- 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
Equity, diversity and inclusion commitments
During the first two months of my presidency, you will probably have heard me speak about equity, diversity and inclusion.
These issues are a priority for me, in part, because they are personal. As a member of the queer community, I was deeply affected when Delwin Vriend was fired from a college in Alberta in 1991 because of his sexual orientation. It was infuriating and scary. I was a graduate student at the time. And I questioned whether there was a place for me in academic life.
That experience shaped me and I have carried it with me throughout my career. Now, as President of SFU—a position of enormous agency and privilege—I intend to use my time in this role to make SFU more inclusive and equitable.
You can hold me accountable to this commitment. It is informed, in part, by my work over the past year as SFU’s executive lead for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, a role that has given me insight into how much work lies ahead and the steps we must take to become the equitable, diverse, inclusive organization we aspire to be. (Please take the time to read this summary of the reports and consultations done to date and the compiled recommendations from our community.)
Progress will not be easy or happen quickly. But we must move forward. And so today, I am making the following four commitments:
1. Create a senior leadership position responsible for EDI.
This new position is a pivotal first step in making systemic change. And it will take time to get it right. I am now working on a job description and advancing it through the governance processes for approval, and the person we hire will be empowered to ensure that EDI values are embedded in decision-making and institutional strategies. Where our processes and practices need to be removed or re-examined, this new leader will identify areas where we need to deconstruct current approaches. In order to give the new leader the ability to set direction, we will wait until this person is in place to create a broad strategy and vision for EDI at SFU.
2. Create a new senior leadership position to support decolonization, Indigenization and reconciliation.
For generations harm has been done to Indigenous peoples through education and research. And therefore, to be truly equitable and inclusive, SFU must acknowledge our role in this and engage in lasting processes of decolonization, Indigenization and reconciliation.
Every day, SFU’s Indigenous faculty, staff and students are showing how we can transform our institution by integrating Indigenous knowledges, methodologies and learning practices. But we can do more—much more—to support these efforts.
The ARC report and the $9 million that has been allocated to support its recommendations were the beginning of our journey. To be developed in consultation with Indigenous faculty, staff and students, this new position will provide ongoing leadership and support to this important work.
3. Develop commitments to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the faculty and portfolio level.
In the Diversity Meter survey, we heard that we must strengthen our commitment to EDI at SFU’s leadership level, which can influence action and outcomes. Therefore, working with VPs, AVPs and Deans, I am committed to providing the support and resources necessary to build on the work that is being done throughout the university to address the unique EDI needs in each area of our institution.
4. Continue the conversation about equity and inclusion.
Senior leadership is critically important to advancing EDI. But we can’t do it alone. To succeed on this journey everyone must join us. To that end, it’s my goal to have a conversation about equity and inclusion every day of my presidency. I am working with leaders across the organization who work with our faculty, staff and students to connect with equity-deserving groups who would like to share their experiences and ideas to make SFU a more inclusive community. I would appreciate hearing from you if you know of or belong to a group and would like to join me for a conversation about equity and inclusion. From these conversations we can continue building the foundation for a broader EDI strategy for the university. I will be sharing my personal reflections on these conversations on my website. Please read my first post, my reflections following conversations about our recent decision to change the name of our varsity athletics team.
Like you, I am impatient for change. And I know these initial commitments may seem small to some. But I also know that sometimes you have to go slow to go far. In taking these steps, I am fully committed to finding a way to move our community forward while also changing the story of who we are as a university. I hope you will give me the benefit of your time and your patience, and that you will join with me on this journey.