SP0263: Community of Support McGill and Black Students Pathway

Sustaining human capital (which includes people’s health, education, skills, knowledge, leadership, and access to services) requires the implementation of a system that protects the dignity and promotes the sense of belonging of all. Black members of the community often feel disenfranchised and disempowered when historic and systemic barriers continue to be a reality. Systemic barriers within the Canadian and Quebec Health Care systems are at the root of racial inequalities affecting the health of Black Canadians. These same barriers prevent Black students from accessing medical school. The purpose of the BSAP and COS projects would be to better serve the needs of the Black community by removing biases that may be present at the admissions level and provides support during the application process. Overall, this project is designed to improve the well-being of Black students by providing much- needed resources and support networks. This initiative seeks to foster a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for Black students, helping to build social sustainability at McGill. The project aims to further the University’s commitment to equity and inclusivity by providing support. Funding received would be dedicated chiefly to the salary for a one-year term of a Community Projects Manager. Research has shown that diversity in the student body improves the education experience by enabling students to exchange information and share value systems of different cultures (Whitla et al., 2003). Increasing the cultural competency and humility of students does not only enhance the learning environment; it has also been associated with positive outcomes in preparing students to meet the needs of a diverse population (Saha et al., 2008), therefore also benefiting patients.

The Community Projects Manager will: 1) plan and develop the McGill Community of Support (COS) and Black Student Admission Pathway (BSAP) projects in collaboration with SACE and the Admission Office; 2) act as the central liaison for ready-to-apply Black students or students within the different medicine and health sciences programs.; 3) manage large student awareness events (webinars) and campaigns about topics such as school- specific admissions criteria and application support ; 4) plan, develop, and implement projects to create spaces where black students can connect with and support each other; 5) create strategies and resources to facilitate recruitment and outreach for black students; 6) collaborate with SACE to strengthen relationships with existing campus groups/individuals who have mandates that address the issues and experiences of black students and other Universities with an existing COS program.