The Politics of Race, Diversity and Settler Colonialism
Thursday, March 16, 2017
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Jack Poole Hall (North), Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre
Reception to follow
Thank you to all for a very successful conference.
To view the Conference Program, please follow this link.
The corporatization and internationalization of Canadian universities continues to be the subject of considerable debate, yet an ominous silence prevails in the academy about the growing racial divides that are the result of neo-liberal forms of knowledge production and governance practices. This conference addressed the relation of race, racialization and settler colonialism to the restructuring of the university by focusing on the representation, status and experience of racial minority and Indigenous faculty and Instructors.
The conference was sponsored by the Faculty Association and co-convened by Dr. Sunera Thobani (Asian Studies/Social Justice Institute) and Prof. Margot Young (Law; Chair, UBCFA Status of Women Committee). There was no registration fee.
The Conference focussed on issues of race and colonialism in universities across the country, with a goal of identifying effective strategies to advance racial justice and anti-colonial practice within knowledge production, pedagogy, policy making and governance practices. Small group sessions allowed participants to network on issues of particular concern to them, including:
- systemic and structural racism;
- the culture of institutional whiteness;
- race-blind approaches in university governance;
- multiculturalism and branding in the internationalizing university;
- racial/sexual bullying, harassment, intimidation and assault;
- hiring, tenure, promotion and retention;
- the Eurocentric curriculum;
- precarious employment;
- academic freedom and the right to dissent;
- barriers to anti-racist leadership.
Speakers included:
Dr. Malinda Smith (University of Alberta); Dr. Ena Dua (York University), Dr. Jin Haritaworn (York University); Dr. Annie Ross (Simon Fraser University); Dr. Sarika Bose (University of British Columbia); Dr. Shelly Johnson Mukwa Musayett (Thompson Rivers University); Dr. Delia Douglas (University of British Columbia); Dr. Adelle Blackett (McGill University): Zool Suleman (RAGA Graduate Network, University of British Columbia); Cicely-Belle Blain (Black Lives Matter), Dr. Minelle Mahtani (University of Toronto).
