Conversation cafes

Conversation Cafés will encourage dialogue and give our campus community the chance to share their experiences and ideas around equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging at UVic.

Your contributions will help shape the Equity Action Plan by informing future priorities and actions aimed at eliminating barriers.

Attend a scheduled event

UVic students, staff and faculty can participate in sessions run by Equity and Human Rights (EQHR) and the Reflection and Challenge Committee (RCC).

Equity-seeking group sessions

Most sessions are dedicated spaces for students, staff or faculty who belong to equity-seeking groups. We invite you to share your experiences among peers and facilitators with shared lived experience.

Please do not register if you are not a member of the group identified for that session. We welcome you to attend the open sessions instead.

We understand that you might identify with multiple groups in the schedule below. You can pick the group you feel most comfortable sharing with or whichever works best for your schedule.

Conversation Cafés may be canceled or merged if registration is too low (in this case registrants will be notified). Designated note-takers will attend to capture the ideas and experiences shared by participants but names and emails shared through registration will not be recorded.

Employee conversation cafes

Date & time	Group
Mar. 15 noon-1 p.m.	Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) staff
Mar. 21 noon-1 p.m.	Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer, Two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+) staff, faculty, instructors and librarians
Mar. 22 noon-1 p.m.	Open to all staff
Mar. 23 noon-1 p.m.	BIPOC faculty, instructors and librarians
Mar. 28 noon-1 p.m.	Open to all faculty, instructors and librarians
Mar. 29 11 a.m. -1 p.m.	Indigenous staff and faculty conversation café Join EQHR, in partnership with the Office of the Associate Vice-President Indigenous, for a conversation café that will help shape UVic's Equity Action Plan and update the Indigenous Plan by informing future priorities and actions aimed at eliminating barriers. Please RSVP to Dorothea Harris. Location: First Peoples House
Mar. 30 noon-1 p.m.	Staff with disabilities
Mar. 31 noon-1 p.m.	Open to all UVic employees, students and community members

Student coversation cafés

(Open to undergraduate and graduate students)

Every student who particpates in one or more of these Conversation Cafés will receive a $20 credit to your ONECard.

Date & time	Group
Mar. 21 4-5 p.m.	Open to all students
Mar. 22 4-5 p.m.	Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer, Two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+) students
Mar. 23 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.	Indigenous student noon networking Wednesday Drop in for lunch and chat with EQHR staff about the development of the Equity Action Plan. Share your experiences, feedback and recommendations regarding barriers to equity and belonging at UVic. No registration required. Location: First Peoples House
Mar. 23 4-5 p.m.	Students with disabilities
Mar. 28 4-5 p.m.	Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) students
Mar. 29 4-5 p.m.	International students

Host your own discussion

Bring together a group of friends, coworkers or classmates to discuss how UVic can become a more equitable, inclusive and diverse space where everyone feels a sense of belonging.

Make sure to take notes of the discussion and email them to us.

Download the Conversation Cafe guide for tips on how to run your own session.

This option will work for you if:

you have a regular scheduled meeting or event and you are interested in facilitating a confidential discussion
or you cannot make one of the scheduled times.

If you’d prefer to share your ideas anonymously, please consider filling out our survey.