SP0159: McGill Racialized Students Support Project

McGill has pledged many times that it places high value on being an inclusive and welcoming place that celebrates diversity. While McGill has a diverse student body with representation of many racialized and ethnic groups, 24% of students (mostly racialized) have reported experiencing discrimination, primarily from other students (2013 Diversity and Discrimination Report). Racialized members of the community often feel disenfranchised and disempowered when systemic barriers continue to be a reality. With growing numbers of international students, these numbers are likely to grow. This project seeks to address the serious need for support for racialized and ethic students in the McGill community. Racialized students who lack a sense of belonging tend to have poorer mental health, university engagement and academic achievement, and thus, creating safer spaces on campus will improve the overall wellbeing and engagement of racialized students, and will encourage more racialized students to apply to and attend McGill in the future. By working to make the structures and processes at McGill more accommodating to the needs of racialized students, and by strengthening McGill's network of partnerships on racialized and ethnic issues, this project will improve racialized students' access to services and student life on campus. 

This project will create a Community Projects Manager (Racialized and Ethnic Students) position to support racialized and ethnic students on an individual and institutional level, and manage annual community-wide awareness campaigns and event programming to address racism and discrimination on campus, with a focus on the experiences of undergraduate and graduate students. This programming is designed to cultivate a sense of community for racialized students, who may often feel isolated from the community. The manager will also create toolkits that provide information resources and material to facilitate the organization of community-building events in the future. The Community Projects Manager position will complement the educational work of the Equity Advisors at SEDE and collaborate with Student Services to support students. 

Funds from the SPF will be used to compensate the Community Projects Manager position, possible support staff, as well as a tutor position to meet with students to provide mentoring- and academic-related guidance. Resources from the SPF will also be used to design promotional material and facilitate events, as well as provide event catering, and other supplies needed.