Review of Special Constable Service commences

Dear students,

Wilfrid Laurier University is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) as part of its core values. After hearing from students, faculty and staff, the university set a number of goals to address systemic racism of Black, Indigenous and racialized people in our community. In a concerted effort to realize those goals, an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Indigeneity Action Plan, was put in place with timelines and accountability leads.

As part of that plan, the university is undertaking an external review of its multi-campus Special Constable Service (SCS). Laurier’s Special Constables are first responders to the needs, concerns and emergencies of our diverse community, and the goal of the review is to strengthen and improve the way in which Special Constable Service supports students and employees who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of colour.

Three independent external reviewers will examine how Laurier’s Special Constable Service interact with Black, Indigenous, and racialized members of the Laurier community, and how reports of racism are responded to and addressed. With this context, the review will assess the operations and responsibilities of the Special Constable Service, including its organizational structure, staffing, training, accountability and oversight.

The review will gather information from stakeholder meetings, anonymous individual surveys, and focus group conversations with community members. The reviewers will present their findings and recommendations to the university in early spring 2021, which will be made public on Laurier’s website.

We encourage our community to be a part of this process and share their ideas and critical feedback to help us all improve our services. Learn more about the review and the independent reviewers, as well as how to get involved.

Sincerely,

Ivan Joseph, VP: Student Affairs
Lloyd Noronha, VP: Finance and Administration