The Equity Centre

It is with incredibly heavy hearts that we write to announce the permanent closure of The Equity Centre. This was not an easy decision to make, and trust us when we say it hurts our hearts to know that so many students will be left without a safer space.
While we cannot provide the specific reasons for closure, it does have to do very much with censorship and the continuous marginalization of equity deserving individuals on campus. We refuse to be complicit in acts of oppression.

Since 2016, TEC has been able to provide safer spaces for students. We learned so much in the time that we were open. We've been able to see how our office made a positive impact on campus for the students we served. We built networks with staff and faculty; developed meaningful relationships with local organizations, and worked to create accessible and safer spaces on campus for students.

TEC functioned as more than just an advocate for safer spaces. We provided a space for students to just be, no questions asked. From popping in for a bowl of ramen, to spending the entire day in our office studying or doing art, every single one of the students that we engaged with impacted our lives in a significant way. We thank you for making us part of your journey through post-secondary education.

The purpose of TEC is to educate, advocate, and encourage allyship on campus. There can be no advocacy without activism, and both are necessary for education and progress.

Thank you for the many years you have given us. Without the support of the many staff, students, and faculty that we engaged with the work we've done would not have been possible. We wish all of you the best on your educational journey.

Please direct all inquiries and questions to our social media. Thank you.

Image descriptions
ID slide 1 text on black background with decorative people reads breaking news TEC closed effective immediately end of ID slide 1
ID slide 2 text on a purple background reads Effective immediately the university will be re-absorbing our office, A238. There will be no office hours or programming. The institution has implemented policies that directly contradict the mandate of TEC. ID slide 2 continued We refuse to be complicit with acts of oppression. The Executive Council cannot remain neutral as we witness equity deserving groups, which include the members of our team, suffer at the hands of the institution.

Students are the future. It is more important than ever to use your voice. Speak out. Voice your concerns to administration or support staff. The only way to make change is to challenge the dominant discourse. End of ID slide 2.
ID slide 3 text on a solid background reads ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has it’s foot on the tail of the mouse, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.’ End of ID slide 3.
ID slide 4 a variety of helplines are listed on the slides including information for Nipissing University students to contact mental health and wellnes at 705-474-3450 extension 4507. end of ID slide 4. End of image description

It is with incredibly heavy hearts that we write to announce the permanent closure of The Equity Centre. This was not an easy decision to make, and trust us when we say it hurts our hearts to know that so many students will be left without a safer space. While we cannot provide the specific reasons for closure, it does have to do very much with censorship and the continuous marginalization of equity deserving individuals on campus. We refuse to be complicit in acts of oppression. Since 2016, TEC has been able to provide safer spaces for students. We learned so much in the time that we were open. We've been able to see how our office made a positive impact on campus for the students we served. We built networks with staff and faculty; developed meaningful relationships with local organizations, and worked to create accessible and safer spaces on campus for students. TEC functioned as more than just an advocate for safer spaces. We provided a space for students to just be, no questions asked. From popping in for a bowl of ramen, to spending the entire day in our office studying or doing art, every single one of the students that we engaged with impacted our lives in a significant way. We thank you for making us part of your journey through post-secondary education. The purpose of TEC is to educate, advocate, and encourage allyship on campus. There can be no advocacy without activism, and both are necessary for education and progress. Thank you for the many years you have given us. Without the support of the many staff, students, and faculty that we engaged with the work we've done would not have been possible. We wish all of you the best on your educational journey. Image descriptions ID slide 1 text on black background with decorative people reads breaking news TEC closed effective immediately end of ID slide 1 ID slide 2 text on a purple background reads Effective immediately the university will be re-absorbing our office, A238. There will be no office hours or programming. The institution has implemented policies that directly contradict the mandate of TEC. slide 2 ID continued in captions.

