51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú

As the fall term gets underway, the Equity Office and partners continue to work towards operationalizing our value of equity and belonging. Here is a snapshot of EDI actions advanced at 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Úover the summer months. 

Building community and support at the Black Student Centre 

This summer, the Black Student Centre (BSC) offered a range of programs that brought students together, supported their success and strengthened community on campus. Highlights include: 

• Black Writing Collective: Partnership with SFU's Research Commons  that supports Black graduate students as they develop their research and writing.
• World Cup Community Connect event: Invited students, faculty and staff to gather, watch the games and enjoy the excitement of having the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted in Vancouver. 
• Student drop-in support: Students who visited the BSC also had easy access to academic and career support. 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿ÚCareer and Volunteer Services and Student Co-op held drop-in hours throughout the semester, and the Library's Writing Commons also offered writing assistance on site.  
• BSC garden program: Students also took part in the BSC garden program, volunteering their time to plant and maintain fresh vegetables.  
• Terageta Collective: The BSC also supported this student-led event that brought together individuals from the BIPOC community to discuss, learn and explore health and wellness through conversations, presentations and interactive activities.   

To learn more about BSC programming, visit the BSC website.  

51ÁÔÆæÈë¿ÚBlack Community Kitchen highlights flavours of the diaspora 

Throughout the summer, the 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿ÚBlack Community Kitchen brought students and community members together to cook, share meals and learn about the histories and cultures behind foods from across the Black diaspora. In May, a Haitian kitchen at the Black Student Centre celebrated signature Haitian flavours and their ties to Haitian heritage and resistance. In June, a special Juneteenth kitchen, held with Embark Sustainability, explored African American cuisine and the role food played in the journey to emancipation from chattel slavery. August's kitchen offered students a relaxed space to study together during exam season while enjoying sweet treats from across the diaspora and September opened the fall semester with guest cooks sharing Bajan dishes and their cultural significance in Barbados. Each gathering creates a welcoming space to break bread, learn and build community. 

Everyone is invited to join future kitchens — visit the BSC events calendar to find the next event. 

Advancing equity through Special Programs 

51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Úis committed to equitable employment practices that advance our academic mission, in compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks at the provincial and federal levels, for all aspects of the employment relationship. These practices and commitments are also reflected in 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Úpolicy and collective agreements and are anchored in What’s Next: The 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿ÚStrategy and other institutional strategic plans. 

One of the ways 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Úcontinues to advance this commitment is through its Special Programs designation, authorized by the B.C. Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. This is one of many actions the university is taking to remove barriers to employment access and extend opportunities to qualified candidates from equity-deserving groups who are historically and currently underrepresented. The university-wide initiative supports targeted recruitment of Indigenous and Black faculty and staff, working to address systemic underrepresentation and strengthen excellence through a diversity of perspectives, knowledge and lived experiences.

Learn more about SFU’s Special Programs initiative. 

51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Úprepares to host national conference on human rights, equity and inclusion in higher education 

Planning continued over the summer for 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Úto host the 2026 Canadian Association for the Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment in Higher Education (CAPDHHE) conference at the Vancouver campus on October 15–16.

The national conference will bring together educators, administrators, practitioners and thought leaders to explore inclusive excellence, equity, accessibility, decolonization, anti-racism, well-being and institutional change in higher education. Through workshops, panels and applied learning opportunities, participants will share approaches for translating institutional commitments into practice and building more equitable and thriving campus communities.

Learn more about the  

EDI-related supports

51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Úis committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive community for all. Important work is being undertaken by our Equity Office to ensure that 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Úis a safe and welcoming space for all students, faculty and staff. Please see our list of identity-based supports and reach out if you need help. For all other supports, please visit our community supports page.