The Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change is committed to providing accessible education, embracing diversity, and empowering all students as changemakers in their own lives and in the lives of others. To this end, we are
- Enhancing learning opportunities and support for all equity deserving groups including Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities;
- Fostering a sense of belonging and common purpose based on shared identity, narrative, practice; and,
- Enhancing awareness and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and accessibility in our community.
Black Community Space
NOW Open! Launched on October 5th, 2023
The Black Community Space was developed through the guidance of the EUC Black Caucus, the Equity Space Dialogue and ongoing consultations with the EUC Black community. This space will provide a safe(r) space for Black students, staff, faculty, and alumni to gather, build capacity, and community through small events, networking, and studying.
Room HNES 248 | Weekdays 9am – 4pm via drop-in basis
For Bookings & usage after hours, please email osasinfo@yorku.ca.
Black Mentorship Program
The Black Mentorship Program was developed through insightful consultations with the EUC community. We heard the desire for representation, community engagement, and quality mentorship. The program aims to promote diversity in green careers, reducing bias and discrimination, foster a more inclusive school and workplace culture, and support professional growth and development for individuals from Black EUC students.
Mentors and mentees are required to meet at least three times, once a month and will be empowered to create meaningful connections for academic, professional, and personal growth. Matched pairings will be facilitated based on interests and goals.
Participants will receive recognition through EUC social media channels, website, and YFile, and a certificate. Participants will also receive gift cards for completion of the program.
How will the program work?
- 1:1 Meetings
- Monthly Professional Development/Networking Events
- End of Year Celebration
- Reflections
Requirements
Mentee
- EUC undergraduate student
- EUC graduate student
- EUC Alumni
Mentor
- EUC Graduate student
- EUC Staff
- EUC Faculty
- EUC Alumni in the green career field
If you would like to be a mentor or mentee, please sign-up HERE.
The EUC Equity Committee is a standing committee of EUC Faculty Council. It identifies and raises equity issues in the faculty in order to promote the commitment to equity by all members. We use an intersectional approach to equity that examines the intersections of class, race, gender, sex, (dis)ability, status and location. We provide input to procedures pertinent to equity, e.g., affirmative action, recruitment, admissions, faculty appointments, and curricula, and present proposals to EUC Faculty Council. The Faculty of Environment and Urban Change Equity Committee meets once every month, September through May 2024-2025. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend.
Meeting dates are as follows:
Sept 20 at 1p.m. via Zoom
Oct 25 at 1p.m via Zoom
Nov 15 at 1p.m. via Zoom
Jan 17 at 1p.m. via Zoom
Feb 14 at 1p.m. via Zoom
March 14at 1p.m via Zoom
April 18 at 1p.m. via Zoom
May 16 at 1p.m. via Zoom
Please contact Lisa Dennis (ldennis@yorku.ca) to get the Zoom link.
The Faculty of Environment and Urban Change has developed a toolkit that provides information on how to decolonize curriculum and courses offered. Using an anti-oppression pedagogy lens, the toolkit provides tips, resources and best practices on Black Inclusion.
Learn more about our EUC Toolkit for Black Inclusion in the Classroom & Curriculum.
For example, review these sources and find more…
- https://eprints.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/id/eprint/6957/1/DevelopingTheInclusiveCourseDesignToolAM-SMITH.pdf
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1053825920979652
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0098628320959979
- https://www.proquest.com/docview/2481239993?pq-origsite=gscholar&fromopenview=true
- https://quod.lib.umich.edu/t/tia/17063888.0037.108?view=text;rgn=main
- https://www.mmu.ac.uk/about-us/professional-services/uta/reducing-awarding-gaps/decolonising-the-curriculum-toolkit
- https://www.ualberta.ca/arts/media-library/about/edi/artsequityandracia-justicetoolkit.pdf
EUC has accomplished the following actions via the EUC Black Inclusion Action Plan 2020-25
- Hired three designated Black tenure track faculty members.
- Pursued Canada Excellence Research Chair in Black Urbanism.
- Hired two Black Leadership Team members in Human Resources and Advancement realms.
- Hired two Equity Research Assistants to support Black Inclusion Action Plan.
- Participated in Black Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program.
- Hosted five EUC Anti-Black Racism Dialogues.
- Established donor-funded scholarships for Black and Indigenous students totalling $150,000/year.
- Established EUC Faculty Council Equity Committee (based on long-standing FES Equity Committee).
- Established EUC Dean’s Advisory Committee on Black Inclusion.
- Established EDI webpage featuring Black curriculum toolkit and ABR resources.
- Embedded Black Inclusion objectives/activities within EUC Strategic Plan 2020-25 & annual IRPs.
- Promoting ABR and unconscious bias training for faculty, staff, and Leadership Team.
- Supporting strategic teaching & learning initiatives highlighting Black scholars and scholarship.
- Celebrating successes of Black students, faculty, alumni via social media, EUC events.
- Ensuring alumni and public engagement include diverse Black voices and experiences.
- Engaging Jane/Finch high schools in recruitment and signature events.
- Launching Black Mentorship Program linking alumni and students.
- Conducted equity space consultations.
- Designated Black Community Space in HNES 248.
Learn more about our EUC Black Inclusion Action Plan 2020-25.
EUC is committed to Equity diversity inclusivity. There are many opportunities for students to get involved in promoting and ensuring equity such as:
- Becoming a student representative on EUC Faculty Council Governing committees, including Equity Committee.
