U of Manitoba's 1st-ever executive lead for diversity, inclusion hopes to help spur 'transformative' action

The University of Manitoba has appointed one of its professors as its first-ever executive lead for equity, diversity and inclusion — a new role the university hopes will help build an inclusive community at Manitoba's largest post-secondary institution.

On Tuesday, the U of M's board of governors named Tina Chen, a distinguished professor of history at the university, to the newly created position.

"I have to say that as I saw the announcement go out today and it stated 'will lead … [equality, diversity and inclusion] initiatives working to eradicate all systemic inequities and biases…' I thought 'What did I sign myself up for?'" she said in a Wednesday afternoon interview with CBC Radio's Up To Speed.

"It's definitely a big job, but I think I'm incredibly excited because I know the decades of work that's been done by the University of Manitoba community."

It's a role that was created after the university launched a task force in 2019, mandated to explore issues of diversity and inclusion at the school.

The resulting report made a series of recommendations, including the creation of the new leadership position as a necessary step forward.

Inequality 'part of the fabric of society'

The report's major findings were that the university should work toward strengthening leadership and planning, increasing diversity and equity, and building an inclusive community.

"For me, the report gave us evidence, I think, of what we all already knew," Chen told Up To Speed host Faith Fundal.

"The systemic inequities around ableism, racism, for Indigenous people, for differently abled people, for LGBTQ2+ communities — all of these are part of the very fabric of the university because they are part of the fabric of society," she said.

"What remains is how to we put those recommendations [from the report] into action … in a way that's transformative, that doesn't just become a series of checkboxes."

Asked what she would say to marginalized people who are looking for change, Chen said she'd encourage them to make sure their voices are heard.

"Now is the time that we are finally hearing the voices institutionally," she said, and so this is not the time to "start being more quiet, but to keep the voices present."

Chen has been at the university for over 20 years, beginning as an assistant professor with the history department in 1999, according to the U of M's press release.

She was named head of the department in 2013, becoming the first person of colour and only the second woman to hold the position. 

"Holding a professorial position at a university is a privilege — and with privilege comes a responsibility to action for equity, justice, dignity," Chen said in a U of Manitoba online post in October 2021, after she was named to a list of Canada's Top 100 most powerful women by the Women's Executive Network.

Outside of the U of M, she was involved in two national forums on anti-Asian racism, and was a Canadian leader in anti-racism in figure skating.

Chen said Wednesday that in her new role, she hopes she'll be able to help effect change across the university.

"Systems change is not the work of one person, it's the whole institution, but leadership does play an important part in making sure those spaces for change are there."

Her two-year term in her new position begins on Feb. 1.