Inclusive Community at Okanagan College

At Okanagan College, we have a vision of welcoming everyone as partners into an inclusive community where all of us are supported to thrive through sustainable growth, creativity, and innovation. The Inspire Strategic Plan responds to our contemporary social environment and future community visions by committing to create a culture of inclusivity for learners and employees; using principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice to ensure that access and success is available to everyone; and demonstrating such distinction in our efforts that the community recognizes us as leaders. 

Guided by the Inspire Strategy and the Board of Governor’s 2022 Statement, our Inclusive Community Plan (ICP) demonstrates our commitments to belonging here together and outlines our investments in the development phase of this work. The vision is our compass, and as we act, the next steps in our journey will emerge. 

This plan aims to enhance the sense of belonging for everyone at OC: learners, employees, leaders, community partners. Our vision of a culture of inclusion recognizes how important it is to gather as a community, grow through learning and teaching, share knowledge that we gain through our actions, and hold personal and institutional responsibility for making these commitments a reality. These four pillars shape our actions to build a truly inclusive community.

We understand that this work is not achieved in isolation, but rather is threaded through everything we do together, as an integrated core of ethos, planning, function, and practice. By prioritizing strategic pillars that build collective belonging, develop our competencies by scaffolding learning and growth, share our emerging knowledge, and establish personal and institutional accountability, we are aligning our Inclusive Community Plan to broader goals of an organizational culture of togetherness. 

We understand that the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice are essential to reaching our vision of a culture of inclusion for everyone. We use these principles to identify barriers to full and equitable inclusion, such as cost, access to transportation and technology, social dynamics, and systemic patterns and the availability of services, supports, and resources in formats that meet diverse needs. Understanding the differential impact of these barriers guides our efforts to ensure that access and success are available for all our learners and employees. 

We understand that our Inclusive Community Plan is a living and learning document. We are committed to evidence-based practice and have structured time for evaluation, redevelopment, and extension after the first two years of developmental action items. The feedback loops we develop, and the new practices and knowledges we create, will help transform lives and communities by transforming how we learn, teach, work, and connect with each other. 

We understand that culture change happens through both personal and institutional commitments. We centre inclusion in our decision-making, and we supplement protocols for developing equitable, accessible, and inclusive policies and procedures with initiatives oriented towards belonging as something we build together and benefit from together. 

We understand that innovation, creativity, and ongoing learning enables us to play a leadership role in sustainable excellence in post-secondary education. Our actions are rooted in our identity as an institution of knowledge and community, with deep roots and a compelling future.

The Inclusive Community Plan is our shared path to belonging. It guides our institutional and personal responsibilities to each other and our communities, investing in organizational structures, concrete initiatives and relational opportunities that support all of us to thrive here. By gathering, growing, sharing and holding each other accountable, we create a community that reflects our values and supports everyone to thrive. Inclusion is how we show up every day, with care and respect. Success depends on all of us. We invite you to help shape the culture we want to belong to. 

Together, we will build an inclusive future at Okanagan College. 

Where can we open space for inclusion today?

To belong is to feel rooted not just to each other, as a community, and our places and times of significance, but to our lands and waters. In speaking of belonging, therefore, we honour the First Nations lands in which Okanagan College resides, and we affirm our responsibility to walk together and learn together in a good way.

Careful, collaborative approaches to conferences, events, workshops, and other modes of gathering establish engagement, dialogue, cultural learning, active listening, and mutual respect as our community norm, so that everyone’s experiences and capacities add richness and value to belonging at OC.

• Partner with learners and their representatives to pilot initiatives that engage students in defining, shaping, and creating a meaningful culture of inclusion, including StudentWorks and Community Conversations (on & off campus connections)
• Create, resource and implement framework for Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that create employee-led opportunities to gather and generate a culture of participation, connection, and inclusion

• Extend partnerships with learners and their representatives into regular Community Conversations, on campuses and online, to connect academic leadership and diverse student communities
• Annual review of ERG workplans and alignment to ICP matrix.

We imagine an OC where learners are not just welcomed, but actively shape the culture of inclusion, on every campus and in every learning space. Employees collaborate across teams and roles, and with external partners where appropriate, to foster belonging, and those efforts are supported and celebrated. As we listen and learn from one another, we work to identify and remove barriers that prevent full participation in college life. Through gatherings, partnerships, and shared moments – big and small – we make our commitment to inclusion real and visible, inside the college and across the communities we serve.

Intentional focus on what and how we learn and teach supports everyone in the community to grow and contribute to our culture of inclusion, through curriculum and universal design for learning, professional development, targeted supports, and community-engaged learning. 

Collaborative PD delivery to support inclusive learning and teaching, including inaugural Celebration of Teaching Conference and Community of Practice framework.

Gap/needs analysis and scoping for foundational equity, accessibility, and inclusion learning for all employees (formal and experiential).

Framework, ToR, and process for Curriculum Resource Table (incl. TLI/ Indigenization/AD, EDI)

Framework for annual Teaching Excellence program for new and existing educators.

Learning framework for employees: program vision and foundational knowledge.

Pilot Curriculum Resource Table (incl. TLI/ Indigenization/AD, EDI).

As we learn from our actions, OC becomes a place where everyone grows through inclusivity: where diverse knowledge systems are reflected, universal design for learning makes education accessible to all, and learning expectations are carefully scaffolded. Employees across every role are supported to understand and live out our commitments to equity and belonging, so that inclusive community becomes a shared responsibility. We want people to be proud of being part of OC. When barriers to growth or access arise, we respond, because everyone deserves to have their place here. Learning requires the safety to try new things and make mistakes along the way, and we value the courage it takes to show up with a learner’s mindset. Through consistent, community-rooted learning, we develop a culture that values reflection and unlearning as much as expertise, until we are known for how we learn together, not just what we teach.

Strategic initiatives and partnerships within OC and in Community trial innovations, build academic, professional, and industry networks, and mobilize knowledge to advance evidence-based, relational, participatory approaches to inclusion, so that our strengths as a post-secondary applied research institution guide us and our partners.

• Evaluation Plan, Phase 1: develop framework for gathering, storing, evaluating, sharing data (DAR and SEM for baselines and metrics); trial and refine
• Co-create pilot leadership resource and support network with community partners
• Develop framework and protocol for workshops/conferences/ symposia, to clarify strategic priorities and strategic partnerships, and roles, responsibilities, and resources, to advance OC as a leader in inclusive community

• Evaluation Plan, Phase 2: systematic application of data gathering processes; partnership development (AR, ABA: CRE; Social Service, etc.)
• Scope applied research and knowledge mobilization funding to extend impact and evaluation

At OC, knowledge isn’t static - it moves with us as we move forward. As we renew processes, programs and curricula, we’ll integrate applied knowledge of inclusion, so that people experience learning that reflects the world they live in and the world they’re shaping. We’ll create feedback systems that track what’s working and make space for learning when it’s not, so our culture evolves alongside our insights. Inclusive knowledge will be gathered from many places: research, community stories, classroom innovations, collaborations, and lived experiences. And inclusive knowledge will be shared just as widely, celebrating the wisdom in all of it. In partnership with others, we’ll mobilize what we’ve learned by supporting knowledge-sharing initiatives to help build stronger, more inclusive communities beyond our campuses.

We embed our commitments to inclusive community, rooted in equity and accessibility, into our systems, processes, and practices; we have protocols for ensuring inclusion-focused leadership guides our work; and we have mechanisms to remove barriers and address concerns, so that we hold ourselves accountable for our actions.

• Governance Framework Protocols for EDI leadership in planning; and implementation/ change management taskforce 
• ERG organizational framework and ‘Gather’ event framework 
• Accessibility Plan 2026-2029 
• Trial and evaluate accessible feedback mechanisms for OC 
• Support Portfolios/Departments to develop priorities, plans and responsibilities 
• Sign Dimensions Charter; prep for LOI 
• Inclusive Integrity Framework

• Defined community and culture gatherings integrated into ERG and departmental workplans 
• Pilot structured feedback mechanism for OC community 
• Support Portfolios/Departments to implement and manage their Inclusive Community priorities and plans 
• LOI for Dimensions program support; prep for application

Inclusion is a responsibility we all hold and share, and we can only achieve it together. We will build governance and decision-making structures that invite all of us - engaging as learners, educators, colleagues, and leaders - to shape what inclusive education looks like, making the college more responsive and welcoming for all. Every team and role will carry clear commitments to equity, accessibility, and respect, empowering each other to act and holding each other accountable. Inclusion centred perspectives will be integrated into planning and decision-making, through both EDI leadership roles and shared competencies. We’ll create safe, accessible channels for feedback and concerns, ensuring real change happens and trust grows as we address real barriers, such as discrimination, bias, affordability, and access to spaces, services, and processes. Our systems and partnerships will be designed so inclusion is not only practiced within OC, but becomes a shared value throughout the communities we serve.

Okanagan College's Board of Governors recognizes that a strategic focus on equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice is essential to the well-being of the College and all its members.

Our mission is to transform lives and communities. We are committed to imbuing the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice into every corner of the College and thus into every possible aspect of how we can fulfill that mission.

We are committed to educating ourselves on what and how we can do better by being vulnerable and through our continuous commitment to learn, unlearn, and re-learn. We are persistent in planning how we can build upon the steps taken in the past and present. The Board commits to embrace the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice in its deliberations and decisions and through the process of appointing members to the Board. 
 

As a college serving learners in the regional and beyond, OC has always been committed to transforming lives and community. In more recent years, our activities have increasingly supported our values of transformative inclusion. This work was formalized in 2021 with the creation of our first Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (EDISJ) Project Group. 

This EDISJ Project Group worked to develop a baseline picture of the range of experiences of OC students and employees, by conducting anonymous surveys and by requiring departments to conduct self-assessments on equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

From 2022 - 2025, our efforts were overseen by an EDISJ Steering Committee, while working groups advanced concrete initiatives in five areas identified as high priority.

• Policy and Procedure: draft the new Inclusive College Community policy (approval Jan 2026?)
• Learning and Development: included anti-bias mechanisms and self-identification processes into recruitment and hiring; organized employee learning opportunities
• Anti-Racism: created new Anti-Racism web page with resources and reporting tools
• 2sLGBTQQIA+: represented OC at Kelowna Pride Festival, 2024 and 2025
• Strategic Planning: supported the development of the Inclusive Community Plan

With the Inclusive Community Plan approved in summer 2025, the structure of how we organize our work has shifted to enable us to focus on our four strategic pillars and to embed equity, inclusion, and accessibility into institutional processes.

Employees can access support through the College’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP). 

Students can access support through the following:

• Visit the Counseling Services page to book an appointment with a Counselor at OC.
• 24/7 mental health support is available via Province's Here2Talk.
• The KUU-US Crisis Line Society provides a First Nations and Indigenous specific crisis line available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, toll-free from anywhere in British Columbia: 1-800-588-8717, kuu-uscrisisline.com.