- The President
- About Joy
- Priorities
- Conversations
- Statements
- 2022
- Dr. Yabome Gilpin-Jackson named SFU’s first Vice-President, People, Equity and Inclusion
- Chris (Syeta’xtn) Lewis joins SFU in advisory role on Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation
- A World of Difference: How universities must evolve in a post-COVID world
- Russian invasion of Ukraine
- SFU: What's Next?
- Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples day
- Please join us for the annual appreciation BBQ
- SFU begins process to become Living Wage Employer
- Staying engaged in an increasingly polarized world
- SFU: What's Next? - Message from the President to Faculty and Staff
- SFU: What's Next? - Message from the President to students
- Search Announcement: Provost and Vice-President Academic
- Statement from the VP, PEI: Addressing Racism and Hate at SFU
- 2021
- Welcome new SFU students
- UPDATED Jan. 6: My response to Dec. 11 event in SFU dining hall
- Celebrating Black History Month
- The University’s Role and Contributions to a Just Recovery Over the Next Decade
- Inspired by meetings with SFU Faculty and Staff
- Looking forward to Summer and Fall
- Opinion: This is why SFU is backing the Burnaby Mountain gondola
- External Review of December 11, 2020 Event
- Facing the future with hope
- President's statement on TransMountain Expansion Project and support for a fire hall on Burnaby mountain
- The road ahead
- Stronger Together: SFU, the pandemic and lessons for a better future
- SFU to observe moment of silence at 2:15 PM today
- Taking action: Reconciliation at SFU
- Join SFU President Joy Johnson for a tour of Burnaby campus
- Message from the President: Residential school findings
- Dr. June Francis appointed Special Advisor to the President on Anti-Racism
- My response to the open letter from SFU faculty and staff
- Resources and ways to support scholars in Afghanistan
- BC Vaccine Card
- Masks required on all SFU campuses, vaccine card required for residence, athletics, dining, events and others
- Vaccine declaration and follow-up screening at SFU
- Return to campus planning updates
- Welcome Back
- Work to review contract vs. in-house cleaning and food services
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- SFU and SFSS united in commitment to climate action
- Inclusion benefits us all
- Moving forward with kindness
- SFU commits to full divestment from fossil fuels
- Safety on SFU's campuses
- Thank you!
- Temporary shift to remote learning January 10 – 23, 2022
- 2020
- Statement on academic freedom
- Welcome back faculty and staff
- Welcome back students
- Statement on scholar strike
- Reflections on my first 30 days
- Taking care of ourselves, taking care of each other
- Equity, diversity and inclusion commitments
- Statement on SFU's Athletics Team Name Change
- Finding connection in times of adversity
- Wishing you a safe and restful holiday break
- Op-ed: SFU helping drive social, economic innovation in time of crisis
- 2022
- President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award
- Strategic Plan
- Approach
- How to participate
- What we're hearing
- April 4, 2022: Updates and reflections
- April 19, 2022: Updates and reflections
- SFU: What’s Next? phase one results now available
- Research assistants shape SFU: What’s Next? analysis
- SFU: What’s Next? – Message from the President to Faculty and Staff
- SFU: What’s Next? – Message from the President to Students
- Search announcement: Provost and Vice-President Academic
- SFU: What’s Next? Phase 2 results now available
- Executive
- Executive Searches
- Contact
A new time for SFU Athletics and Recreation
I am writing to inform you of my decision to change the name of Simon Fraser University’s varsity athletics teams, following an extensive stakeholder engagement process. Through this process, launched in January of this year, we have heard resoundingly from our community – and particularly from the student athletes, coaches and associated staff – that it is time to select a new team name.
There are a number of reasons for this change, but the single most important factor influencing my decision is the views of student athletes on this matter. Through our engagement process, students shared stories of unsafe situations, upsetting conversations, and the harm they experience due to misinterpretation and/or misuse of the team name. As a university that has made it a core commitment to foster a supportive environment for our students, we have an obligation to attend to their voices and concerns.
The process to choose a new team name will be led by Athletics and Recreation. You can read a summary of the information on which this decision was based, as well as next steps to choose a new team name, on the Athletics and Recreation website.
As we move away from using the Clan as our team name, I want to stress that we continue to be exceedingly proud of the people, teams and accomplishments associated with the Clan over our long history. The Gaelic word for family was chosen to honour friendship, loyalty and connection, commitments that remain deeply engrained at SFU.
I am very grateful to those who shared their opinions with us. And I want to express my special appreciation to our student athletes, coaches and Athletics and Recreation staff who advanced this issue and worked toward a decision. The conversation has been difficult for many, and I acknowledge and appreciate your determination and fortitude.
It is time now to look forward. In the years to come, we will be hosting games in our new stadium, proudly wearing a team name that represents our vibrant, diverse, compassionate community.