As part of Brock University’s continued efforts to foster a culture of inclusivity and equity on campus, Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Lynn Wells expressed her support for a “cluster hire” of a number of Black faculty members during the meeting of Senate on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

“Brock is a place where anyone, of any culture, race, religion or background, can come to research, study and work,” says Wells. “But we know that achieving success can be difficult when individuals don’t see themselves represented on campus. I’ve heard from many faculty members advocating for an initiative like this, and I look forward to collaborating with the Brock community, including the Brock University Faculty Association, to make it a reality.”

Promoting effective human resource practices and philosophies that improve inclusivity, accessibility, reconciliation and decolonization is a key part of Brock’s Institutional Strategic Plan.

In November, Brock joined nearly 50 other universities and colleges across Canada in signing the Scarborough Charter, which identifies key barriers to Black inclusion and approaches to identifying and responding to them — including the recruitment of Black faculty in clusters. The Charter has been endorsed by Brock’s Senate.

Last year, Brock also began recruitment for four new Indigenous faculty members in Women’s and Gender Studies/Sociology, Canadian Indigenous History and Indigenous Educational Studies.