CUPFA initiated its own Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion service for members in spring 2020 to promote interactive discussions, support, and training and to help their CUPFA colleagues build fair, respectful, and equitable treatment in and beyond the classroom and workplace.
Our EDI team lead is Jacqueline Peters, a researcher and author on themes of language and identity, including the role of ethnocultural empathy in dealing with racism. She is active in the Concordia community, participating on the Anti-Black Racism Task Force steering committee, as co-lead of the Employment Initiatives subcommittee, Coordinator of the Caucus of Black Concordians and was a member of Concordia’s Advising and Working Groups on EDI.
Jacqueline is available for confidential assistance on EDI-related matters such as race and racism, gender and sexual identities, classroom language and behaviours, disabilities, health, wellness, and other pertinent situations identified by members.
Contact EDI@cupfa.org to share your thoughts, talk about those sometimes difficult conversations, and get the information and assistance you need.
Participate in a growing list of workshops such as:
- “Seeing the Unseen”: Encountering and Countering Microaggressions in fall 2021 helped participants recognize subtle exclusionary actions and offered responses to help minimize occurrences.
- “Seeing the Unseen” – Part 2: Micro Interventions” followed in winter 2022, introducing micro interventions with accessible strategies and solutions for EDI related situations on or off campus.
- “Language in the Classroom: Inclusion and Exclusion” started in spring 2023 with a focused sharing of knowledge, insights and experience on current language challenges and practical perspectives on inclusiveness.
- “Queer/Trans 101 & Pronoun Use” led by a presenter from Concordia’s Centre for Gender Advocacy in fall 2024 on the basics of queer and trans identities, historical use of gender-neutral pronouns, practical overview and discussion on using inclusive language.