What a BEAUTIFUL day we had last Wednesday! Thank you SO much to everyone who came out and enjoyed our annual Pride Month BBQ & Drag Show, and a very special thank you to The Equity Centre and Outloud North Bay - we couldn’t have done it without you and cannot wait to do it again. Here’s some picture highlights!!

Super fun event!! Thank you to everyone that came!

Are you interested in taking on an active role in creating safer spaces on campus? Are you interested in promoting equity on campus? We're looking to fill two positions for the upcoming year (August 7, 2022 to April 30, 2023). Click through the slides for some information on the roles.

Nomination packages and the Terms of Reference are available at:
https://linktr.ee/equitycentrenu

Image description:
Slide 1: Black text on white background above The Equity Centre's purple logo reads, "notification of by-election. Nominations are open July 25-July 31. Voting open from July 31 at 2pm to August 7 at 5pm". End of slide 1 ID.

Slide 2: Black text on white background reads, "positions available: events coordinator, campaigns coordinator". End of slide 2 ID.

Slide 3: The top of the slide is titled events coordinator. Text beneath reads, "the events coordinator is responsible for: researching and creating fun events for students to participate in, scheduling events and organizing any necessary event set-up, working with communications coordinator for event advertising, attending all executive meetings." End of slide 3 ID.

Slide 4: The top of the slide is titled communications coordinator. Text beneath reads, "the communications coordinator is responsible for: creates promotional material such as posters, flyers, and statements; works with executive director to draft publich statements, attendsd Open House, NSO, and other events run by Nipissing University to promote TEC, in charge of decorating the office space in a way that represents TEC's purpose, objectives, and safer space policy, provide up to date social media posting, captions, and making sure that social media flows well, attending all executive meetings." End of slide 4 ID.

Slide 5: Top of slide is titles Nomination Process. Text beneath reads, "nominations will be open to all current students of Nipissing University. Please submit the following to us via email: nomination package, including your information as well as the information of at least five nominators, the nomination package can be found at the link in our bio, if you have any questions or concerns, please email us and we will be happy to help. Nominations will be accepted to [email protected]". End of slide 5 ID.

Slide 6: Slide is titled 'no experience? Don't worry!'. Text beneath reads, "both executive roles will receive ongoing training and supports. Having an executive role is a learning experience, and having a ton of experience isn't required! If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]'. End of slide 6 ID.

End of image descriptions.

We want your feedback! We want to hear your thoughts and opinions on what you'd like to see us do this coming year. Fill out the survey below for a chance to win a $25 gift card to a retailer of your choice.

Scan the code or click the following link to fill in the survey: https://forms.gle/tQ9ciiU21qPM4qVJ7

Image description:
Text on a white background reads, "student feedback survey 2022/2023. Scan the code below to share your thoughts, opinions, and experiences with us!". There is a scannable QR code below. Beneath that it reads, "chance to win a $25 gift card to a retailer of your choice". End of image description.

Meet the 2022/2023 Executive Team!

ID Slide 1:
The title of the slide reads, "Executive Director". Beneath that the text 'hello! My name is Aidan and I'm a Masters of Science in Kinesiology student. This is my fifth year as Executive Director of The Equity Centre. A fun fact about me is that I'm currently researching factors that influence sport drop out in Transgender athletes'. The bottom right of the slide has a headshot of Aidan Haghgoo with their pronouns they/them listed beneath. End ID.

ID Slide 2:
The title of the slide reads, "Campaigns Coordinator". Text underneath reads, "Hi! My name is Emily. I am a Bachelor of Fine Arts Major! A fun fact about me is that I can do the macarena to any song. I can't wait to meet you all!". The top left of the slide has a headshot of Emily Maville with her pronouns she/her listed beneath. End ID.

ID Slide 3:
The title of the slide reads, "Outreach Coordinator". Text underneath reads, "Hello! My name is Calden and I am a fourth year criminology student minoring in history. I love reading and classic literature, with my favourite book being 'Slaughterhouse Five' by Kurt Vonnegut. See you around!". The bottom right of the slide has a headshot of Calden Gibson with his pronouns he/him listed beneath. End ID.