- Becoming a member of the EUC Black Caucus. The group established in 2019 is a student led group that aims to provide a space for Black students and faculty to engage with the university on opportunities and challenges for black inclusion across the university system. EUC Black Caucus represents and advocates for the collective interests of Black EUC students; graduates, undergraduate and as well, recent graduates in all matters of departmental policy and action at York University. The EUC Black Caucus seeks to build a community among Black EUC students, faculty, and the larger university, with consideration for the diverse experiences and interests of Black students. Above all, the EUC Black Caucus works to optimize the environment within which Black EUC students and recent graduates develop, both professionally and personally. The EUC Black Caucus meets every 2 weeks virtually on Tuesdays at 7:30pm- 9:30pm. Please contact the EUC Black Caucus at: eucbc.yu@gmail.com
- Participating in workshops organized by the Teaching Commons.
- Joining pan-university efforts toward more equitable practices through campus organizations, unions, and the Senate Committees on Equity, Awards, and Research; organizing seminars including the EUC Dialogue Series in 2022-23 as well as, workshops within the Faculty to address equity issues.
EUC EDI Advisor
Melissa Theodore is an Advisor, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Institutional Initiatives at the Centre for Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusion. Her role includes supporting the implementation of York’s Decolonization, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) Strategy, in ways that are responsive to the needs of the EUC community. Her role also encompasses consulting and advising on EDI matters, implementing EDI initiatives and frameworks, including the EUC Black Inclusion Action Plan. She is passionate about dismantling systems of oppression within post-secondary institutions by embedding EDI systemic practices.
Email: reiedi@yorku.ca
The Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion
York University’s Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (REI) promotes and builds a respectful, equitable, diverse, and inclusive university community. We strive to be a leader in providing accessible, impartial, non-adversarial, and confidential programs and services that uphold human rights, facilitate equitable access to opportunities, and champion diversity and inclusion.
REI Advances Human Rights, Champions Equity and Fosters Diversity through the following services:
- Human Rights concerns, complaints & questions
- Alternative Dispute Resolutions
- Education & Advice
Email: rights@yorku.ca
Engagement, Knowledge Exchange & Education Services
- Education sessions
- REDI series and certificate
- Anti-Racism Workshop Series
Email:chrwkshp@yorku.ca
- Assessment and strategic planning
- Implementing EDI initiatives and programs
- Consulting and advising on EDI related matters
Email: reiedi@yorku.ca
Tel: 416-736-5682
Location: 2070 Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Building
York University Services
Office of Student Community Relations (OSCR)
Email: oscr@yorku.ca
Tel: 416-736-5231
Location: W128 Bennett Centre for Student Services
Student Counselling, Health & Well-being
Location: N110 Bennett Centre for Student Services
Well-being at York (Mental Health)
Student Accessibility Services (SAS)
Email: sasinfo@yorku.ca
Tel: 416-736-5755
Locations: N108 Ross Building
Centre for Sexual Violence Response, Support & Education
Email: thecentre@yorku.ca
Tel: 416-736-5211 (24/7)
Location: 301 York Lanes
27th August 2020: A Dialogue on Anti-Black Racism and Racial inequity: Implications for our work responds to the global uprising in response to the murder of George Floyd by police and in Canada to the death of Regis Korchinsky-Paquet and others. These protests draw attention to Anti-Black Racism and racial inequity everywhere. This community discussion brings together faculty, students and staff to discuss the implications of all this for our work.
There have also been on-going murders and deaths in custody of indigenous people at the hands of the police and others. Any response to anti-Black racism is necessarily interconnected with responses to all other forms of racism, colonization and violence against indigenous people in Canada.
30th March 2021: Anti-Black Racism Community Discussion: Anti-Oppression Pedagogy & Curriculum discussed the various ways that the curriculum , course content can be enriched to address anti-black racism. Both course content and classroom experience were discussed through the lens of anti - oppression pedagogy.
22nd February 2022: Get To Know Us: EUC Black Caucus convened the key founders of the EUC Black Caucus and introduced them and the caucus to the faculty. The group established 2019 is a student led group that aims to provide a space for Black students and faculty to engage with the university on opportunities and challenges for black inclusion across the university system.
3rd May 2022: Climate Justice: The Role of Black Environmentalists discussed the challenges facing black and racialized groups with regards to climate change and environmental racism and the role of academia . The speakers further highlighted the opportunities for up-and-coming black climate activists, environmentalists in Canada and how to navigate the labor market for sustainability jobs and the global opportunities that exist. Finally the intersectionality of race, gender and working in the international development sector and navigating ‘white spaces’
EUC Space Equity Dialogue and Workshop - March 16, 2023
The EUC Equity Committee has identified that space needs to be created for our Black students, staff, and faculty. Tenniel Brown – founder of the Centre for Anti-Oppressive Communication - facilitated a Space Equity Dialogue & Workshop focused on historical and systemic spatial marginalization of the Black community in Canada and its manifestation in institutions of learning. Workshop participants discussed how EUC’s Black community members might gather in spaces that are empowering, free from stereotypes and places where they can thrive.
EUC Black Mentorship Program Consultation Dialogue - March 22, 2023
In a bid to support Black students and Black Futures through community engagement, representation, and education, EUC held a restorative community discussion to inform best practices in the design of this program. Brandon Hay – MES’16 and Founder of the Black Daddies Club – joined as guest speaker and shared his mentoring experiences. Dialogue participants discussed issues related to providing a safe space to openly discuss challenges Black students experience; discussing needs of student mentees; and understanding program supports required to ensure success. The EUC Alumni and Experiential Education teams are reviewing information collected from the consultation to inform program development.