The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) survey and focus groups are now closed.

As part of University Canada West’s ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable community, we are conducting an anonymous survey for students to gather feedback and perspectives on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at UCW.

UCW has retained Veza Global, a Vancouver-based consulting firm, to lead our efforts. The consultations will begin with a fully anonymous and confidential online survey, followed by a series of focus groups that will explore issues in greater depth. Veza Global will also conduct an audit of our policies and practices and provide recommendations for improvement.

We welcome your contribution and participation in this initiative.

Both the survey and focus groups include topics that may be sensitive or challenging for some students, including racism, misogyny, discrimination and harassment. Support is available by contacting: 

  • Guard Me Student Support Program
    Guard Me Student Support Program helps students manage their mental health by connecting them with a counsellor who understands their culture in their preferred language. Guard Me Student Support Program is free for all UCW students and can be accessed through the MySSP app, Guard Me Student Support Program online or by directly contacting 1-844-451-9700 (if calling from outside the United States or Canada, dial 001-416-380-6578).
  • Here2Talk
    This is an online service that connects post-secondary students with mental health support when they need it. This service has one-on-one counselling. You can find more information on their webpage here: here2talk.ca. You can also dial in to reach a counsellor using their Canada-wide toll-free 1-877-857-3397, Canada-wide direct-line 604-642-5212.

DEI Survey for Students

Your participation in this survey is extremely important and valuable to us. The survey should take about 30 minutes to complete and all responses will be kept confidential.

For questions about privacy or the confidentiality of the survey, please email [email protected]. For questions about the survey’s contents, or to provide additional feedback or request a one-on-one conversation with Veza Global, please complete the online form at this link.

DEI Focus Groups for Students

Veza Global will be conducting a series of focus groups that will explore DEI issues at UCW in greater depth. The intention is to hear more from members of the UCW Community, particularly those who identify as IBPOC, women, gender diverse or part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ or disability communities.

Students are encouraged to sign up for one or more of the focus groups that apply to them. Please use the links below to sign up for the focus groups.

FAQ

Each focus group will be about one hour long. Supervisors and managers have been asked to accommodate employees wishing to participate in these sessions. Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions.

The sessions will be facilitated by a member of the Veza Global team and will be conducted via Zoom.

The facilitator will ask questions about your experience at UCW (both positive and negative aspects), including instances of discrimination, racism, misogyny or harassment that you may have witnessed or experienced at UCW and your feelings of belonging.

For questions about the focus group content or to provide feedback, please complete the online form at this link.

You will attend a session with a group of other people, so feedback shared during a focus group will not be anonymous. We do expect that all participants will treat all information shared as confidential and not share it beyond the focus group.

Any information you share will not be attributed to you or contain any identifying details when it is passed onto UCW. It will be compiled and analyzed with the data of all the participants.

If you would prefer to give feedback anonymously, an online form is available at this link.

For questions about the confidentiality of the focus groups, please email [email protected].

The information will be compiled into findings and recommendations for UCW, which will then be used to inform new and amended policies and other DEI initiatives in the future.

DEI Focus Group Registration

The following focus groups welcome participants to discuss issues, concerns and recommendations related to diversity, equity and inclusion at UCW. To create a more comfortable and welcoming space for participants to share their experiences, thoughts and concerns, many focus groups restrict registration to specific groups and populations. Please read the focus group descriptions carefully.

We request that you only register for the focus group(s) that reflect(s) your identity, current role and/or experience at UCW.

IBPOC Students

This focus group is for UCW students who identify as Indigenous, Black or a person of colour. We recognize race is complicated and invite people to self-identify.

Women and gender diverse students

This focus group is for students who identify as women or gender diverse. This includes cisgender women, transgender women and those whose gender identity or expression is not exclusively male or exclusively female. We recognize that gender exists along a spectrum and invite people to self-identify.

Students with disabilities

This focus group is for UCW students with disabilities, including both physical and mental disabilities.

2SLGBTQIA+ Students

This focus group is for UCW students who self-identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.

Domestic Students

This focus group is for domestic students currently enrolled at UCW.