Equity, Racial Justice, Decolonization & Inclusive Excellence

Our Commitment to Equity, Decolonization, and Anti-Racism

A student at the university of Calgary Faculty of Social Work's Edmonton campus

Objectives

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Address racism, including anti-Black racism, and all forms of oppression, social injustice and their intersections. 

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Work towards actualizing equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization within the faculty and community, including implementing the Equity Action Plan, Anti-Black Racism Action Plan and Indigenous Strategy. 

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Create diverse and inclusive pathways and spaces for equity-deserving groups. 

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Engage in knowledge development, mobilization and teaching approaches that honour diverse ways of knowing and forms of knowledge. 


Annual Growth

 

 

2024        New BSW core course in Africentric social work

2024        Global Engagement Strategy approved

2024        Barriers to applying to the faculty addressec

2023        Research supports City of Calgary Anti-Racism Strategy 

2023        Canadian Muslim Youth national research project 

2022        Queer and Trans Action Committee formed

2022        New scholarships for Black students created

2020        Anti-Black Racism Committee formed

tree illustration with the leaves depicting progress made toward our priority this year

Faculty Key Actions 2023-24

Advancing equity, racial justice, decolonization, and inclusive excellence

Our faculty’s academic leadership focused on removing barriers that could prevent worthy students from applying and ensuring that our commitment to equity was visible to prospective students. New scholarships were also created to ease economic barriers for equity-deserving students.

Our commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization (EDID) commitments were incorporated into our undergraduate and graduate committees’ terms of reference. The committees also ensured a diverse mix of students, faculty and staff were involved, including the admissions process for all programs.

New curriculum and courses were introduced that address racism, decolonization, oppression, and injustice. And we continue to enrich learning through talented sessional instructors who bring diverse lived experiences to the classroom.

Key growth under this priority also includes the ongoing development of our Equity Action Plan and the continued growth of our innovative Reciprocity Project, fostering new partnerships with the communities we serve.

 


Addressing barriers to social work education

One of our key priorities is creating diverse, inclusive pathways for equity-deserving groups by removing barriers in the application process. In the past year, the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Committee, led by Dr. Gail Zuk, PhD, consulted with diverse students to draft new application questions that allow equity-deserving applicants to address EDID issues. The admissions team was restructured to reflect faculty diversity and EDID knowledge, and additional factors, beyond GPA, were given more weight in the selection process. Dr. Zuk also held regular “ask the associate dean” sessions to support prospective students. Similarly, the Master of Social Work (MSW) Committee, led by Dr. Dorothy Badry, PhD, updated their terms of reference to strengthen the faculty’s EDID commitment.

Student Spotlight:

Would you like to be part of many future success stories? Contribute to one of our scholarships and make a real difference. Learn More

Scholarships support Black students in pursuing social work education

The increasing cost of education is a barrier for many students, including those from equity-seeking groups. One of the priorities of our Anti-Black Racism Taskforce has been the creation of several new undergraduate and graduate scholarships earmarked for exceptional Black future students.

 

Faculty scholarship winners

Emerging Black Voices Scholarship

2023 Damaris Bukwelakeh

David Este Excellence Graduate Scholarship

2023 Chika Ikeorji

2022 Musah Mohammed

Black recipients of other scholarships and awards since 2021

2024

Mafani Malange (Randy McKay Scholarship)

Chinecherem Ikenna Madueke (Elizabeth Wright McCullough Scholarship)

2023

Aadra Aubkar

Chinoyerem Nwachukwu (James Gripton Doctoral Scholarship)

2022

Victoria Ige (Clarice Chodak Recognition of Excellence in Social Action)

Hibaq Abdi (Ian Cullen Ramsay Personal Achievement)

Deqa Mohamed (Ruth Hillard Scholarship)

2021

Asante Benedicta (Lorne & Pat Gordan YMCA

Nafisa Moallim (M. Lillian Dick Scholarship)

Patrina Duhaney holding Black Chambers Award

Award-Winner

Dr. Patrina Duhaney, PhD, an associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work, was recognized with the Calgary Black Achievement Award for Education at the 2024 edition of the awards. The award recognizes Dr. Duhaney’s research, teaching, advocacy and ongoing work to dismantle anti-Black racism.

Photo Illustration of Lucie and Thornton Blackburn

Illustration: Ginette Crichlow

Photo Illustration of Dr. Clement Coutenay Ligoure

Illustration: Ginette Crichlow

Photo Illustration of Ginella Massa

Illustration: Ginette Crichlow

Photo Illustration of Charlie Culver

Illustration: Ginette Crichlow

Black History Month 2024

As part of Black History Month in February, our faculty’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force continued its leadership in promoting Black excellence with events and a continuation of its popular Changemaker series, highlighting Black Canadians who had a tremendous impact on Canadian history. This year, the stunning photo illustrations — shared multiple times on Instagram and Facebook — were created by the faculty’s digital communications specialist, Ginette Crichlow.


Illustration of two hands shaking in a mosaic illustration

UCalgary Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Events

In March 2024, UCalgary’s EDI Week programming featured an amazing wealth of activities, panel discussions and talks. Our faculty was an active participant who provided a variety of engaging events.

Stock photo of two students studying

“Black to School” A Virtual Café

In September 2023, the faculty’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force presented “Black to School” an online forum for Black Students to celebrate and plan for success and excellence as they started the new semester. The popular event brought together BIack students, faculty, staff and other professionals in a welcoming and supportive environment that allowed students to express themselves and to discuss issues that mattered to them unapologetically.