The university has made significant progress on 14 recommendations from the Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review Report.
To measure diversity in curriculum and course delivery, an audit was conducted. The audit found 116 courses across the university with Afrocentric, Black- and Caribbean-centred content, and identified Black teaching staff across faculties and programs.
The audit provides a snapshot and benchmark to inform future curriculum development and improve hiring practices of Black teaching staff.
The Black Initiatives Fund (BIF) has been established to provide funding to develop and advance events, meetings and information sessions that support and centre Black students.
In an effort to recruit Black faculty and Black scholars to the university, the Faculty Working Group has drafted language for job ads to attract candidates who self-identify as Black. In 2021, the percentage of full-time Black faculty increased by 18 per cent and represented 17 per cent of all new full-time faculty hires at the university.
To further support both recruitment and retention, postdoctoral fellowships for Black scholars are being developed to improve the applicant pool of Black scholars by strengthening their capacity and qualifications.
The report was published by the university’s Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI) in 2020, aiming to advance the university’s vision of being a national leader in equity, diversity and inclusion.
