Login / RegisterUBC education prof files complaint of racial discrimination
An associate professor of education at UBC believes that the university discriminated against her because of her race.
Jennifer Chan, a Canadian of Chinese descent, claims that the denial of her application for the prestigious David Lam Chair in Multicultural Education in the faculty of education forms part of a pattern of discrimination against her.
“There was systemic racism all throughout my career,” Chan told the Straight in a phone interview today (April 19).
Her allegation has not been proven in court or at the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.
Chan, who has been with UBC since 2001, first as a postdoctoral fellow in the political science department, will get the opportunity to prove her allegations when the tribunal finally starts a hearing on the complaint she filed against UBC and four members of its faculty and staff on May 10, 2010.
In December last year, the tribunal granted an application by the university to defer a hearing on the complaint until UBC’s Equity Office completed proceedings on an internal complaint filed by Chan on December 15, 2009.
Last month, according to Chan, the university dismissed her internal complaint.
The case is an offshoot of the associate professor’s application for a three-year appointment to the David Lam Chair in Multicultural Education. She was the only minority candidate. A Caucasian candidate was eventually chosen for the post.
According to Chan, who joined the faculty of education in 2003, this wasn’t the first time that she was the subject of discrimination.
In a media release, she noted that she had been turned down twice for the Killam Teaching Award in 2008 and 2009 “without explanation despite clearly meeting merit requirements”.
“All 40 winners of the Killam Teaching Award in the UBC Faculty of Education in the past 20 years have been Caucasian,” she stated in the release.
Chan also said in the release that she was overlooked in her tenure and promotion schedule. She added that “tenure was put in jeopardy by an accusation that was later proved unfounded”.
Speaking by phone, Chan made an allegation that it is ironic that UBC’s declared commitment to multiculturalism isn’t fully reflected in its hiring policies.
“In fact, the UBC president has a strategic plan on diversity and equity,” Chan said. “On the ground we still know that visible minority faculty are under-represented, heavily so.”
Scott Macrae, spokesperson for UBC, issued the following statement today:
In response to a press release issued by Dr. Jennifer Chan dated April 19, 2011, the University confirms that it is committed to providing fairness and equity in its workplaces. UBC takes complaints of discrimination extremely seriously and has processes, including a Discrimination and Harassment Policy (http://www.universitycounsel.ubc.ca/files/2010/09/policy3.pdf), to address such complaints.
In regards to this particular complaint, the University has thoroughly and exhaustively investigated the allegations (including both an investigation and a review conducted by human rights experts external to the University). Both processes found no discrimination and the University has accepted those conclusions.
The University’s internal processes have been completed. The matter is now before the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal. The University is participating fully in that process as it moves forward. As this is an employee matter and the subject of litigation, the University is not at liberty to comment further.
This screams of "if I don't get my way I'll sue."
It's funny though, the complaint is in regards to an appointment to the David LAM chair. Google the name lol
Not the first time or the last time.
Is the link that someone complained and achieved satisfaction before being found to be the guilty party?
Hiring Chinese-Canadians to speak with Chinese-speaking clients makes sense. To all parties involved. Unless you want to force immigrants to assimilate into our culture, which I'm sure there would be a huge backlash over.
As for Ms. Chan's case. Would you rather be hired because you are the best qualified or because you fit a company's ethnic quota? Losing out to a white person isn't discrimination. "Multicultural education" or not. There's probably much more to this than this article states, but still.
So many corporations are touting their diversity campaigns these days. And while I love equal opportunity workplaces, I have felt that some places are just hiring for an image.
I'm amazed someone would stoop so low as to claim that UBC, a world class university, which employs so many Asian faculty and staff, which has a position like this named in honour of a Hong Kong philanthropist, is racist in its decision-making.
This woman sounds like a major pain in the ass, and it sounds like it's exactly the way the university has dealt with her. I for one, wouldn't be quite as forgiving.
There has been so much research on this employment racism in the field Sociology in all North America universities, and some people still say it doesn't exist?
And then, whenever, a colored folk complains, white people's reflex is to blame race? (e.g. she doesn't get what she wants so she uses the race card) The only person keep talking about race is, YOU white people. Can you think of other reason like favouritism, or that cliche, someone did or didn't offer sex service to their boss or something? Or white people used bribes or other corruption practices? It is not the first time.
Instead, everything is blamed on "race card". And, at the same time, you claim race doesn't matter. Do you have Schizophrenia?
Having said that, one would think that, given the opportunity to make her case in the media, Professor Chan would cite the most damning evidence in support of her claim. But based on what has been reported (and perhaps it's not complete or fully accurate), her strongest arguments in support of her claim that she has been subject to systemic racism all throughout her career are: (i) she was turned down for the Killam Teaching Award “without explanation despite clearly meeting merit requirements”; (ii) “All 40 winners of the Killam Teaching Award in the UBC Faculty of Education in the past 20 years have been Caucasian”; (iii) her “tenure was put in jeopardy by an accusation that was later proved unfounded” (it seems she accepted the finding in that case, whatever it was about); and (iv) despite UBC’s declared commitment to multiculturalism, "visible minority faculty are under-represented, heavily so”. Any first-year student of logic would tell you the inferences arising from any (or even all) of these 'facts' are far too weak to support her claim. She needs much more evidence, and I think if she had it she would have shared it.
Nor are any of the posters here in a position to criticize the internal review processes that found no discrimination in this case. Satisfactory answers to these questions may become evident in the course of the litigation before the BC Human Rights Tribunal or perhaps the BC Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court of Canada.
But at some point we must have a little perspective. Is 'perfect justice' possible in cases such as these, where evidence appears to be lacking and inferences seem appallingly weak? At what cost to UBC, the Human Rights Tribunal and the courts (all publicly funded)? At what cost to the worthy goal of weeding out systemic discrimination, when weak cases attract the ire of the public and make people cynical about the goal itself? We have internal processes to give complainants and respondents an affordable and accessible road to resolution. Can we not accept their findings and move on?
I firmly believer Dr. Chan has experienced series of discrimination practise against her because of her race, so it came to a point this unequal treatment has to be raised as a formal complaint. No one would rish his/her employment opportunty, a job security to go for this.
The article can't fully describe all the details. Whatever ground that Dr. Chan complained must have hundreds of incidents to support. I have my life experience. I wrote journal on daily basis to records all the unfair, unequal and discriminatory treatment, and one day I come forward to take this step, my complain form would be over 100 pages, all real incident, with name of the persons, time and the location. HR dept. where you work is always part of the problem, and they are behind the discrimination practice. Making complaint through school HR human rights is just waste of time, go to BC human rights commission. If doesn't help, go to the court. Someone has to make a sacrifce to promote racial free world. It is time to change the world, Racists are evil force of this world, and must be wiped out. Otherwise, there is no peace.
I admire Dr. Chan's courage, she just did for everyone who is subjected to this unequal treatment in this country. Canada is a racists country. The difference is the racists go underground and covert. A country doesn't recognize people by their value, but by their skin color will never be a great country. Human beings are marching to 21 century, and I can't believe a country like Canada can't open their eyes to see the whole world. Being feel great just because you are white is just a delusion.
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