UWINDSOR'S

In conjunction with the launch of the Anti-Black Racism Task Force, the University has recently announced two new initiatives related to combatting anti-Black racism on campus: a faculty recruitment strategy and an Anti-Black Racism Initiatives Fund.

President and Vice-Chancellor Rob Gordon says the fund is intended to provide immediate support for promising practices and initiatives previously identified, while the Task Force, meanwhile, works to provide the University with current and detailed guidance for long-term, structural interventions to combat racism on campus.

The University is committing to hiring 12 Black faculty members by the end of the 2023 hiring cycle. The procedures overseeing this process will be consistent with policy and the Collective Agreement and will also be guided by the advice of the deans and the Task Force.

The Fund will focus on support for teaching and curriculum change and development, as well as research and faculty leadership. It will also provide $10,000 grants for research, teaching, learning, and curriculum projects, as well as student leadership opportunities. A call will also be launched for a two-year Anti-Oppressive Pedagogies Teaching Leadership Chair. Faculty and staff will also be able to apply for up to $2,000 for professional development in this area.

Units across campus including the Centre for Teaching and Learning, and the Office of Research and Innovation Services will provide support for these initiatives, and the University will be seeking guidance and input from the Task Force and the campus community.

“These initiatives and others are a start in our long road to creating a more equitable campus for all,” said Dr. Gordon. “We are committed to finding new and innovative ways to combat racism and other forms of discrimination so that all members of our campus community can study, work, teach, research, and create in a healthy, safe, and supportive environment.”

For the latest information, visit the Challenging Anti-Black Racism website.