Conversations about racism and discrimination are ongoing at the University of Northern British Columbia following a mandate from the government’s three granting councils that support research at Canadian universities, also known as the Tri-agencies. UNBC’s Interim President, Dr. Geoffrey Payne, says the consultation process goes beyond these research requirements and acknowledges a need to confront racism within the academic community on a number of different fronts.

Dr. Payne has been UNBC's interim president since February 2020. Photo courtesy of UNBC, Office of the President.

While the university is yet to implement many actions based on the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), Payne points to a number of steps being taken to facilitate a broad impact. The initiatives already launched include a presidential task force, a students-only round table, and a soon-to-be-announced town hall meeting and keynote speaker intended to engage the entire university community.

While UNBC does collect some demographic information from their students, Payne says it is incomplete. The collection of demographic information is often a precursor to equity initiatives and has aided other universities in understanding racism and discrimination. In 2017, Universities Canada, a national advocacy group of which UNBC is a member, committed to making demographic data of their members public by 2022 in order to promote action. UNBC has not yet made this information public.

Future plans for UNBC include establishing an office dedicated to EDI, new supports for students within the community, and the establishment of a fund to support the recommendations that come from the consultation process. When asked about timeline, Payne said “the university community will see some concrete actions within the next four to six weeks”. 

Listen to the interview with Dr. Geoffrey Payne on CFUR-FM: