Scarborough Charter

Implementation of Scarborough Charter at OCAD U

The Scarborough Charter was created by Canadian post-secondary institutions as a response to anti-Black racism and includes “concrete steps for action to ensure institutional and cross-sector accountabilities.” OCADU is a signatory to the Scarborough Charter and included it as a priority in OCADU's Academic and Strategic Plan. The plan aims to foster Black flourishing, support inclusive excellence, and guide transformative inclusion across university structures.

The Scarborough Charter Strategic Planning Committee (SCSPC) was created in 2023, and is formulating an Institutional Action Plan based on the four overarching principles of the Scarborough Charter: Black Flourishing, Inclusive Excellence, Mutuality, and Accountability. The committee is comprised of Black faculty, staff, and students from the OCADU community, and is co-chaired by Dr. Kathy Moscou, Faculty of Design, and Dr. Camille Isaacs, Faculty of Arts & Sciences. As part of the university’s commitment to the Scarborough Charter, a Project Officer was hired to oversee the process of the Charter within the O.D.E.S.I. office.

The SCSPC will oversee an institutional action plan for the pillars of the Charter. The SCSPC's key responsibilities include:

Creating an action plan
Monitoring and evaluating the plan
Supporting change management
Monitoring unit-specific accountabilities

The SPSPC is developing an Institutional Action plan that will be informed by the 2024 surveys of OCADU academic and administrative units that include: faculty, staff, and student feedback. The data will aid in establishing recommendations and priorities for Scarborough Charter principles-based commitments to action pertaining to governance of decision-making processes and structures at all levels of the institution, research, teaching and learning, and community engagement.

The Scarborough Charter Working Groups

The SCSPC has established four working groups to support the work of the committee in meeting is overarching goals and key responsibilities. The working groups are:

Research and Creative Practice (Research/data collection/analysis)
Governance/Accountability (data & evaluation)
Teaching and Learning
Community Engagement (local and global)

Black At OCAD University

This webpage showcases what Black faculty, staff, and students are doing at OCAD U. It provides a bio and list of interests for faculty. It provides a link to relevant events throughout the school year, such as Black History Month.

OCAD U Black Homecoming

Black Homecoming, which occurs annually in the Fall, is a community-building event that celebrates the Black experience and is crucial in welcoming Black students to the campus and promoting their success. The event also recognizes the achievements of Black alums, faculty, and staff. It aligns with the student experience outlined in OCAD Us Academic Strategic Plan and its commitment to the Scarborough Charter.

Two students in a liberal studies course

New Black Studies Design and Art Minor

OCAD University is offering a new Black Studies Design & Art (minor) in Fall 2024. The OCADU Black Studies Design & Art minor is Canada's first Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (A.I.C.A.D.) school to offer this program. The program aims to connect cultural histories to creative practice and academic studies and enrich the exploration of decolonized futures by bringing in the voices of Black designers and artists.

Solid Black Collective

The Solid Black Collective (SBC) is a group of Black OCAD University Professors in the Faculty of Design. The SBC is committed to being a catalyst for change for the Canadian Black diaspora community through their lived experiences and multiple design practices. They focus on principles of decolonization, diversity and equity, sustainability, interdisciplinarity, health, and wellness. Dr. Kathy Moscou, Angela Bains, Kestin Cornwall, and Michael Lee Poy are current members of the Solid Black Collective. Their unique backgrounds bring diverse perspectives to their focus on Black cultural aesthetics, contemporary design for social justice, commitment to the Black community, and post-colonial Caribbean design and fabrication in the festival arts

The Centre for the Study of Black Canadian Diaspora

The overall goal of the Centre for the Study of Black Canadian Diaspora at OCAD University is to make visible and provide access to the works of contemporary Black artists, craftspeople, curators, and critics in Canada who have been historically erased from the imaginary of Canadian visual culture.

Almeda Black Student Collective

The Almeda Black Student Collective is a group at OCAD U for the Black students to engage and connect with each other about artistic ideas, opportunities, learn from one another and foster a sense of community.

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Scarborough Charter

Implementation of Scarborough Charter at OCAD U