UBC Equity and Inclusion Educator Jenica Frisque is seen with Equity Enhancement Fund project leads Sandra Young, Renee Leboe, and Denise Chan.
Initiatives on Okanagan campus encourage cultural, social understanding
UBC’s 2014 Equity Enhancement Fund results have been announced with 13 groups receiving a total of $83,254 in funding for new initiatives designed to enhance equity at UBC. Interest was high with the Equity and Inclusion office that administers the fund receiving 26 proposals from Vancouver and 10 proposals from the Okanagan.
“We are pleased at the number of high-quality applications we received this year,” says Gurdeep Parhar, acting associate vice-president, Equity and Inclusion. “The projects chosen are closely aligned with the University’s commitment and responsibilities to enhance equity across campuses and we look forward to seeing the results of these innovative initiatives.”
This year there were a larger number of applications received from UBC Okanagan and the Equity and Inclusion Office notes the support of Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal Deborah Buszard, Provost and Vice-Principal Cynthia Mathieson, and Equity and Inclusion Educator Jenica Frisque, in promoting the funding opportunity.
In Vancouver, eight groups were awarded a total of $58, 254 and at UBC Okanagan five groups were awarded a total of $25,000.
“It is truly energizing to hear about all the exciting ideas and initiatives on campus, all with the objective of fostering inclusion, diversity and equity on campus and in the community,” says Frisque.
In the recently released Renewing our Commitment to Equity and Diversity report, it was announced that the 2014/15 Equity Enhancement Fund will receive an additional $50, 000 of funding to better support initiatives to enhance student, faculty and staff competencies and experiences at UBC .
2014 UBC Okanagan Equity Enhancement Fund recipients
Project Name: yr’kstmncutəlz “Around the Circle”
Recipients: UBC Okanagan Aboriginal Programs and Services – Sandra Young and Dan Odenbach
Description: yr’kstmncutəlz “Around the Circle” provides a tangible approach to incorporating Indigenous culture, practices and teaching into campus operations as a means to support and advance Intercultural understanding at UBC Okanagan’s campus.
Project Name: Indigenous Activist Art: Residency Program
Recipients: Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies – Ashok Mathur
Description: The intent of this residency program is to bring together well-established Indigenous artists from across the country to present new work, develop collaborations, and integrate Indigenous methodologies around art and daily process into the fabric of UBC Okanagan and the Kelowna community at large.
Project Name: Women in Engineering at UBC Okanagan
Recipients: School of Engineering – Teija Wakeman and Renee Leboe
Description: The goal of this program is to provide a platform for women to advance their skills required to be successful in their engineering careers.
Project Name: Building a strong intercultural and inclusive campus community
Recipients: International Programs and Services – Denise Chan, Leah Sanford and Philipp Reichert
Description: The project objectives are to increase intercultural understanding, communication and competencies amongst staff, faculty and off-campus service providers who work directly with international, aboriginal and visible minority students by providing a variety of professional development opportunities.
Project Name: AccessABILITY
Recipients: Disability Resource Centre – Gabriel Tobias
Description: The objective is to increase the accessibility of UBC Okanagan’s current fitness facility and to connect the Human Kinetics Department with the Disability Resource Centre and the UBC Okanagan Fitness Facility to connect certified and capable trainers with individuals registered with the Disability Resource Centre.
Descriptions of the eight Vancouver campus equity enhancement projects can be found at: equity.ubc.ca
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