The following UBC Broadcast was sent to the community on January 18, 2021

Last month, a UBC Broadcast was issued regarding a series of initiatives addressing systemic racism within our community, which includes establishing the President’s Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence.

We are now seeking nominations from UBC students, faculty and staff to serve on this task force. We are keen to encourage nominations from members of equity-deserving groups that have been traditionally underrepresented. The task force will require a brief but intense period of engagement over a term of 45-60 days.

The deadline for nominations is January 29, 2021. Selected nominees will then be invited to submit a CV and a short statement of interest (no more than two double-spaced pages) by February 12, 2021. The selection process is due to be completed in February with the task force getting underway in March.

The task force will be chaired by the Senior Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence, Professor Handel Wright. An additional co-chair from the Okanagan campus will be selected through the nomination process.

Nominations will be considered by a small committee including the President’s Executive Leads on Anti-Racism, Professor Ananya Mukherjee Reed and Dr. Ainsley Carry, the Senior Advisor to the President on Indigenous Affairs, Professor Sheryl Lightfoot, the Senior Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence, Professor Handel Wright, and the Associate Vice-President, Equity & Inclusion, Dr. Sara-Jane Finlay.

Nomination criteria

Nominees should demonstrate some of the following criteria:

  • Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism and inclusive excellence
  • Leadership in developing and implementing anti-racism initiatives on our campuses
  • Engaged in anti-racism scholarship or other related areas of scholarship (related discourses and practices of identity and equity, e.g. critical multiculturalism, critical race theory, decoloniality, feminism, intersectionality, etc.)
  • Knowledge of principles that enhance equity, representation, and respect (e.g. OCAP principles, critical social responsibility, and anti-racist frameworks)
  • History of maintaining respectful, inclusive working environment with academic and non-academic community members while facilitating discussions inclusive of dissenting views and opinions
  • Integrity and ability to work within complex cultural frameworks
  • Demonstrated level of understanding and respect for different perspectives
  • Experience working with intersectionality (how issues of race and racism are complicated and compounded by gender, sexuality, ability, etc.)
  • Knowledge of the university’s governance mechanisms and processes

How to submit a nomination

Individuals may be nominated by any UBC community member (including self-nomination). Please submit the following information, by January 29, to president.staff@ubc.ca:

  • The full name of your nominee and their affiliation to UBC Vancouver or UBC Okanagan
  • The nominee’s contact information
  • A brief summary (250-300 words) demonstrating how the candidate fulfils the nomination criteria listed above

Please note, any individuals nominated outside of this process will also need to submit the information as outlined above, before the deadline.

Thank you in advance for supporting this important initiative.

Santa J. Ono
President and Vice-Chancellor

More information

December UBC Broadcast: Update on UBC’s initiatives to address anti-racism: https://broadcastemail.ubc.ca/2020/12/09/update-on-ubcs-initiatives-to-address-anti-racism/