STRIVE Task Force:
Final report

Overview

Concordia is home to a diverse array of communities that interconnect, overlap and, at times, come into conflict. Like all higher education institutions, the university reflects – and is continually shaped by – the broader social dynamics of the society in which it exists. In this context, it plays a critical role in addressing issues like identity-based violence (IBV), systemic discrimination, polarization and conflict as they pertain to campus life.

 In response to these challenges, and with the understanding that meaningful change requires both active engagement and institutional introspection, Concordia President Graham Carr launched the university-wide Standing Together against Racism and Identity-based Violence (STRIVE) Task Force to oversee and coordinate the work needed to address IBV and identify existing and new approaches to enhance belonging at Concordia.

Mandate

The Task Force’s mandate was to explore and recommend tools that enable the university to navigate these challenges while reinforcing and enhancing a sense of community on campus.

The Task Force’s work drew on Concordia’s rich source of knowledge and diversity. It also reflected this diversity through its structure and consultation activities to ensure its efforts and recommendations address the local and global concerns central to fostering a sense of belonging at Concordia. The Task Force complements existing programs and services supporting equity and inclusion on campus in addition to identity-based violence prevention efforts.

Subcommittees

To better understand the university’s needs related to addressing both overt and covert forms of identity-based violence, the Task Force conducted its work through subcommittees that focused on six initial areas:

• Campus Engagement 
• Anti-Arab Racism and Islamophobia 
• Anti-Asian Racism 
• Antisemitism 
• Transphobia 
• Campus Climate

 The work of the subcommittees involved assessing, analyzing and recommending new policies and initiatives, as well as exploring ways to improve existing ones. To ensure the final recommendations reflected the feedback gathered, the Task Force engaged directly with the Concordia community and consulted with internal and external partners.