Information and Technology / en 老司机直播 launches working group to tackle anti-Asian racism on campus /news/u-t-launches-working-group-tackle-anti-asian-racism-campus <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">老司机直播 launches working group to tackle anti-Asian racism on campus</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT86453_u-of-t-engineering_50091502681_o-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=g6i-d7vo 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT86453_u-of-t-engineering_50091502681_o-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=18Ps5Y0_ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT86453_u-of-t-engineering_50091502681_o-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=JDRf80zZ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT86453_u-of-t-engineering_50091502681_o-lpr.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=g6i-d7vo" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-05-27T10:34:43-04:00" title="Friday, May 27, 2022 - 10:34" class="datetime">Fri, 05/27/2022 - 10:34</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(photo by Daria Perevezentsev)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anti-asian-racism" hreflang="en">Anti-Asian Racism</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kelly-hannah-moffat" hreflang="en">Kelly Hannah-Moffat</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/information-and-technology" hreflang="en">Information and Technology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cheryl-regehr" hreflang="en">Cheryl Regehr</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/governing-council" hreflang="en">Governing Council</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/its" hreflang="en">ITS</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/woodsworth-college" hreflang="en">Woodsworth College</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">The University of Toronto has launched an <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/inclusion/anti-racism-strategic-tables/anti-asian-racism-working-group/">Anti-Asian Racism Working Group</a> to address anti-Asian racism on campus and take steps to make 老司机直播 more inclusive and welcoming to members of Asian communities.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">As part of its mandate, the working group 鈥 co-chaired by <b>Carol Chin</b>, principal of Woodsworth College, and <b>Vikram Chadalawada</b>, assistant director, student information, Enterprise Applications and Solutions Integration and Information Technology Services 鈥 will consult 老司机直播 community members about their experiences with anti-Asian racism and review 老司机直播鈥檚 existing policies, procedures, programming and practices.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">It will then recommend actionable steps to respond to anti-Asian racism on the university鈥檚 three campuses and help build a respectful, accountable, equitable and inclusive community.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淥ne of the aims of the working group is to gather information on the range of experiences of racism of people belonging to different parts of the Asian community,鈥 said Chin, an associate professor in the department of history in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. 鈥淭his is, of course, a very broad category and people will have different backgrounds, including being born and raised in Canada, born and raised in Asia and everything in between.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲e鈥檙e interested in hearing from as many people as would be willing to contribute their voices, and it鈥檚 about coalescing that into a coherent report and recommendations.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The Anti-Asian Racism Working Group also plans to develop a tri-campus inventory of existing resources, initiatives and projects that address anti-Asian racism and advance inclusion for Asian community members, as well as review previous recommendations regarding anti-racism and inclusion practices made by 老司机直播 community members and other research-intensive universities.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">A final report with the group鈥檚 recommendations will be delivered to 老司机直播 President <b>Meric Gertler</b>, Vice-President and Provost <b>Cheryl Regehr</b> and Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity and Culture <b>Kelly Hannah-Moffat</b> by the end of the year.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淎s an institution and as a community, we have been concerned by recent incidents of anti-Asian racism here at 老司机直播, in our city-region, and indeed across North America,鈥 the three senior leaders <a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/memos/anti-asian-racism-working-group/">said in a message to the 老司机直播 community</a>. 鈥淚t is our collective responsibility to develop strategies to dismantle barriers and enhance inclusivity for Asian members of the 老司机直播 community.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Chin said the working group will draw on the experiences of previous anti-racism initiatives at the university to inform its processes and approach. She notes, for instance, that she regularly speaks with <b>Roger Bulgin</b>, co-chair of <a href="/news/u-t-accepts-all-56-recommendations-anti-black-racism-task-force">the Anti-Black Racism Task Force</a> and chief administrative officer at Woodsworth, whose office is located next door. 鈥淚鈥檓 constantly poking my head in and saying, 鈥楻oger, when you did this or that, what did you learn?鈥欌 said Chin. 鈥淪o, we will definitely be drawing on others鈥 experiences in terms of how to go about the process, what worked and what didn鈥檛.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Chadalawada, who is chair of the University Affairs Board in 老司机直播鈥檚 Governing Council, said the working group aims to support the response to anti-Asian racism in every aspect of university life and interactions.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭his is not just for the Asian community,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also for everyone who interacts with members of the Asian community at 老司机直播 鈥 so, it applies to all of us.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淚t鈥檚 also not just about students or staff or faculty, but also about extending awareness, supports and accountability to every interaction that takes place within the university 鈥 whether you鈥檙e a full-time member of the university community or a vendor, contractor or part-time or temporary worker who鈥檚 deployed into the university environment.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淲e want to enhance the awareness of everyone who participates in university life, and we hope this approach opens doors to deeper, respectful, more meaningful conversations. I truly hope that, with the help of this working group, we are able to foster an inclusive mindset that is acknowledged broadly within the university community.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The launch of the working group comes amid a sharp rise in instances of anti-Asian discrimination in Canada in recent years.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>Jodie Glean</b>, executive director, equity, diversity and inclusion at 老司机直播, said that while anti-Asian racism is not a new phenomenon in this country, the COVID-19 pandemic has further stoked prejudice and bigotry.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淪ystemic anti-Asian racism has unfortunately been a lived reality for diverse Asian communities for many years 鈥 historically and in the present day,鈥 Glean said. 鈥淲ithout a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated already existing inequities and inequalities, and the reality of xenophobia has continuously manifested itself in physical and verbal forms of violence against Asian community members.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">鈥淭herefore, there is a pressing need to be intentional in the ways we address anti-Asian racism and build initiatives for inclusion and belonging. The University of Toronto is looking forward to engaging the community on this important matter and carving out an informed approach to addressing anti-Asian racism across our tri-campus.鈥</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Glean encouraged members of the 老司机直播 community to direct any questions about the Anti-Asian Racism Working Group to <a href="mailto:psec.equity@utoronto.ca">psec.equity@utoronto.ca</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">She added that a call for members for the working group will be shared with the 老司机直播 community in the coming weeks.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>&nbsp;</b></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 27 May 2022 14:34:43 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 174932 at