11 Additional Resources
There are additional resources to explore, such as anonymous feedback for campus improvement, peer and caucus groups to join, and community resources to engage with!
CONTENT WARNING: Depending on your lived experiences and identities, some of the content on this site may be troubling, uncomfortable, challenging, and, at times, triggering. Engage mindfully and intentionally when embarking on your exploration of Learning in Colour, and connect with resources for students if needed.
The Suggestion Box
Our suggestion box was inspired by Glenda Vanderleeuw, an alum of McMaster University’s School of Social Work, who created an arts- and text-based anonymous suggestion box for students of colour to give feedback and recommendations for enhancing and improving educational experiences within the School of Social Work. We are looking to extend this as a campus-wide initiative that seeks to capture and keep confidential the anonymous suggestions, needs, and concerns of racialized students at McMaster University.
If you have:
- suggestions for the university in handling conflict resolution,
- anecdotes to inform school policy and procedure,
- recommendations for course development and curriculum development,
- possible ideas for expanding student groups,
- suggestions for interpersonal communication and affairs,
- a call for specific resources needed on campus for students of colour,
- suggestions for resources to be added to our list for BIPOC students,
- and other nuanced feedback,
then this suggestion box is for you!
The suggestion box will be monitored by the developers of the website (Renata Hall and Madison Brockbank) to collect and synthesize the collective suggestions brought forth by BIPIOC students to inform faculty, appropriate departments, and pedagogical conversations and needs. The suggestion box will be used to advocate, yearly, for services, resources, and other needs identified by the BIPOC community at Mac. Submissions that are written and art-based are welcome.
DISCLAIMER: This suggestion box is not to:
- be used as a tool for therapy if experiencing discrimination or racism on campus,
- to hold identifying information and stories,
- express racist and discriminatory comments, rhetoric, or ideas (these comments will be collected and reported if found)
- provide specific service suggestion or follow-up on individual concerns.
Should you need resources or guidance around these areas, please explore the conflict resolution, therapy, and resources tabs on this page for further information and navigation. Website developers will not be “responding” to suggestions on an individual basis.
For feedback please visit our suggestion box!
Peer Support and Caucus Groups On Campus
Please visit the MSU Clubs Directory for more details about BIPOC groups, other clubs of interest, contact information, and how to join, if interested! Here is a shortlist to consider:
- United in Colour(UIC)
- African Caribbean Faculty Association of McMaster (ACFAM-I)
- Ahmadiyya Muslim Student Association
- Armenian Student’s Association
- Association fo Koren-Canadian Scientists and Engineers (AKCSE) at McMaster
- Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster Association
- Black Students Association and the Black Mentorship Program
- BlackSpace
- Bollywood at Mac
- Canadian Black Nurses Alliance McMaster (CBNA McMaster)
- Desi Students at McMaster
- Empowerment Squared
- Filipino McMaster Student Association
- Gaana at Mac
- Hamilton Chinese Christian Fellowship
- HanVoice McMaster
- Hispanic and Portuguese Club
- Iraqi Students’ Association
- Korean Culture and Language Club (KCLC)
- Law Aspiring Black Students (L.A.B.S)
- MacAfricans
- MacGEET
- McMaster Afghan Students Association
- McMaster Ahlul-Bayt Islamic Society (MAIS)
- McMaster Association of West Indian Students
- McMaster Bengali Student Association
- McMaster Chinese Catholic Community
- McMaster Chinese News Network
- McMaster Chinese Student’s Association
- McMaster Culture Connect
- McMaster Egyptian Students Association
- McMaster French Club
- McMaster Gujarati Students Association
- McMaster Hillel
- McMaster Hindu Students Association
- McMaster Indian Association
- McMaster Indigenous Student Community Alliance
- McMaster Indigenous Health Movements
- McMaster Iranian Student Association
- McMaster Ismaili Student Association
- McMaster Japanese Connection
- McMaster Korean Pop Culture Club
- McMaster Korean Christian Fellowship
- McMaster Malayalee Students Association
- McMaster Muslins for Peace and Justice
