Student Diversity & Inclusion

To foster awareness of the value that diversity and inclusion brings to the ongoing development of JAC students through resources, training, and events that are centered on empathy, identity, and resiliency. As a result, students can:

• Become more in-tune with their own identities, and those of others.
• Become more aware of the cultural similarities and differences in the people around them.
• Become more resilient and develop the skills necessary to thrive in society.
• Become more inspired to help make the world a better place for themselves and others.

We engage and collaborate with students in the implementation of activities, resources, and college wide events. We guide, mentor, and support students both through training that we offer and through awareness activities that students co-lead.

A key component for the office is to create opportunities for students to practice their intercultural communication, project management, teamwork, and leadership skills which benefits them personally, academically and professionally.  In collaborating with the Student Diversity & Inclusion Office, students can become eligible for the Student Involvement Recognition (S.I.R.) program noted on the students’ college transcript. For more info, see http://johnabbott.qc.ca/student-life/student-involvement-recognition-sir-program/

Centered on the themes of empathy, identity and resiliency:

• Perspectives Speaker Series: External subject matter experts, guest speakers, and social change agents, whom have resiliently faced adversity, are invited to talk about Diversity & Inclusion related topics from their perspective. They help to foster community engagement by sharing their personal stories, describing their work and community activism, and answering questions on how students and the JAC community can help.

• VOICES Discussion Forums: Provide students with a forum for discussion regarding the social and racial unrest that they are observing. Current students share their personal stories, realities, challenges, insights and triumphs around common themes.

• RISE Program: Resiliency – Inclusion – Skill Building – Engagement
  • Focused on building resiliency in all aspects of students’ lives;
  • Designed from evidence-based approaches to equip & empower students with key mental health strategies, guiding principles to increase resiliency, & effective study skills;
  • Helps prevent and mitigate academic or health related distress;
  • Facilitated within an inclusive supportive positive atmosphere;
  • Creates a close cohesive group of students from diverse programs and backgrounds who learn with and from each other

• Collaborative college wide events:
  Examples include:
  • Multi-Cultural Week
  • Pink Shirt Day (Anti-Bullying)
  • International Women’s Day / Girl’s Day / Men’s Day
  • Indigenous Awareness Events: Orange Shirt Day – Red Dress / Moose Hide Campaign
  • International Day Against Homophobia/ Biphobia/ Transphobia

• Workshops and Webinars: Offered outside of and within classes and programs. Examples of topics include:
  • Diversity Dimensions and Intersectionality
  • Unconscious Bias
  • Strengthening Connections: Creating a Positive Inclusive Climate
  • Resilience
  • Gender and Sexual Diversity
  • Anti-Bullying and How to be an Ally
  • Understanding Micro Aggressions
  • Neurodiversity Overview
  • Growth Mindset and Perspectives
  • Intercultural Communication Skills

Location:

• Herzberg Building, Main Floor, H-139.
• Online internally: Student Diversity & Inclusion Office Community Page on My JAC Portal and the College News

Contact:

• Student Diversity & Inclusion Office – Student Services
  Email StudentDiversityAndInclusionOffice@johnabbott.qc.ca