York University’s School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) is committed to providing an inclusive environment and experience for all students, faculty, staff, and administrators. We have heard the concerns raised by our community, and we are working to answer the call for institutional change within AMPD.

We want to ensure that we are engaging our community directly as we develop the strategies and policies that will shape AMPD’s practice of equity going forward. We will do this through a series of focus groups in collaboration with the KOJO Institute. In each focus group, participants will have the opportunity to confidentially express their concerns, share their experiences, and offer their perspectives on the current state of equity and inclusion within AMPD.

How to participate:

We are inviting all interested members of AMPD’s IBPOC  Student community to register to participate in the focus group before registration closes. (April 15 at 5:00pm for Graduate Students, April 22 at 5:00 pm for Undergraduate Students). Once registration has closed, 20 participants will be randomly selected for the focus group and will be contacted with further details via email. Please ensure that you provide a valid email address and your full name when registering.

Though the nature of focus groups requires a smaller list of participants, we welcome and value the feedback of our entire AMPD Racialized Undergraduate Student community. As such, if you are not selected for the focus group, you will be invited to share your thoughts and concerns through a survey. The data from this survey will inform the development of AMPD’s new equity policies, practices, and initiatives.

Register for your focus group:

Graduate Students:

Black & Indigenous Graduate Students – – Tuesday | April 20 | 1:00-3:00pm

Racialized Graduate Students – – Wednesday | April 21 | 1:00-3:00pm

Deadline to Register: April 15 at 5:00pm

Undergraduate Students:

Black Undergraduate Students – – Tuesday | April 27 | 10:00 am-12:00 pm

Indigenous Undergraduate Students – – Wednesday | April 28 | 1:00-3:00pm

Racialized Undergraduate Students – – Friday | April 30 | 1:00-3:00 pm

Deadline to Register: April 22 at 5:00pm

Supportive Resources:

To ensure all participants are properly supported through this process, Student Counselling, Health & Well-being is available for same-day support and/or short-term therapy by calling 416-736-5297. Additionally, Good 2 Talk (for post-secondary students) is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. This service can be reached at 1-866-925-5454.

About KOJO Institute:

KOJO Institute is a leading consultancy that partners with organizations to unlock their potential by navigating the challenges connected to equity, bias, diversity, inclusion anti-oppression and anti-racism.

For over 20 years, KOJO Institute has designed scalable transformation frameworks that cultivate employment equity, cultural change, education, and organizational development that drive positive social and business outcomes.

FAQs:

• Why are there only 20 participants in the focus group?

Focus groups are most effective when the group size is limited. Smaller groups allow participants to speak more openly, discuss their thoughts more thoroughly, and engage with the topics more meaningfully.

• What if I am not selected for the focus group? Will my concerns still be heard?

While we are unable to include all registrants for the focus group, we will be providing a survey that will allow all members of our community to share their concerns, thoughts, and experiences around equity and inclusion within AMPD. The data from this survey can inform institutional changes for policies, practices and initiatives.

• Can I apply for more than one AMPD Equity and Inclusion focus group?

We encourage all York AMPD members to apply for the focus group that best aligns with their relationship to our school. At this time, we ask that all York AMPD members only apply to one focus group.

• When will I know if I have been selected for the focus group?

Registration for the focus group closes on April 22, and selected applicants will be notified by email on April 23.