- McMaster Punjabi Association
- McMaster School of Bhangra
- McMaster Sikh Student’s Association
- McMaster Sri Lankan Association
- McMaster Taiwanese Student Society
- McMaster Tamil Student’s Association (MacTSA)
- McMaster Vietnamese Students Association
- Middle Eastern Student’s Association
- Muslin Students Association
- Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS)
- Pakistani Students Association
- Project ACNC (Accessible Care for New Canadians)
- Queer and Trans Colour Club
- Race, Racialization, and Racism – President’s Advisory Committee on Building an Inclusive Community
- True Vision Ghana McMaster
Community Groups, Organizations, and Services
- Afro Canadian Caribbean Association Hamilton
- African Canadian Action Congress
- Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC)
- Black Lives Matter
- Canadian Japanese Cultural Centre of Hamilton (CJCC)
- COBRA: Coalition of Black & Racialized Artists Hamilton
- Metis Women’s Circle
- MississaugaIt’s ok to take a break!s of the New Credit First Nation
- Mishka Social Services
- Muslim Association of Hamilton (Mountain Mosque)
- Muslin Community Resources
- Hamilton Regional Indian Centre
- Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion
- Hamilton Chinese Community Services Centre
- Hamilton Mosque/Islamic Society of Hamilton
- Indian Canada Society of Hamilton and Region
- De dwa de dehs nye.s (Aboriginal Health Centre)
- Native Women’s Centre
- Rafiki Hamilton
- Refuge: Hamilton Centre for Newcomer Health
- Six Nations of the Grand River
- South Asian Heritage Association of Hamilton and Region
- Taiwanese Canadian Community Service Organization
- Unified Sri Lankan Muslim Community of Canada
Conflict Resolution Pathways at McMaster University
Being armed with resources and pathways to address instances of racism, discrimination, and harm in the classroom or on school grounds is a necessary tool for students of colour. Unfortunately, some will go through their entire University experience unheard and with issues unresolved. Having pathways to formalized school support is necessary in addressing your concerns in the moment as a safeguard/buffer to racial trauma, but also brings to light the cyclicality and recurring nature of harmful experiences on campus. Here are some resources that may assist:
- Equity and Inclusion Office (EIO)
- The Equity and Inclusion Office at McMaster is a resource for students that includes human rights and dispute resolutions, inclusion and anti-racism education, accessibility programming, and sexual violence and prevention response programming. They are also equipped with guides on how to respond to instances of harm and human rights violations of campus. The McMaster Univeristy Discrimination and Harasment policy would be particularly beneifical to students of colour who need assistance in navigating dispute and complaint resolutions and decisions in regards to experiences of racism and discrimination on campus. Please see the dispute and complaint resolution tab for more.
- Ombuds
- The ombuds office is a resource for general information and referrals, assistance with the resolution of individual complaints, facilitation of investigations, and systemic recommendations for improvements to campus climate. Comprised of several committee members, the Ombuds office contributes the development of policies and procedures and participates in educational initiatives on fair decision making.
- The Ombuds office typically handles academic concerns, such as appeals and petitions, examinations, academic dishonesty, research misconduct, withdrawal or reinstatements, and course rules or management. They also assist with non-academic concerns, such as behavioural or professional codes of conduct, on-campus employment, residence life, financial matters, clubs and associations, and quality of services.
- For students of colour, Ombuds can act as a resource for student appeal procedures, academic accommodations, reviewing codes of conduct, and understanding international student services. The service can explain policies and procedures and how they affect you, objectively review your situation, help develop options, and assist in pursuing resolutions; they would be a beneficial consulting step before engaging in a dispute complaint resolution process with the EIO.
- Dispute/Complaint resolution Through the EIO, there are a number of options if your want to report and work towards resolving instances of discrimination on campus. Please see The Blue Folder for more information.