Vice President Students, Meri Kim Oliver, set to retire at end of July
After 40 years working in post-secondary student services, Okanagan College's Vice President Students, Meri Kim Oliver, is set to retire at the end of July.
Meri Kim came to OC in 2020 from Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario, where she served as Vice-President Student Affairs. During her time at OC, it’s been clear how much she cares about students and creating an environment in which all feel welcomed and valued.
Through her leadership, the college has seen significant advancement in weaving principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice (EDISJ) across all campuses.
“Getting started with creating an EDISJ project group was the first priority, as it created a foundation for us to build a plan, offer workshops and start communicating EDISJ initiatives,” said Meri Kim. “A big success is credited to Jennifer Gorman, who has led the EDISJ Ambassador Group, building out EDISJ definitions, offering training and education and launching an accessible bathroom project.”
Earlier this year, the EDISJ Project Group shared its first report highlighting activities undertaken, lessons learned, institutional needs and expectations for future EDISJ education and projects. Fundamental to the work to date has been building awareness about EDISJ, establishing the EDISJ Ambassador Group, approving the Board of Governors’ statement on EDISJ, and engaging with the OC community.
Meri Kim encourages staff and faculty to take opportunities to increase their understanding of EDISJ.
“While we have made good progress in advancing our EDISJ priorities, we still have work to do to transform our systems,” adds Meri Kim. “This work needs to involve every person in every department, as we all have a role to play in ensuring students feel welcomed, included and have a sense of belonging at OC.”
The Okanagan College community thanks Meri Kim for her commitment to advancing and transforming student development and EDISJ initiatives at OC, and we wish her all the best as she prepares to move back to Ontario this summer.
