Social Justice in the University Context University of Kent at Canterbury March 2012

1. Social Justice in the University ContextUniversity of Kent at CanterburyMarch 2012 Adrienne S. Chan, PhD University of the Fraser Valley Canada

2. Objectives of the research To examine social justice within Canadian universities (experiences, practices, policies, contexts, institutional culture). This includes a consideration of diversity and equity.

3. Overview • Research conducted over a three year period • Background research – documentary review : 20 universities • Field research – three universities, interviews

4. Social Justice • Fairness and equity • Access, resources, rights, and treatment for marginalized individuals, and groups of people who do not share equal power in society. • (Constantine, Hage, Kindaichi, & Bryant, 2007)

5. Twenty universities • Research intensive and teaching intensive

6. “Pillars” of social justice on the basis of the 20 universities Aboriginal Access Policy and Services; International Education Human Rights & Harassment Policy Equity and diversity policy Disability issues and services Relationship to the community

7. Three case studies • University of British Columbia • McMaster University • St. Francis Xavier University

8. UBC

9. UBC

10. McMaster

11. McMaster

12. McMaster

13. St. Francis Xavier

14. St Francis Xavier Equity@X MARCH 2008 International Women’s Day ~~~Guest Speaker ~~~ Kim Pate, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies will speak on Women Prisoners in Canada: the Criminalization and Institutionalization of Women on the Margins. This is sponsored by StFX Human Rights & Equity Office, StFX Women's Studies and the Antigonish Women's Resource Centre.

15. St. Francis Xavier

16. Theme 1- Policies for International Education, Aboriginal Education, and Inclusion

17. Theme 2 – Human Rights and Equity: Policies for inclusion? • “it’s a discrimination and harassment policy. … the word equity was a bit of a trigger word. So we’ll all talk in terms of equity but we’re really talking in broader terms.” • Human rights and harassment prevention • Equity and diversity • Disability issues

18. Theme 3 – Contradictions resistance to change • Surviving in the academy requires compliance to the “community rules, language and culture”… This community is uni-cultural; it is the uni-versity,”

19. Contradictions

20. Theme 4 – Policy discourses • “…working with an equity advisory committee I began to draft a policy, I looked at policies across the country and took what I thought were best practices from other universities because there really was no equity policy regarding that. …there was a lot of resistance… • …faculty through various departments expressed concerns around issues like employment equity”

21. Policy discourses • Some human rights harassment policy tends to focus on sexual harassment only. • Policy discourses evokes a sense of containment and gatekeeping (e.g. hiring): there is a “reification of qualities and characteristics” that make a ‘good’ faculty member

22. The future… Re-examination of what it means to say we are committed to Social Justice, Equity, and Diversity. The purpose of policies: Diversity, equity, human rights, harassment Addressing campus “culture”: inclusion Individual and collective agency; advisory groups to advocate for policy change and policy action Training and education about policy – related to “live” processes

23. Thank you • Adrienne S. Chan • University of the Fraser Valley • Canada • adrienne.chan@ufv.ca