Re: Incident at Waterloo

Thanks for this Wendy. There are now several statements from PSIs, here is UBC's

https://equity.ubc.ca/news-and-stories/statement-in-response-to-the-stabbing-uwaterloo/

What I appreciate about this statement and that of U of Guelph is that they emphasize collective action, with specific commitments to what their universities will do to demonstrate solidarity and uphold gender rights on their campuses.

Suzanne

Suzanne Smythe, PhD. she/her(s)
Associate Professor, Adult Literacy and Adult Education

Academic Co-coordinator, Languages, Cultures and Literacies

Faculty Teaching Fellow
Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University

Harbour Centre 7363, Vancouver, BC.
sksmythe@sfu.ca
Faculty Website: https://www.sfu.ca/education/faculty-profiles/ssmythe.html

I live and work on the traditional and unsurrendered territories of the Səlil̓wətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations

From: Wendy Loken Thornton <wthornto@sfu.ca>
Sent: June 30, 2023 10:17 AM
To: academic-women (academic-women@sfu.ca); academic-discussion@sfu.ca
Subject: Incident at Waterloo

https://maestro.uoguelph.ca/list/jc87gfpb/230629K/a0rq7uh0xz8z.vib?a0=12789

I've attached above a link to an email from Dr. Charlotte Yates, President U.Guelph, regarding the terrible incident at U. of Waterloo involving a hate crime toward one of their faculty and two students in the classroom.

This incident most certainly sent chills down the spines of all faculty and students in Canada, particularly those who are involved in disruptive teaching and activities. While we await SFU to respond to this incident and it's aftermath, I urge faculty to rise in solidarity with our colleagues to condemn these heinous acts, to discuss practical solutions, and to support those feeling particularly vulnerable.

Best,

Wendy

***

Wendy Loken Thornton, Ph.D. R.Psych
Professor, Department of Psychology
Chair, Research Ethics Board,
Simon Fraser University

***

The SFU Burnaby campus is located on the unceded traditional territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Kwikwetlem Nations.

Note: My working hours and yours may differ. Please don't feel obligated to reply outside of your normal hours.

From: Kendra Strauss <kendra_strauss@sfu.ca>
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2023 9:14 AM
To: June N. P. Francis; Ouldooz Baghban Karimi
Cc: Jennifer Marchbank; Deanna Reder; Genevieve Fuji Johnson; Travers; academic-women (academic-women@sfu.ca); qfn-sfu@sfu.ca; SA Faculty; gsws-fac@sfu.ca; transequitysfu.lists@riseup.net
Subject: Re: Terror in the classroom

Thanks to all of you for your reflections and statements of support, and for the wonderful quote Deanna from James Brady. Like many of us who teach and research on gender, feminism and queer theory, I have been sitting with this terrible news since it happened and thinking about my colleagues and friends at Waterloo and their students.

I especially appreciate Travers’ point that the response to hate cannot be carceral solutions, more policing, or increased securitization. We need to learn from abolitionist feminist organizing that safety can only be built from the ground up within communities, not imposed with force.

In solidarity,

Kendra.

Dr. Kendra Strauss (she/her/hers)
Director | The Labour Studies Program

Professor | Department of Sociology & Anthropology

Associate Member | Department of Geography
Simon Fraser University | Location
8888 University Dr., Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6
T: 778.782.9816 | F:778.782.9816 | https://www.sfu.ca/labour/about/people/kendra-strauss.html

Editor, Annals of the American Association of Geographers

I respectfully acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples on whose stolen traditional territories our three campuses reside.

From: June Francis <francis@sfu.ca>
Date: Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 10:02 PM
To: Ouldooz Baghban Karimi <ouldooz_baghban_karimi@sfu.ca>
Cc: Jennifer Marchbank <jmarchba@sfu.ca>, Deanna Reder <deanna_reder@sfu.ca>, Genevieve Fuji Johnson <genevieve_johnson@sfu.ca>, Ann Travers <atravers@sfu.ca>, academic-women <academic-women@sfu.ca>, "qfn-sfu@sfu.ca" <qfn-sfu@sfu.ca>, SA Faculty <sa-fac@sfu.ca>, "gsws-fac@sfu.ca" <gsws-fac@sfu.ca>, "transequitysfu.lists@riseup.net" <transequitysfu.lists@riseup.net>
Subject: Re: Terror in the classroom

Hi,

This horrendous act reminds us of the importance of supporting each other against hate in all its forms and manifestations.

I concur with all who have expressed concerns and supports. I totally agree that we have to find ways to organize and show solidarity and support to protect those most exposed and most vulnerable to this type of violence and hate.

No words can express the true impact of this horror.

June

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 29, 2023, at 21:01, Ouldooz Baghban Karimi <ouldooz_baghban_karimi@sfu.ca> wrote:

Thanks Travers, Genevieve, Deanna, Jennifer, and Kumari for discussing this.

