Join Verna's Vlog as she speaks with associate professor Danielle Peers about the U of A's new plan to foster an inclusive, supportive and equitable campus environment for all.
Join Verna's Vlog as she speaks with associate professor Danielle Peers about the U of A's new plan to foster an inclusive, supportive and equitable campus environment for all.
February 13, 2025 By Verna Yiu
Danielle Peers, an associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation and a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in disability movement cultures, was part of the team that developed Changing the Story.
Verna’s Vlog is a series in which I sit down with some of the incredible people who are a part of the U of A community to share their stories and learn more about what they do.
On Feb. 12, the university launched Changing the Story: An Integrated Action Plan for transforming our vibrant and interconnected university community , a pivotal initiative to foster an inclusive, supportive and equitable campus environment for all. Its precursor, the Strategic Plan for Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity , which came to an end in 2022, offered us the first institution-wide framework for addressing inequities and celebrating the diverse experiences that make up the U of A community. Changing the Story offers a roadmap for the next phase of our institutional commitments, focusing on integrating our efforts, expanding our approaches and taking purposeful action.
Danielle Peers, an associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation and a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in disability movement cultures, took part in the steering committee and writing collective for the action plan. In our conversation, they explain how the action plan was developed through extensive consultation, aiming to take a more expansive, values-based approach and drawing from a wider range of scholarly traditions and social movements.
The action plan adopts an issues-focused approach, addressing systemic barriers that impact multiple communities, rather than starting from a traditional identity-focused approach. This allows for a more systemic rather than incremental approach to widespread challenges, supporting a wider range of individuals, and the university, to reach their potential.
By integrating this work as a fundamental aspect of everything we do, the plan will leverage existing resources, accountability measures and initiatives to reach its goals.
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Verna Yiu
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)
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