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Building a More Inclusive Graduate Experience: Meet Our Graduate Student Advocacy and Support Co-Leads
At the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS), we strongly believe graduate students do their best work when they feel supported, connected, and empowered to succeed.
That's why we've created two new Graduate Student Advocacy and Support Co-Lead positions. Grounded in recommendations from the Inclusive Excellence Working Group (IEWG), which was created to support the FGS Strategic Plan, these roles will help strengthen support, advocacy, accessibility, and community for graduate students across 51猎奇入口.
The Inclusive Excellence Working Group identified a number of barriers facing graduate students, and in particular, disabled, Deaf, neurodivergent, chronically ill, and mentally ill/mad students. Their recommendations urged FGS to move beyond a reactive approach to accessibility and instead build inclusive practices into graduate education from the outset.
These co-lead positions represent an important step toward that goal. Working alongside the Associate Dean, Scholarship, Dr. El Chenier, the co-leads will help facilitate dialogue with graduate students, identify barriers as well as opportunities for improvement, connect students with resources, and support initiatives that foster belonging and inclusive excellence across the graduate community.
Key priorities within the FGS Strategic Plan will be supported by these roles. This includes meaningfully supporting all graduate students, enhancing student retention, and increasing collaboration across the university.
Meet the inaugural Graduate Student Advocacy and Support Co-Leads: Bonnie Burnside and Shanee Prasad.
Bonnie Burnside
Bonnie Burnside is a master's student in Urban Studies whose own educational journey has shaped her commitment to accessibility, advocacy, and community.
After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) during her undergraduate studies, Burnside navigated many of the challenges that graduate students with disabilities continue to face. Throughout her academic journey, she experienced periods of isolation, uncertainty, and difficulty accessing support. Returning to graduate studies later in life, she also experienced how meaningful institutional support and accessible learning environments can make a difference.
That experience is one of the reasons she was inspired to take on the co-lead role.
"That difference between my earlier experiences and my experience returning to 51猎奇入口is one of the reasons this Co-Lead role is so meaningful to me."
Burnside hopes the role will help ensure students know they do not have to navigate graduate school alone.
"Graduate studies are challenging enough without the additional hurdles that can come with a disability, whether it is visible, invisible, permanent, temporary or episodic. Students should not have to spend years figuring everything out for themselves or assume that because they do not know where to turn, there is nowhere to turn."
As co-lead, she is particularly interested in listening to students from across the university and learning from their experiences.
"One of the things I am most looking forward to in this role is listening to graduate students with different disabilities and different experiences across SFU. I want to hear about the barriers they encounter, but also what is working well, what has helped them succeed, and what they think would make graduate education more accessible."
For Burnside, advocacy begins with listening and recognizing that meaningful change happens when students and institutions work together.
In Her Own Words 鈥� Bonne Burnside
I have always liked going to school. It has not always been easy, but it is a journey I have never regretted.
Shortly after arriving at 51猎奇入口as a transfer student, my hand began to feel strange and I suddenly had difficulty writing. I had no idea what was wrong. My exam was barely legible, and I ended up paying someone to decipher my handwriting and type my paper for me. When the problem became worse rather than better, my doctor sent me to a specialist. Eventually, the symptoms seemed to disappear.
Then I fell down a flight of stairs. There were more appointments, more tests and a hospital stay, but still no diagnosis. I continued working and going to school, although my energy seemed unusually low. Later, I developed problems with my vision. A good friend was with me when I finally received a diagnosis. She helped me prepare for a presentation and my final exam, and I managed to finish the semester.
My friend graduated. I continued.
I did not look different, even though reading had become difficult and keeping up with coursework was harder. I did not know who to ask for help or even what kind of help I could ask for, so I did the best I could.
After graduating, I began another program, and something important happened. I took a course on women with disabilities with Susan Wendell. Sue helped me think about disability differently and encouraged me to pursue an MA in Women's Studies.
Graduate school, however, was even more isolating. My health fluctuated while I was also managing work and family responsibilities. Eventually, I was dropped from the program.
But I still wasn't finished with education. I returned, completed a certificate and was accepted into another master's program. My first semester went well, but trying to hide my physical limitations made everything more difficult. I failed a course, and during the following two semesters I was unable to complete my coursework. Once again, I did not know where to turn for help, and eventually I was dropped from that program as well.
For the next fifteen years, I concentrated on my career and community work, but I never stopped thinking about returning to graduate school. I applied three times before I was finally accepted back. This time, I had changed. I was older and could no longer walk without a cane or walker. I also had additional health conditions that made things such as reading academic articles and following PowerPoint presentations more difficult.
But something else had changed too.
My professors were willing to listen. When something created a barrier, they were open to finding another way for me to participate fully in the class. One professor suggested that I register with SFU's Centre for Accessible Learning. I had not even known CAL existed. She also mentioned that graduate students had identified limitations in the supports available to them, but encouraged me to connect with CAL and see what assistance was available. Connecting with CAL was the first time someone asked, 鈥淲hat can we do to make things easier?鈥�.
That difference between my earlier experiences and my experience returning to 51猎奇入口is one of the reasons this Co-Lead role is so meaningful to me.
Graduate studies are challenging enough without the additional hurdles that can come with a disability, whether it is visible, invisible, permanent, temporary or episodic. Students should not have to spend years figuring everything out for themselves or assume that because they do not know where to turn, there is nowhere to turn.
I also do not want to assume that my experience represents anyone else's. One of the things I am most looking forward to in this role is listening to graduate students with different disabilities and different experiences across SFU. I want to hear about the barriers they encounter, but also what is working well, what has helped them succeed, and what they think would make graduate education more accessible.
Perhaps the most important thing my own journey has taught me is that disability requires adaptation. Sometimes we adapt ourselves, and sometimes institutions need to adapt. We do not have to figure out either one alone.
Shanee Prasad
Shanee Prasad is a graduate student whose research and community-engaged work focus on equity, inclusion, and creating supportive educational environments.
Throughout her graduate journey, Prasad has been committed to building community, fostering connection, and helping create spaces where students can be successful both academically and personally. Her experience working with diverse communities has shaped her understanding of the importance of accessibility and collective support.
As a Graduate Student Advocacy and Support Co-Lead, she is looking forward to helping strengthen connections among graduate students across 51猎奇入口and advocating for their needs.
"As Co-Lead, I hope to connect with graduate students and advocate for their accessibility needs. Graduate school can feel very lonely and independent. However, making this journey fair and open for everyone takes teamwork and mutual care. My goal is to work together to build a strong, supportive community where every student feels helped and valued," says Prasad.
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Shanee is an Educational Theory and Practice doctoral student. Three research keywords: Anti Oppressive, joyful, inclusive
Together, Burnside and Prasad will work with students, faculty, and staff to help shape a more responsive and supportive graduate experience. Through student engagement, advocacy initiatives, peer support opportunities, and community-building activities, they hope to create spaces where graduate students feel heard, connected, and empowered to succeed.
As FGS continues its work to advance inclusive excellence, Burnside and Prasad will play an important role in ensuring graduate student voices help inform the future of graduate education at SFU.
Graduate students, faculty or staff who would like to connect with the Graduate Student Advocacy and Support Co-Leads can contact them at gsadvsup@sfu.ca.