Respect & Inclusion Statement

As we come together to enjoy the events this week that celebrate learning at UBC and beyond, it is important we reflect on the history surrounding teaching, learning, and schooling in Canada. Many of the events this week are taking place on the traditional, unceded, and ancestral territories of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people and the Syilx People of the Okanagan Nation. We also acknowledge that when we meet virtually, we come together from many different territories.

We encourage you to reflect on your individual privileges that have afforded you the opportunity to be here this week and how they may differ from the experiences of others. In doing so, we contribute to fostering an inclusive climate for events, based around a shared respect for the ways in which we are different, and, importantly, for the ways in which we are the same.

We are all on a different journey, as it relates to learning and unlearning about privilege, power and how to be in relation with each other. Sometimes our (unexamined) actions don’t align with our values for respect and inclusion, and can cause harm. We know that the courageous and humbling thing to do is to acknowledge the harm and commit to repairing the relationship.

If you have been harmed or are concerned about someone else’s experience, please contact Elisa Baniassad, Deputy Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning at elisa.baniassad@ubc.ca (UBCV) or Brad Wuetherick, Associate Provost, Academic Programs, Teaching and Learning at brad.wuetherick@ubc.ca (UBCO). You can find their contact information below. If there’s an immediate threat to your safety, contact Campus Security (Vancouver Campus) at (604) 822-2222, or Campus Security (Okanagan Campus) at (250) 807-8111, or call 911.

We invite our community to help us shape this statement to reflect our evolving understanding of what it means to create respectful and inclusive spaces1. We appreciate your support in creating an open and welcoming environment in which the exchange of ideas is vibrant, inclusive and respectful. Enjoy the events!

If you have feedback about the statement above that you would like to share, please contact Electra Eleftheriadou, Educational Consultant for Inclusion (Centre for Teaching and Learning) at electra.eleftheriadou@ubc.ca.