Events - Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities

Upcoming Events

KPU’s Third Annual Symposium on Anti-Racism

When: March 21, 2025: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: KPU Surrey, Conference Centre

Call for Proposals

KPU’s Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities will host the Third Annual Symposium on Anti-Racism on March 21, 2025, to align with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The symposium aims to discuss and encourage confronting racism and to share internal and external research, scholarship, and creativity on racism/anti-racism.

Students, faculty, and staff members across KPU are encouraged to submit proposals showcasing research, scholarship, and creativity focused on anti-racism topics and initiatives.

Please see full details about how to submit a proposal here.

Proposals due: Monday, February 3, 2025

Anti-Racism Training - 2025

The Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities is proud to collaborate with Dr. Nicole Kaniki of Senomi Solutions to offer a series of online workshops designed to deepen employees' understanding of anti-racism. The three workshops to be offered include:

Session 1: Foundations of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Academia - Friday Jan 24, 2025 - 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
- In this session, participants will be introduced to equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in academia. They will explore barriers to access, the value of diverse perspectives, and practical strategies for fostering inclusive teaching, research, and collaboration.
Session 2: Black History and Culture - Wednesday Feb 5, 2025 - 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
- In this session, participants will be introduced to a brief history of Black people and Black culture in the Canadian context. From slavery to segregation and Black liberation, the contributions of Black Canadians who have impacted Canadian society will be shared.
Session 3: Anti-racism and Anti-oppression in Action - Tuesday Feb 18, 2025 - 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
- In this session, participants will develop skills and strategies for understanding systemic racism, challenging biases, and fostering equity and inclusion. They will explore key concepts, reflect on privilege and oppression, and develop actionable strategies for promoting anti-racism in their environments.

If you are a KPU employee and would like to attend any of the workshops, email oeic@kpu.ca to RSVP and identify which workshop(s) you are interested in attending.

Disability Inclusion Training - 2024 - 2025

The OEIC is collaborating with Invisible Condition to provide KPU employees with 90-minute online workshops to deepen learning around disability inclusion. The four workshops to be offered include:

November 15, 9:30 – 11:00am - Disability Inclusion: Advocacy in the Workplace
- Define and discuss what disability inclusion is, why it matters, and how we can create workplaces where people feel safe and trusted to disclose if they choose to.
- Work collaboratively to brainstorm how we can expand KPU’s disability-inclusion impact within teams.
- Provide a high-level framework for creating disability-inclusive spaces.
December 11, 9:30 – 11:00am - Talking about Unusually Normal Things: The Words We Use Have an Impact
- Share personal stories of living with an invisible condition and the impact of language.
- Focus on creating inclusive conversations by being mindful of the words we use.
January 15, 2025 - 9:30 – 11:00am - Authentic Curiosity: Less Advice and More Curiosity, Please
- Define curiosity and its importance.
- Through interactive sessions, gain a deeper understanding of the different types of curiosity - authentic and self-serving.
- Learn how to slow down, ask better questions, and avoid unsolicited advice.
February 13, 2025 - 9:30 – 11:00am - The Three R’s of Resilience: How to Bounce Back to a Pre-Crisis State
- Define resilience and how this impacts us all differently.
- Discuss strategies for overcoming crises and building resilience.
- Share personal experiences and invite participants to think about resilience differently.

If you are a KPU employee and would like to attend any of the workshops, email oeic@kpu.ca to RSVP and identify which workshop(s) you are interested in attending.

Past Events

The OEIC collaborated with Hook or Crook Consulting to provide KPU employees with online workshops to deepen learning around Anti-Racism.

September 19, 10am to 1pm – Transforming Harm
This workshop is intended to support teams and groups in skilling-up for difficult conversations, conflict, and harm. Together, we’ll cultivate more life-affirming ways of addressing harm. Drawing on the lessons and teachings offered by transformative justice approaches, participants will be challenged to integrate anti-oppressive values into practice.
October 7, 10am to 1pm – Heart-Centered Foundations to Change
This workshop offers a space for individuals to develop, hone, and implement their own anti-oppressive practice. Through the exploration of themes like humility, reflection, vigilance, and nuance, you learn to establish the foundations of collective change--starting with yourself.

Anti-Racism Symposium - March 21, 2024