The annual report, produced by the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office, demonstrates university’s efforts to advance Black excellence at UBC.
To advance its commitments to the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion and to operationalize recommendation 13 of the 2022 Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force Report, UBC’s Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism (StEAR) Framework and 2023–2026 Roadmap for Change support the intentional planning, implementation, evaluation and communication of progress on Black excellence.
Drawing on institutional data from the Employment Equity Survey and Student Diversity Census, and responses from over 90 academic and administrative units through the 2024 StEAR Inventory, the report highlights both progress and ongoing gaps.
Report highlights
- Representation of Black students, faculty, and staff varies across campuses and roles. While representation of Black faculty and staff has seen some growth, it remains below the representation of Black people in the Canadian population. Among students, 3.7 per cent of census respondents identified as Black, with 4.7 per cent at UBC Okanagan (UBCO) and 3.5 per cent at UBC Vancouver.
- Faculty and staff hiring initiatives such as the Black Faculty Cohort Hiring Initiative and expanded postdoctoral and mentoring opportunities are underway to increase recruitment, retention, and advancement of Black scholars.
- Black student programs and spaces have been created across both campuses, including Black Student Success programs at UBCO, Black Student Orientations, and dedicated cultural spaces that support connection, wellbeing, and academic success.
- Cross-campus initiatives include funding for Black-led research, networks for Black faculty and staff, and new scholarships supported through donor partnerships.
- Over 50 per cent of responding units reported they are currently implementing or sustaining work to support Black excellence at the local level.
Challenges and Lessons Learnt
The report also identifies several systemic barriers that continue to impact the advancement of Black excellence at UBC. Key challenges include:
- Pathway and Pipeline to and through Professoriate: The underrepresentation of Black students in graduate and doctoral programs impacts future faculty and leadership diversity. The report calls for deeper, discipline-specific analysis to explore academic pathways of Black individuals.
- Collecting and Triangulating Demographic and Experiential Data: While UBC has strong participation in its Employment Equity Survey, there remains an ongoing need for more comprehensive and integrated demographic and experiential data to monitor trends and drive change.
- Human Rights Supported Targeted Fundraising: While donor support is growing, especially from individuals, more preparation is needed to engage internal and external partners in respectful, informed ways.
What’s next
The findings in this report reflect early progress in a long-term effort—and identify areas where continued attention and investment are needed. As efforts continue across the university, UBC will focus on strengthening pathways for Black students’ and employees’ success, addressing structural barriers in recruitment and retention, and expanding data-informed strategies to advance institutional equity. Progress will require continued coordination, reflection and collaboration across faculties, portfolios and leadership levels.