & Inclusion Office reminds everyone, when making your costume choices, Culture is not a Costume. Let’s keep people’s culture and race out of the costume. Take care not to wear blatantly and unabashedly racist and or sexist costumes. It’s a matter of respect. Do your part to create and sustain a respectful environment wherever you are. Share this message widely on social media and with your unit and in the classroom.
Best wishes for a safe and respectful Halloween.
Religious Holidays at UBC
With UBC’s diverse, international community there are times when administrators may be asked by a student, staff or faculty member for an accommodation for religious observance. Religion is amongst the human rights which UBC has a duty to accommodate under the BC Human Rights Code.
The Equity & Inclusion Office has put together some resources for administrators: Inclusive Practices: Our duty to accommodate for religious observance
- UBC Policy #65: Religious Holidays
- Interfaith Calendars
Sexual Assault Policy Information Sessions: Sept. 20 & Oct. 13 at the Vancouver campus
The UBC community is invited to the Sexual Assault Policy information sessions on Sept. 20 and Oct. 13 at the Vancouver campus. Learn about the proposed policy’s key principles, scope and features, and how to provide written feedback. Sara-Jane Finlay, Associate Vice-President, Equity & Inclusion, and Kimberley Beck, Legal Counsel will provide an overview and answer related questions.
Register for a session at http://equity.ubc.ca/2016/09/07/sexual-assault-policy-info-sessions/.
U Count at UBC: Take the Employment Equity Survey by Sept. 23
U Count at UBC! Remind your employees to complete the Employment Equity Census by Sept. 23, 2016. By completing the Employment Equity survey, you support the university in broadening job opportunities for all employees and UBC treats all current and prospective employees fairly.
Visit http://equity.ubc.ca/employment-equity/ to learn more.
Feedback Requested: Change Room Signage at the New UBC Aquatic Centre
UBC’s new Aquatic Centre will serve the growing residential neighbourhoods on campus, and Aquatic Centre staff are engaging with the aquatic community, pool users and the public as part of the process of developing programming and service levels for the new facility. In collaboration with the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office, the UBC Aquatic Centre is exploring options for signage in the new UBC Aquatic Centre to ensure the Centre is welcoming, respectful and inclusive to all its patrons. Please visit the feedback page to learn more, and to share your feedback on the signage options.
Sexual Assault Policy Consultation Deadline Sept. 30
The UBC community is invited to comment on proposed Policy #131 (Sexual Assault).
The proposed Policy is an important first step in improving UBC’s response to sexual assault. It outlines the key values and principles to which UBC will be held accountable and upon which all future work will be based. It also provides a single source of information on the supports, resources and reporting options currently available at UBC.
In particular, it provides clear direction and a more coordinated approach to help students, staff and faculty get the help and support they need if they have been sexually assaulted or if someone discloses a sexual assault to them. It also clarifies which UBC processes apply when a report of sexual assault is made against a member of the UBC community.
The proposed Policy is one element of UBC’s multi-faceted approach to addressing sexual assault. That approach also includes education and awareness programs, focusing on intervention and prevention.
The proposed Policy is now published online and all members of the University community are encouraged to provide their comments. Please submit feedback to either the Office of the University Counsel at university.counsel@ubc.ca or through this confidential feedback survey by September 30, 2016.
See full information on the policy consultation at http://universitycounsel.ubc.ca/policy-consultation/ and http://equity.ubc.ca/sexual-assault-policy-development/
U Count at UBC – Take the Employment Equity Survey (May 16-27, 2016)
UBC is asking all employees to fill out the Employment Equity census, May 16-27. Learn more at ubc.ca/ucount
About the survey
- The survey takes only a few minutes to complete
- Completing the census is mandatory, although answering all the questions is not
- Individuals can change or update their information at anytime
- Employees can either complete the survey online here: msp.ubc.ca or by paper (available early June)
Why should faculty and staff complete the census?
- It provides valuable data on the composition and diversity of UBC’s workforce
- The data supports the university in setting employment equity goals which can improve its hiring, promotion and retention practices
- High return rates ensure that UBC complies with federal employment equity regulations
- Everyone benefits from a fair and equitable workplace
Confidentiality
- Information from the survey (both online and on paper) is treated in strictest confidence
- Surveys will not be shared with supervisors/managers
- Paper surveys are to be returned in sealed envelopes to the Equity and Inclusion Office for entry
- Responses to this survey will be analyzed only in summary or aggregate form, and will be kept separately from employee records.
How can you help?
- Add the census to your staff meeting agenda and encourage completion by May 27
- Post the U Count at UBC poster in your workplace [download]
- Send a reminder to faculty and staff in your units
If you require more information about the census go to: http://ubc.ca/ucount