Whether we are a McGill student, staff member, faculty member, or otherwise part of the McGill community, we can all work together to make our environment more inclusive. As the new year rolls in and we encounter people from all corners of the world and from diverse backgrounds, identities, experiences, and worldviews, we can focus on small things that will make big differences in many people’s experiences at McGill.
Central to inclusion is the idea that people shouldn’t have to change to feel welcome and a sense of belonging in a community, even when we are members of minority or underrepresented groups and backgrounds. An inclusive community strives to build capacity for meaningful participation for all, even when that participation does not mirror preexisting or dominant customs and norms. That’s why inclusion is not the same as assimilation.
Contributing to inclusion calls upon us to be self-reflective, notably to consider how our actions and words might adversely affect or harm others, even unintentionally. Asking questions like the following are key to heightening our own ability to make the campus an inclusive place: Are my jokes or comments based on stereotypes about race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or culture? Have I planned this event in a way that accounts for, and tries to avoid, barriers to participation? Have I respected the wishes of someone who’s signaled a preferred name or pronoun? Have I made assumptions about someone based on the way they look, dress, or speak? We can also try to think and communicate in counter-stereotypes. This means identifying our own biases and reversing the stereotypes that come to mind. If we slip, though, that is ok. We all make mistakes. It’s important to acknowledge it and move on. The goal is not to be perfect, but to do our best always to respect one another as valued members of our shared campus community.
An important way to realize this goal is by being open to the diversity that exists within our amazing University and by taking the time to get to know the people around us. We are all complex in our identities, and we have many differences. But there is also much that unites us. It’s worth getting to know one another with a view to understanding and acceptance, which will only enhance inclusion at McGill.