The Office of the Vice-Provost EDIE leads the way in shaping a more inclusive future for our university. Acting as a catalyst for change, we provide strategic direction and foster collaboration across faculties, departments, and communities. Our work is grounded in the belief that diversity is not just a principle; it is a strength that drives innovation and enriches learning.

The creation of the Office of the Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence is rooted in a pivotal moment for the University of Ottawa. In 2019 and 2020, a series of consultations, town halls, and open letters revealed deep concerns about racism and systemic discrimination on campus. Members of the BIPOC community, students, faculty, and staff, shared lived experiences that underscored the urgent need for meaningful change beyond symbolic gestures.

In response, the University committed to a comprehensive approach to dismantle barriers and foster inclusion. This led to the appointment of Professor Boulou Ebanda de B’béri as Special Advisor on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence in 2021, whose mandate included improving support for racialized communities, accelerating the hiring of Black, Indigenous, and racialized faculty, embedding anti-racism in curricula, and creating equitable research opportunities. The advisor’s final report, published in 2022, outlined 76 recommendations and called for structural transformation to make anti-racism and inclusive excellence part of the University’s DNA.

In 2021, uOttawa joined Canadian postsecondary institutions in signing the Scarborough Charter, committing the University to concrete actions that address anti‑Black racism and strengthen Black inclusion.

Building on this work, the Office of the Vice-Provost EDIE was established in 2023, and the University appointed Professor Awad Ibrahim to lead institutional efforts, ensuring that equity, diversity, and inclusion are not just aspirations but operational principles guiding research, teaching, and campus life. This office represents a clear commitment: to move beyond ambiguity and embed inclusive excellence at the core of our academic mission.