We aspire to grow and nurture a vibrant and inclusive community where people with diverse perspectives and experiences co-create a sense of belonging.
Goal 1
Foster belonging by creating opportunities for OSOT community members to feel connected and to have genuine influence in shaping the department.
To achieve this goal, we will:
1. Review committee membership
Review committee membership and seek meaningful representation from across sites, and roles, and actively include diverse experiential expertise.
2. Create means for sharing ideas
Create varied means for sharing ideas (e.g., town halls, open website form, during meetings).
3. Hold an annual summer celebration
Hold an annual summer celebration bringing together all sites (faculty, staff, students) with activities determined by the community.
Measure
We will track progress towards this goal, by distributing an annual ‘People & Belonging’ survey to faculty, staff, students, and clinical faculty to measure levels of satisfaction in this area.
Goal 2
Intentionally attract and support students, faculty, and staff with diverse experiential expertise or lived experience.
To achieve this goal, we will:
1. Remove barriers in hiring and recruitment
Work with UBC equity-focused units and OSOT community members to assess and provide recommendations of how to remove barriers in hiring and recruiting faculty, staff, and students.
2. Broaden admissions criteria
Broaden student admissions criteria, and design strategies/tools for prioritizing experiential expertise as part of the assessment of applications.
3. Create opportunities for diverse recognition
Create opportunities for more diverse recognition, acknowledging the labour of creating safer spaces and building relationships inside and outside the department.
4. Organize educational sessions
Organize educational sessions for the OSOT community on topics that promote justice, equity, and belonging.
Measure
We will track progress towards this goal by distributing an annual ‘People & Belonging’ survey to faculty, staff, students, and clinical faculty, to understand and measure the variety of experiential expertise and lived experience.
Goal 3
Consciously develop and maintain learning and working environments that are safer, supportive, and connected to enrich the wellbeing and success of all.
To achieve this goal, we will:
1. Hold workshops on best practice
Hold workshops on best practice with accessible and culturally-informed communication, presentations/documentation, and conduct.
2. Create opportunities for connection
Create timely opportunities for professional connection between faculty members and students across sites.
3. Collaborate with local Indigenous communities
Collaborate with local Indigenous communities to arrange appropriate opportunities to regularly and respectfully connect the departmental community with local lands and traditions.
4. Create a Wellbeing Committee
Create a Wellbeing Committee to organize social events across sites, inviting colleagues from other departments and external partners where possible.
Measure
We will track progress towards this goal by distributing an annual ‘People & Belonging’ survey to measure responses to the inclusivity of our learning and working environments.
Goal 4
Nurture relationships with other programs, partners, organizations, professional and government bodies, and institutions.
To achieve this goal, we will:
1. Host regular alumni events
Work with the Faculty of Medicine Alumni Development & Engagement Office to host regular alumni events and opportunities for connection.
2. Identify and nurture existing relationships
Identify, capture, and as a department collectively nurture existing relationships and partnerships with community-based groups, non-profit organizations and people with lived experience.
3. Advocate for the role of OTs
Work collaboratively with CAOT, regulatory college, and other professional organizations to advocate for the role of occupational therapists.
Measure
We will track progress towards this goal by determining our current list of partners as a baseline, and then monitoring the growth and quality of our partnership activities.
People & Belonging: Summary of Goals, Actions & Measures
Download People & Belonging: Summary of Goals, Actions and Measures (pdf)