Curricular

COMM 101 – Business Fundamentals

This course is designed to provide a broad introduction to the field of business and to orient students to the study and expectations of the UBC Sauder School of Business. In this course, attention is given to showcasing a broad range of people from diverse backgrounds, including CEOs and decision makers who are women and IBPOC. One class featured an Indigenous entrepreneur who answered student’s questions.

COMM 105 (formerly COMM 186E) – Values, Ethics and Community (VEC)

This undergraduate course, which was first offered last year, was delivered largely in person for the first time in 2021. It recently received approval from Senate to be required for all incoming first year BCom students. Content and pedagogical approaches related to EDI were woven throughout the course. Specific modules involved discussions of social identity and privilege, psychological safety, and EDI as a core value in managerial decision making. The class featured multiple guest speakers. A particular focus was given to Indigenous viewpoints and lived experiences, with four Indigenous speakers presenting in the class and a Musqueam “Elder Welcome” to students in the course on Canvas.

COMM 203 – Managing the Employment Relationship

Students in COMM 203 work on case studies that integrate EDI into human resource management challenges. The first case focuses on how to address staffing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic for an entirely woman-operated business in South Africa. The second case explores options for making workplace accommodations for a job candidate in a wheelchair. All COMM 203 classes have the goal of incorporating additional content, including Indigenous content moving forward. COMM 390 – Business Writing

This is a required course for all BCom students. The course includes learning about Indigenous land rights, the history of Canada with respect to Indigenous Peoples, as well as how to build business relationships built on trust and shared benefit. One major assignment asks students to consider either working for a First Nation in a business capacity, or to write a proposal for a business partnership with a First Nation.

COMM 394 – Environment, Society, and Government

This required course addresses some of the main economic and social challenges facing Canadians today. After analyzing government policies that might promote the public interest, students explore the role for business leaders and the conflicting claims of different stakeholders. EDI issues feature prominently in three parts of the course. First, students do presentations on current issues, (e.g. the problem of unsafe drinking water in certain Indigenous communities). Second, students learn key frameworks for thinking about equity issues. Third, Indigenous guest speakers lecture on the historical and legal context of Indigenous business in Canada. Students then participate in a role-playing activity to illustrate these issues and to learn how to interact in a constructive and respectful way with Indigenous peoples.

COMM386T and BAEN580A – Indigenous Relations and Economic Development

Now running for four years, these two courses offer students an in-depth understanding of the intersection of the private sector and Indigenous communities in Canada. Featuring a wide range of Indigenous guest lecturers, students learn about the governance structures, cultural values, and corporate bestpractices that enable economic reconciliation.

COHR 486A – Gender and Diversity in Leadership

This undergraduate course was designed to provide students with a foundational understanding about equity, diversity, and inclusion for individuals, teams, and organizations. The course promotes an awareness of the challenges of diversifying work places while encouraging critical thinking and developing problem-solving skills to address the need for greater equity, diversity, and inclusion in organizations.

BA 503 – Professional Residency III Ethics, Sustainability, and Managing Change

As part of this course, students conduct a case-study on the LNG Canada project. Indigenous Relations is a major aspect of the case. In addition, this course has two sessions on Canada’s colonial history, Indigenous relations, and current best practices. Students are encouraged to think deeply about the role and responsibility of the private sector in economic reconciliation. An Indigenous faculty member – Adjunct Professor Mark Podlasly – walked students through a deep exploration of the best practices and pitfalls facing corporate Canada as we seek to improve relationships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. Final student presentations include rich and well-informed explorations of how the private sector can balance traditional business drivers with an Indigenous worldview.

BAHR 580A – Leading Diversity and Inclusion

This MBA course is designed to encourage students to think critically about their workplace experiences and interactions based on their own history and identity as well as think about how the broader workplace context may perpetuate bias, discrimination, and inequality. The course features a “live-case” in which students work with a partner organization to identify areas of concern and provide recommendations intended to enhance equity, diversity, and inclusion.