The EDI Joint Interest Group is a network for equity leads, EDI champions or any staff or faculty responsible for advancing or leading EDI initiatives in their unit, department, school or program. We meet monthly to discuss topics of interest and connect via MS teams.
Please click on the meeting titles below to learn more and register to receive the Zoom link for a particular session. You can also register to join the mailing list for all upcoming sessions.
Are you a faculty or staff member leading equity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigenization initiatives within your unit? Would you benefit from a community of practice to discuss common challenges you face in your role? Join our monthly EDI Joint Interest Group or Drop in for a Session. Please click on the meeting titles below to learn more and register to receive the Zoom link for a particular session. You can also register to join the mailing list for all upcoming sessions.
Upcoming EDI Joint Interest Group monthly topics:
Q&A Session
April 22nd, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)
Maï Yasué, Associate Director, REDI, will facilitate an open-ended session featuring a Q&A format and small group discussions. Participants will have the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and questions on various previously covered topics, including admissions, faculty hiring, conflict engagement, creating inclusive environments for historically marginalized groups, and tips for engaging others in EDI initiatives, as well as initiating action within EDI committees.
De-escalating intergroup conflicts
March 11th, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)
Arun Mohan, Director of Human Rights at the Equity & Inclusion Office, will help answer questions about what EDI leads and unit heads can do to de-escalate intergroup conflict and provide support when there are global events and tragedies that affect the learning and work environments.
Continuing our conversation on “inclusive excellence,” how do we pursue it in our hiring and recruitment processes?
Feb 12th, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)
Questions that we might address include: How can we inclusively and equitably adjudicate excellence in hiring, selections, and award decisions? What are the most important changes in procedures that we can make to foster more inclusive and equitable selection processes? How do we best frame these changes in process or criteria to avoid backlash and support historically marginalized groups?
Our special guest for this session will be Saleem Razack, who is the Senior Faculty Advisor to the REDI Office. This session is a follow-up conversation from the January 2024 meeting with Saleem Razack and the November 2023 meeting with Catherine Macala.
How do we operationalize “inclusive excellence” in all the different adjudication/selection/awards decisions that we make?
Jan 8th, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)
Questions that we might address include: If grades, volunteering experiences, journal impact factors, and student evaluations of teaching are sexist/ableist/racist, etc., then how do we inclusively and equitably adjudicate excellence in hiring, selections, and award decisions? What are the most important changes in procedures that we can make to have more inclusive and equitable selection processes? How do we best frame these changes in process or criteria to avoid backlash and support historically marginalized groups?
Our special guest for this session will be Saleem Razack, who is the Senior Faculty Advisor to the REDI Office and has extensive experience working within medical school admissions processes. This session is a follow-up conversation from the meeting in November 2023 that Catherine Macala (Associate Director MD Undergraduate Admissions) led about equity and inclusion considerations in the undergraduate admissions process.
How do we create supports for historically marginalized learners to thrive within the Faculty of Medicine?
Dec 11th, 2023, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)
In this session, we aim to discuss various initiatives within units in the FoM designed to support historically, persistently, and systemically marginalized groups. Specifically, Tal Jarus will talk about the mentorship program for learners with disabilities within Occupational Science and Therapy, as well as the Diversifying Health and Human Service Professions Education – D-HOPE Program. This program aims to support historically marginalized students in applying for Health Professions at UBC by providing resources and creating opportunities for mentorship and connection.