National Dialogues and Action
The 2020 Dialogues have concluded. Watch the recordings of the plenary sessions and the concurrent dialogue sessions.
The University of Toronto and Canadian universities and colleges across the country are coming together to facilitate a national conversation to develop concrete actions for change in higher education and in our communities.
The National Dialogues are a series of national forums focused on addressing equity and inclusion in Canadian post-secondary education. The first in the series is a National Dialogue that will focus on anti-Black racism and Black inclusion in Canadian higher education, and will take place on Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. (ET).
This year’s Dialogues and Action will focus on sharing experiences and ideas, exploring and learning best practices, and contributing to the formulation and implementation of concrete actions that resolutely reject anti-Black racism and drive meaningful, enduring Black inclusion within individual universities and colleges; the higher education sector, in general; and our communities.
Over the course of two days, participants will have the opportunity to choose from amongst nine interactive online dialogues with panelists from academia and beyond to address student, faculty, and staff access and success; inclusive teaching, learning and curricula; inclusive decision-making structures; responsibilities and obligations of non-black peers; mentorship and more. The concurrent dialogues will explore the relevant issues considering the diverse and intersecting identities within the Black community.
The first day of the Dialogues will focus on systemic anti-Black racism, key barriers to Black inclusion & approaches to identifying and responding to them, while the second day will focus on developing concrete actions and accountability mechanisms for structural and systemic change.
The outcome of the deliberations will inform the creation of a charter of principles and commitments, which will support the implementation of the actions identified, and help to sustain an enduring culture against anti-Black racism and in support of Black inclusion.
Currently committed institutions and organizations
Institutions and organizations interested in committing to the initiative as partners should contact Rena Prashad, Senior Project Strategist, at national.dialogues@utoronto.ca.
| Acadia University | Adler University – Vancouver Campus | Algoma University |
| Bishop's University | Brandon University | Brock University |
| Capilano University Faculty Association | Carleton University | Centennial College |
| Concordia University | Concordia University of Edmonton | Council of Ontario Universities |
| Dalhousie University | Durham College | École de technologie supérieure |
| Emily Carr University of Art + Design | Fleming College | Kwantlen Polytechnic University |
| MacEwan University | Massey College – U of T | McGill University |
| McMaster University | Memorial University of Newfoundland | Mount Allison University |
| Mount Royal University | Mount Saint Vincent University | Nipissing University |
| OCAD University | Ontario Tech University | Queen's University |
| Renison University College | Royal Roads University | Ryerson University |
| Saint Mary’s University | Simon Fraser University | St Francis Xavier University |
| Sheridan College | Trent University | Université de Montréal |
| Université Laval | Universities Canada | University of Alberta |
| University of British Columbia | University of Calgary | University of Guelph |
| University of Manitoba | University of Lethbridge | University of New Brunswick |
| University of Ottawa | University of Prince Edward Island | Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) |
| Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) | University of Regina | University of Saskatchewan |
| University of St. Michael’s College (U of T) | University of Toronto | University of Victoria |
| University of Waterloo | University of Windsor | University of Winnipeg |
| Vancouver Island University | Western University | Wilfrid Laurier University |
| York University | Yukon University | |
Accessible services available upon request
American Sign Language
American Sign Language is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canada.
Live Captioning (provided in French and English)
Captioning is aimed at people who are Deaf and Hearing Impaired. Captioning, similar to television subtitling, converts the spoken word into text, which is displayed on an electronic caption unit that is viewed by the audience.
French Interpretation
Simultaneous interpretation refers to a live interpretive technique in which a professional interpreter listens to a speech and translates it in real time into another language, with only a few seconds of lag between the speaker and the interpreter.
