The Role of Students

Focus on reaffirming our commitment to developing a school community and student body that are committed to anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion as a part of their academic and co-curricular endeavours.

To begin the year and make clear our commitment to student understanding, all students received learning on the revised Anti-Racism and Equity Policy, including strategies to interrupt safely and disrupt if they see racism, harassment or discrimination.

UTS Administration and co-curricular advisors have been working closely with student clubs and committees on student-related issues related to equity and inclusion, such as ensuring inclusive recruitment and diverse student representation across clubs and activities as well as how to respond when we witness acts of harassment or discrimination in cocurricular spaces.

The Student Council has been working with the Social Justice Coalition to create and institutionalize opportunities in their mandate to ensure that the Student Council remains truly representative and reflective of the student body and provide advice on student issues related to anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion.

UTS is proud to support a number of student clubs and initiatives related to learning about and addressing issues related to anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion including:

• the Indigenous Solidarity Committee

• the Black Equity Committee

• Advancing Equity for Asians

• the Gender Equity Committee

• the Gender-Sexuality Alliance.

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which took place September 30, UTS centered the entire day around truth-telling, to learn about discrimination experienced by Indigenous peoples, to honour our commitments to antiracism learning and to begin addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action No. 62. Afternoon collaborations with Indigenous educators helped students develop understandings of Indigenous ways of knowing in topics ranging from treaties to Kanyen’keha (the Mohawk language) to Indigenous ecological relationships with the land and more.

As part of our commitment to increasing diversity and representation at UTS, our outreach initiatives further developed “Community Connections,” a version of which has existed for more than five years, and focuses on offering a welcoming affinity space for prospective students and families from historically underrepresented communities to connect with current students, families and staff. In October, Community Connections hosted an open house, bringing Black-identifying prospective, current, and alumni families together to build community and share information and provide learning about all UTS has to offer.