Office of the Provost and Vice‑President AcademicCommitted to student success

Introduction of TRU EDI Fellows and Their Projects

Dear colleagues,

Weyt-kp. Last year, TRU called for applications for an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Fellows program. I am pleased to introduce TRU’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Fellows, who will work closely with the Office of the Provost and the Executive Director of EDI and Anti-Racism throughout the upcoming academic year.

This initiative is a joint effort between TRU and TRUFA to advance recommendations from the Anti-Racism Working Group (ARWG). Each Fellow will focus on implementing a specific project that aligns with these recommendations, aimed at fostering an anti-racist, inclusive environment across our university.

Here is a brief overview of the projects our EDI Fellows will lead:

Dr. Bodrun Nahar (Gaglardi School of Business and Economics) — Dr. Nahar's project focuses on developing and implementing comprehensive anti-racism and allyship training for TRU faculty and staff. She will collect primary and secondary data through focus groups and feedback from racialized students, staff, and instructors to inform curriculum development. Her work aims to integrate anti-racist pedagogy into course offerings across various disciplines and provide ongoing support to faculty through curriculum reviews and training programs.

Dr. Wei Yan (Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching) — Dr. Yan’s project centres on launching a series of ongoing campaigns/events, lecture series and talks on anti-racism, as well as producing an onboarding and ongoing education set of modules for new staff and faculty to become educated on racism, racialization, and genuine ally-ship. His key focus areas at TRU have included creating a Community of Practice (CoP) to bring together faculty from diverse backgrounds and initiating a research project on how faculty navigate diversity in the classroom. Dr. Yan plans to develop a series of workshops on anti-racism literacy and allyship for delivery in early 2025.

Dr. Manu Sharma (Department of Education and Social Work) — Dr. Sharma’s project seeks to build partnerships with community organizations and develop anti-racism initiatives through campaigns and outreach. Her work will also focus on encouraging self-disclosure of race and ethnicity within the TRU community. By leveraging connections with local and provincial organizations, Dr. Sharma will explore how other universities address similar anti-racism efforts, applying these insights to TRU's context

Dr. Tanya Manning-Lewis (School of Education Graduate Programs) — Dr. Manning-Lewis will lead an initiative to embed anti-racism curricula across foundational courses in TRU’s baccalaureate degree programs. She will partner with faculty from multiple disciplines to develop anti-racist teaching modules, creating a community of practice to support instructors in integrating these practices. Her project includes piloting the curriculum and evaluating its impact on students and faculty through surveys and feedback.

These projects mark a significant step forward in our collective efforts to address systemic racism and promote a more inclusive campus environment. I encourage the TRU community to engage with and support the important work of our EDI Fellows as we strive toward meaningful and lasting change.

Kukwstsétsemc.

Gillian Balfour
Provost and Vice-President Academic

Searches to begin for key academic leadership positions

Dear colleagues,

Weyt-kp. I want to share an update with you about searches for three key leadership positions at TRU.

In the coming weeks, search committees working with outside executive search firms will begin the task of seeking leaders to focus on furthering TRU’s strategic priorities.

The first search to get underway will be for a Vice-Provost of Open Learning, Teaching, and Innovation. As the province sets out its Digital Learning Strategy, this new position for TRU will provide academic leadership as we move towards a holistic, flexible delivery model for all TRU students and foster a culture of scholarship in teaching and learning.

To ensure we find the right candidate, we have engaged Dr. Jennie Massey from KBRS as a consultant to support the process. KBRS Executive Search has one of the largest teams in the country dedicated to this sector. I anticipate consultations with key internal and external stakeholders will begin by the end of August.

I encourage you to stay engaged throughout these processes, provide feedback when asked, and support our search committees in their work. In collaboration, we can ensure that TRU remains at the forefront of educational innovation and student success.

Kukwstsétsemc.

Gillian Balfour
Provost and Vice-President Academic