ID Slide 4:
The title of the slide reads, "Admin Coordinator". Text beneath reads, "Hi! My name is Shannon and I'm a second year Business Administration student in the accounting stream. A fun fact about me is that my wife and I have a love for travelling and experiencing new places! Our next trip will hopefully either be the U.K. to visit friends or Japan!". The top left of the slide has a headshot of Shannon Ross with her pronouns she/her listed beneath. End ID.

ID Slide 5:
The title of the slide reads, "Communications Coordinator". Text beneath reads, "Hey! My name is Quinn and I'm a third year Gender Equality and Social Justice student. This will be my second year working with The Equity Centre and I look forward to seeing you all on social media soon!". The bottom right of the slide has a headshot of Quinn Erskine with their pronouns he/they listed beneath. End ID.

ID Slide 6:
The title of the slide reads, "SOCU Programs Coordinator". Text beneath reads, "Hi! I'm Mahek. I'm a third year Psychology major, born and raised on a beautiful little island in the Caribbean called Saint Maarten. I spent the last year as the Socials Coodinator of SOCU and I'm excited to spend this upcoming year as the director!". The top left of the slide has a headshot of Mahek Ahuja with her pronouns she/her listed beneath. End ID.

ID Slide 7:
The title of the slide reads, "2QT Pride Programs Coordinator". Text beneath reads, "Hey! I'm Aster and I'm a third year Bachelor of Social Work student with interest in Child and Family Studies, Fine Arts and being evil. One fun thing about me is that I love to collect the ugliest clothes you've ever seen! See you around!". The bottom right of the slide has a headshot of Aster Constapel with his pronouns he/him listed beneath. End ID.

ID Slide 8:
The title of the slide reads, "Meet our 2022/2023 Executive Team!". Listed beneath it reads, "Aidan Haghgoo - Executive Director, Calden Gibson - Outreach Coordinator, Emily Maville - Campaigns Coordinator, (Open until filled) - Events Coordinator, Quinn Erskine - Communications Coordinator, Aster Constapel - 2QT Pride Programs Coordinator, Mahek Ahuja - SOCU Programs Coordinator, Shannon Ross - Administrative Coordinator". End of ID.

Elections are here! If you're interested in joining The Equity Centre as part of our Executive Team, please fill in the following package and return to us via email or under our office door (A244-A) by April 3 at 5:00pm.

Please note that Executive roles are different than member roles. Up to 10-20 hours/week of work may be put in as an Executive member, depending on the time of year. General member roles do not require nominations, and will be available for sign up mid-July. For more information on the expectations of The Equity Centre please review our terms of reference below.

Nomination Package Link:
https://bit.ly/38bUBmj

Terms of Reference (Position descriptions and responsibilities):
https://bit.ly/3uBbMoW

2022/2023 TOR The Equity Centre Terms of Reference 2022 Contents 3 - Purpose, Objectives and Safer Space Policy 4 - Terms of Reference Amendment Policy 5 - Membership 6 - Executives and Elections 7 - Executive Council Duties and Position Descriptions 11 - Meetings ...

Tonight’s the night folks!! Here is the link for the live steam for those who cannot make the event in person!!

Doors Open 7:15 pm, Show Starts at 8 pm - Cash Bar, LIMITED Parking on Site, Shuttle Bus Available for Students, Please Contact us for Accessibility Accommodations: [email protected]
Performer Bucks Available
This Event will be Livestreamed
Davedi Club, 313 Airport Rd

As per Nipissing University policy, all attendees are required to be fully vaccinated (2 doses, 14 days after the last dose) and wear a medical grade mask at all times.

Event Link:

Lights, Camera, Drag! Join us for a night of drag featuring some of the best drag performers. Kings, Queen's, and non-binary performers will take the stage for a once in a lifetime…