What happened to Dr. Katy Fulfer and two students at the University of Waterloo is horrifying. While this incident is on the extreme side of such unacceptable actions, discrimination and hate against the LGBTQIA+ community (and generally feminists) have been on the rise in the past couple of years.

Physical safety is the minimum, and we should collectively work towards achieving beyond physical safety and security and towards safe spaces for progress and growth.

Academic Women board does not issue statements for or on behalf of members. I speak for myself and I feel the importance of our role in supporting the members of our community who feel vulnerable and unsafe after this attack.

Best,

Ouldooz

Ouldooz Baghban Karimi, PhD, PMP
Lecturer, School of Computing Science
Chair, Computing Science Diversity Committee
President, Academic Women
Simon Fraser University
SRYE 5103, 10285 University Drive, Surrey, BC, V3T 4B7
T: 778.782.7585 | M: 604.345.8442 | https://www.cs.sfu.ca/~oba2

<image001.jpg>

From: Jennifer Marchbank <jmarchba@sfu.ca>
Date: Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 12:43 PM
To: Deanna Reder <deanna_reder@sfu.ca>, Genevieve Fuji Johnson <genevieve_johnson@sfu.ca>
Cc: Travers <atravers@sfu.ca>, "academic-women (academic-women@sfu.ca)" <academic-women@sfu.ca>, "qfn-sfu@sfu.ca" <qfn-sfu@sfu.ca>, SA Faculty <sa-fac@sfu.ca>, "gsws-fac@sfu.ca" <gsws-fac@sfu.ca>, "transequitysfu.lists@riseup.net" <transequitysfu.lists@riseup.net>
Subject: Re: Terror in the classroom

Hi everyone

Deanna I love that quote - thanks for that.

Has anything been said by SFU publicly? Anyone seen anything? I tagged in Twitter but not seen anything from the administration.

Jen

Jen Marchbank, BA (Hons), MA, PhD, FHEA

Professor, Dept Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies

Simon Fraser University

604 356 0231

she, her pronouns

Simon Fraser University respectfully acknowledges the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples on whose unceded traditional territories our three campuses reside.

From: Deanna Reder <deanna_reder@sfu.ca>
Sent: June 29, 2023 10:49:35 AM
To: Genevieve Fuji Johnson
Cc: Travers; academic-women (academic-women@sfu.ca); qfn-sfu@sfu.ca; SA Faculty; gsws-fac@sfu.ca; transequitysfu.lists@riseup.net
Subject: Re: Terror in the classroom

Thank-you Travers and Genevieve. One of my heroes, Métis leader James Brady (1908-1967), writing about how to make change wrote: “No other weapon except organization”.

Solidarity.

Deanna

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 29, 2023, at 10:35 AM, Genevieve Fuji Johnson <genevieve_johnson@sfu.ca> wrote:

Thank you Travers. Me too. I’m here for this.

Sending you, and everyone who works to disrupt and dismantle oppressive systems, all good thoughts.

Solidarity.

g

Genevieve Fuji Johnson
Department of Political Science

Simon Fraser University

https://anunusualacademic.com

From: Travers <atravers@sfu.ca>
Date: Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 9:42 AM
To: academic-women <academic-women@sfu.ca>, "qfn-sfu@sfu.ca" <qfn-sfu@sfu.ca>, SA Faculty <sa-fac@sfu.ca>, "gsws-fac@sfu.ca" <gsws-fac@sfu.ca>, "transequitysfu.lists@riseup.net" <transequitysfu.lists@riseup.net>
Subject: Terror in the classroom

After the assault on a gender professor and their students at the University of Waterloo yesterday, I know many of us are feeling very raw. Some of us have been fearing for our safety for some time - Ecole Polytechnic, rising violence by incels and white supremacists, and the targeted campaigns of hate against LGBTQ2S people in general and trans women and girls in particular- but this is such a visceral reminder of how vulnerable those of us are whose work it is to disrupt the taken for granted assumptions and beliefs that render invisible the way that power operates to harm and exclude. I am aware of the deep layers of privilege that cloak me as I do this work and I understand that many faculty members who are Indigenous/of colour have been dealing with threats and incidences of violence in a much deeper way all along. Instilling fear is what fascists do to build and consolidate power.

How can those of us who resist carceral solutions find ways to build safety for ourselves and our students? How can campus security be reconstructed to provide "security" in a social justice rather than a carceral sense? Threats to our safety inevitably mean so much more work for faculty members whose vulnerabilities already translate to donations of labour in the academy. We need immense support from allies at this time.

For now, I'm going to keep writing and teaching and coaching competitive youth baseball (being a non-man in a crucible of masculinity is its own trip), being there for my colleagues and students, loving my beautiful and odd little family and hoping that none of the risks I take ever touch them. But we are in this together.

First we mourn, then we fight. I will be here for this.

Travers (they/them/their pronouns) Head Coach

Professor 18U AAA North Fraser Nationals
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Simon Fraser University

Deputy Editor, Gender and Society

“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” Robert Fulghum

I respectfully acknowledge SFU is on unceded Coast Salish Territory; the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Kwikwetlem First Nations.