Anti-Racism, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity Statement

At Conrad Grebel University College, we are driven by a simple but profound mission: to seek wisdom, nurture faith, and to pursue justice and peace in service to church and society. Rooted in and inspired by our Anabaptist and Christian identity, our mission and values call us to create a welcoming and diverse residence and academic community as we work toward a more just and equitable world. We want to be a community of belonging, characterized by radical hospitality where all are valued for their unique perspectives, talents, backgrounds, and experiences.

We believe that encountering and engaging with a diversity of people and ideas are essential to academic excellence and a transformational student experience. Along with the University of Waterloo, we envision an equitable institution where all faculty, students and staff can learn, grow, and thrive. Inside and outside our classrooms, we model values of genuine curiosity, openness to new worldviews and perspectives, and humility about what we know—and don’t know. We encourage everyone to think beyond their own experiences and strive to understand each other’s worldview, culture, race, sexuality, gender, and faith.

We are committed to peacemaking and social justice. We aspire to create a welcoming culture that is respectful of all people, shaped by practices that remove barriers of racism and oppression, while increasing individual agency, understanding, and empathy between people. Students, staff, faculty, and board members are guided by policies, practices, and statutes such as the Ontario Human Rights Code that advance equity and inclusion for all regardless of differences in age, ancestry, colour, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, creed, disability, family status, marital status, gender identity, gender expression, record of offences, sex, or sexual orientation. We acknowledge that inclusive and anti-oppressive spaces at Grebel will only be possible with a commitment to dismantling systemic inequities; actively engaging in decolonization and anti-racism; and creating a community that addresses all forms of injustice and oppression such as: ableism, racism, transphobia, homophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, ageism, and sexism. We recognize that an intersectional lens must be a part of the work that we do, and we commit to integrity and consultation

Our commitment is to embed principles of equity and inclusion in everything we do in order to build a a space where everyone belongs and feels valued, empowered, represented, and safe. We are dedicated to identifying where we have not lived up to our ideals as we endeavour to create enduring cultural change. We invite everyone at Grebel to contribute meaningfully to inclusivity and belonging in our community.

We will foster a culture of inclusive excellence, in alignment with principles endorsed by universities across Canada, including the Scarborough Charter (2021), Inclusive Excellence Principles (2017), Principles on Indigenous Education (2015), and the “Calls to Action” of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

This commitment is based on the mission of Conrad Grebel, understood within the historic legacy of Anabaptism, and is held accountable to the intentions of University of Waterloo, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Written by the ABIDE Committee, 2023-2024
Approved by the Board of Governors, February 20, 2024