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President’s Message
Dear Colleagues,
As you are aware, I formed a President’s Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in the fall of 2019. I would like to offer my sincere thanks for the commitment and service of the members of both the Task Force and the Working Groups. Your contributions over these past two years have truly helped to solidify our institutional commitment to EDI.
The Task Force and Working Groups engaged in many thoughtful discussions around the inequities that exist at UFV and how we can create a more just and inclusive institution. I am proud of the honesty of these conversations, which led to the creation of UFV’s first EDI Action Plan. We acknowledge the Action Plan is a living document that will evolve over time because EDI work is an iterative and continuous process that requires collaboration and responsiveness to the needs of our community.
However, UFV’s commitment to progress, transparency, and accountability though the Action Plan will remain fixed. An integral part of this commitment is our annual progress report to the UFV community. I was heartened to read the submissions from each area and while we are all at different stages in our EDI journey, they are a clear testament that inclusivity is indeed one of our core values.
Sundeep Hans, our EDI Director, will provide leadership as the EDI Task Force evolves into a cross-functional advisory council representing different perspectives that will co-develop solutions, set expectations, and help hold UFV accountable to the Action Plan. In order for change to be meaningful and lasting, we all must be active champions for progress. I sincerely thank those who are already committed to taking action to end the marginalization and oppression that so many equity-deserving groups experience, and I ask that we all consider the ways in which we may work towards dismantling the systems that perpetuate these inequities.
I hope that you will take care, be well, and I look forward to seeing you in person for the 2021-22 academic year.
Sincerely,
Joanne MacLean UFV President & Vice-Chancellor
