The University of British Columbia calls diversity its key strength. Let's capture that mindset and encourage all undergraduate students to participate in active discourse about the systemic racism and deeply rooted injustices that exist in our society.

Many of these topics are already discussed in existing courses, yet not all students are exposed to them. While certain faculties have specialized areas of study, social relations continue to impact all areas of academia and society as a whole.

We make the argument that providing a course which tackles the roots of these unjust systems will improve quality of learning, and provide students with the tools to engage in generative conversation as socially responsible graduates. This makes it imperative that UBC provides a mandatory first-year course to spark student engagement with their social surroundings.

Realistically, this would need a lot of logistical refinements. The intention is to make space for conversations of intersectionality, regardless of university faculty. Open ended idea. 

Relevant UBC resources:

https://equity.ubc.ca/​

https://students.ubc.ca/ubclife/together-against-racism-injustice​

https://students.ubc.ca/health/counselling-services