January 24, 2020
Dear Black Teaching Assistants and Part-Time Faculty/Members of CUPE 3912,
As Co-Chairs of Dalhousie’s Black Faculty and Staff Caucus (DBFSC), we are reaching out to Black individuals at Dalhousie that are currently employed in TA and part-time faculty positions at Dalhousie to introduce DBFSC and determine interest in meeting with a few members of DBFSC Executive in early 2020 to discuss how the DBFSC can provide support in addressing concerns around equity, inclusion and other issues in the workplace and on campus,.
You will find more information on DBFSC at the website link below (where links to our Facebook and Twitter pages are also posted): https://www.dal.ca/sites/dbfc.html
The mission of DBFSC is to promote a greater sense of community, advocate progress, and maintain ongoing support for Black faculty, staff and students at Dalhousie University in an effort to enhance cultural diversity within the University and support the academic mission of the institution. Our mandate is:
• To serve as a voice for the concerns of the Black communities at Dalhousie University, particularly faculty and staff, to the Board of Governors, the Senate, senior administration and others as appropriate;
• To advise the President regarding matters related to the Black communities on campus;
• To support the academic and professional development of Black faculty and staff at Dalhousie University;
• To advocate for the recruitment and retention of Black faculty at all ranks and Black staff at all administrative levels to promote equity and to ensure that representation at Dalhousie University is at or above the levels required by the Federal Contractors Program; and
• To work with relevant others at Dalhousie University, including the various bargaining units, to ensure and maintain equitable treatment in promotion, job opportunities, and a work environment that is free of discrimination and racial tensions.
There are two categories of membership in the DBFSC: Members and Associate Members. Members include faculty and staff at Dalhousie University who self-identify as Black and wish to join. Associate members include all faculty and staff at a University in Nova Scotia who self-identify as Black and wish to join. Associate members have a voice but cannot vote.
To indicate interest in meeting with DBFSC Executive, please contact dbfsc@dal.ca or reach out to one of us below. We look forward to hearing from you.
With best regards,
Ingrid Waldron, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Dalhousie University
Co-Chair (Faculty), Dalhousie Black Faculty and Staff Caucus
Email: iwaldron@dal.ca
Phone: 902-494-4267
Keisha Turner, Student Success Advisor, Bissett Student Success Centre, Dalhousie University
Co-Chair, Dalhousie Black Faculty and Staff Caucus (Staff)
Email: keisha.turner@dal.ca
Phone: 902 494 6456