Every year the University of Victoria recognizes the issue of diversity through the celebration of Diversity Month. The month of March had the campus thriving with cultural activities, foods, sounds and discussion forums hosted by both the institution and student-run groups.
While UVic has begun to make changes to better address the issue of diversity, there is still a strong need for student advocacy on behalf of more vulnerable groups according to members of the UVic Students' Society's (UVSS) UVic Pride Collective and Students of Colour Collective (SOCC).
"Recognition of a problem is the first step [but] it's not the only step," said Luam Kidane, a member of SOCC since 2005.
SOCC provides a safe space on campus and support for students of colour while advocating UVic administration on their behalf. “We’re here to speak from the margins about tokenization, racialisation and discrimination and issues that are prevalent in the students of colour community, both on campus at the University of Victoria and around the community Victoria,” said Kidane.
Although SOCC has a part-time coordinator, it is run predominately on a volunteer basis like most UVic student groups. SOCC has been proactive in holding different events celebrating World Aids Day, United Nations Day to End Discrimination, Anti-Oppression Week and Black History Month, among others, with the “overarching purpose [of creating …] a dialogue about specific issues” said Kidane.
Kidane also discussed the need for further efforts to be made in bridging the gap between the UVSS and the administration at UVic, calling this divide a tangible barrier impeding dialogue and education around the issue of diversity. “Once contact has been made with each other a conversation can be started. It becomes an involvement, it becomes a tandem project, it becomes a symbiotic relationship where it’s a give and take and you learn from each other,” said Kidane.
Kidane pointed to Moussa Magassa’s role on campus as a step in the right direction. “[He is] a connection that [the university] tried to make between the University of Victoria, the academic governance, and the students. We’ve had more contact with the university [through Moussa’s position] than we have in the last few years ... that being said, one person is not enough.”
Maggassa was appointed as UVic's first human rights educator in September 2007 and is based in the Equity and Human Rights Office.
Chris Tuttle, recently elected collective coordinator with UVic Pride, also touched on some of the difficulties of being a student-run advocacy group. Much like SOCC, the Pride Collective advocates for queer issues and holds a variety of events on-campus. “We don’t want people to think that Pride is just a space for queer people. It’s very much a space for friends and allies as well and for people that just need more information,” said Tuttle.
To increase dialogue, UVic Pride is now holding two open meetings a week and is expanding its lending library. The group has also increased the number of events it organizes, including UVic Unity this summer. “It’s a program where we approach high school [students], generally [in] grade 11 and 12, from schools all across BC and we invite them to come up for a seminar series of lectures,” said Tuttle.
"[It's] a really great way to start and to facilitate that transition into the University for the queer community”.
One positive outcome of increased dialogue with the university is the recognition of the issue of gendered washrooms. There are gender-neutral single-stall washrooms in the new Social Sciences and Math building, which Tuttle feels will contribute to students of the queer community feeling safer on campus.
“UVic is a pretty good place to be for queer people and that community…I don’t know if it’s just a product of the politeness or if it’s that people try not to say anything, but it seems like we are a lot less harassed here,” said Tuttle.
According to Magassa, the main responsibility of his role as the human rights educator on campus is to "enhance understanding of and commitment to the university's human rights and equity goals” and to raise the awareness of “students, staff, faculty, supervisory personnel and administrators on a range of human rights issues.”
This understanding can come through open dialogues and education. “[These initiatives have the end goals] of increasing diversity and creating fair and inclusive work and study environment at UVic," said Magassa, who sees a need for students, faculty and staff to come together and advocate on behalf of minority and disadvantaged groups.
“Many groups on campus could advocate on these issues [affecting the queer community]. It doesn’t always have to be Pride,” agreed Tuttle.
Magassa also tries to promote critical thinking of these issues.
"When you create critical thinking of the issues and you also create communication systems or avenues that help that thinking to evolve, then you get something you can call a learning community," he said. Magassa believes that through dialogue, understanding, advocacy and student, staff and faculty, UVic can look to become “a community that can act, and that will act.”
Originally published in Volume 1, Issue 3 of the Fountain, April 2008