Æ»¹ûÒùÔº

SP0159: Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Racialized Students Support Project

Status: °ä°¿²Ñ±Ê³¢·¡°Õ·¡¶ÙÌýJan 2017Ìý- May 2018

The Æ»¹ûÒùÔº Racialized Students Support Project aims to both raise awareness and respond to students’ experiences of racial and ethnic discrimination at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº. This year-long collaborative project with SEDE and Student Services will involve the creation of a Community Project Manager (Racialized and Ethnic Students) position to support racialized students on an individual and institutional level. This position will manage annual community-wide awareness campaigns, outreach initiatives, and event programming to confront individual and systemic racism and discrimination on campus. Overall, this project is designed to improve the well-being and engagement of racialized students byÌýproviding much-needed resources and support networks for these marginalized members of the Æ»¹ûÒùÔº community. This initiative seeks to foster a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, helping to build social sustainability at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº.Ìý

Read the full project description

Æ»¹ûÒùÔº has pledged many times that it places high value on being an inclusive and welcoming place that celebrates diversity. While Æ»¹ûÒùÔº has a diverse student body with representation of many racialized and ethnic groups, 24% of students (mostly racialized)Ìýhave reported experiencing discrimination, primarily from other students (2013 Diversity and Discrimination Report). Racialized members of the community often feel disenfranchised and disempowered when systemic barriers continue to be a reality. With growing numbers of international students, these numbers are likely to grow. This project seeks to address the serious need for support for racialized and ethic students in the Æ»¹ûÒùÔº community.ÌýRacialized students who lack a sense of belonging tend to have poorer mental health, university engagement and academic achievement, and thus, creating safer spaces on campus will improve the overall wellbeing and engagementÌýof racialized students, andÌýwill encourage more racialized students to apply to and attend Æ»¹ûÒùÔº in the future. By working to make the structures and processes at Æ»¹ûÒùÔº more accommodating to the needs of racialized students, and by strengthening Æ»¹ûÒùÔº's network of partnerships on racialized and ethnic issues, this project will improve racialized students' access to services and student life on campus.Ìý

This project will create a Community Projects Manager (Racialized and Ethnic Students) position to support racialized and ethnic students on an individual and institutional level, and manage annual community-wide awareness campaigns and event programming to address racism and discrimination on campus, with a focus on the experiences of undergraduate and graduate students. This programming is designed to cultivate a sense of community for racialized students, who may often feel isolated from the community. The manager will also create toolkits that provide information resources and material to facilitate the organization of community-building events in the future. The Community Projects Manager position will complement the educational work of the Equity Advisors at SEDE and collaborate with Student Services to support students.Ìý

Funds from the SPF will be used to compensate the Community Projects Manager position, possible support staff, as well as a tutor position to meet with students to provide mentoring- and academic-related guidance.ÌýResources from the SPF will also be used to design promotional materialÌýand facilitate events, as well as provide event catering, and other supplies needed.

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Ìý Ìý ÌýÆ»¹ûÒùÔº Racialized students support project panel

Contact

shanice.yarde [at] mcgill.ca (Shanice Yarde)

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