Laurier Appoints Vice-President of Indigenous Initiatives

/

Wilfrid Laurier University announced in a press release Tuesday that Darren Thomas, associate professor at Laurierโ€™s Indigenous Studies program, has been appointed associate vice-president of Indigenous Initiatives.

Thomas is currently the most senior Indigenous leader at Laurier and โ€œwill provide strategic advice, support and expertise to academic and administrative units across the institution to achieve goals related to Indigeneity, including creating an environment of cultural safety for Indigenous faculty, staff, students and visitors,โ€ the press release said.

As well, Thomas โ€œwill also further engage and strengthen partnerships with Indigenous communities.โ€

Laurier president and vice-chancellor Deborah MacLatchy described the universityโ€™s โ€œinstitution-wide Indigenization strategyโ€ in the news release which aims to more fully integrate Indigenous knowledge and practices into Laurier.

Guiding this development is outlined as โ€œa core initiative in Laurierโ€™s Action Plan for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) and Indigeneity.โ€

โ€œThe relationship between EDI and Indigeneity at Laurier has been formed in the spirit of the Two Row Wampum. EDI and Indigeneity initiatives are moving forward side by side, down the same path, in pursuit of partnership and creating an inclusive, welcoming and just community,โ€ the press release said.

Thomas will officially begin the role of associate vice-president of Indigenous Initiatives on July 1.


Leave a Reply

Serving the Waterloo campus, The Cord seeks to provide students with relevant, up to date stories. Weโ€™re always interested in having more volunteer writers, photographers and graphic designers.