By Jerry Zhang
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) launched the Black Student Success and Engagement website on Oct. 25 to provide Black students with accessible involvement and support resources.
The website is a centralized online resource designed to highlight “supports, resources and ways that you can get involved as a Black student at TMU,” according to its home page.
Developed by the Student Communications unit in the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students, the website was designed in response to recommendations from the Anti-Black Racism Student Advisory Committee’s 2020 Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review.
According to a Toronto Met Today article, the site aims to streamline support for Black students by consolidating information previously spread across multiple departments.
The website includes sections on community engagement events, such as the Black Excellence Mixer and Black Excellence Graduation, along with details on accessing the Black Student Lounge.
Additional resources focus on mental health and wellness programs, featuring links to counselling and trauma-informed services like Consent Comes First. Financial aid information is also available, including scholarships and bursaries through the Black Initiatives Fund and the AwardSpring database.
Fernanda Oneil, a fourth-year psychology student from the Dominican Republic, said that navigating TMU’s previous financial aid resources has been challenging.
“Especially with bursaries and academic financial help, I feel like going through the whole list on…AwardSpring is exhausting,” said Oneil.
She expressed frustration with previous challenges finding resources for other things like mental health and community support.
“It doesn’t matter if you have the [resources] but if you’re not putting it to this position [for] everyone to find it, then what’s really even the point?” said Oneil.
“Having someone that understands your experience exponentially changes the way that you see the world around you.”
A recommendation from the Review of Recommendations Report called for “A virtual clearinghouse webpage that outlines available supports and opportunities for Black-identified students across the university.”
According to the Toronto Met Today article, the website is intended “to address and dismantle barriers that hinder the success of Black students.”
Oneil said she wished a website like this had existed sooner.
“I started school during the pandemic. It was very difficult. It is very awkward to join things online,” she said. “So when school [was] coming back in person and doing more things in person, it would have been a game changer.”
Oneil also believes the new website is not a complete solution to the challenges Black students may face on campus.
“I don’t feel like it can be the one, once-and-for-all solution,” she said. “After all, it’s just a website, and at the end of the day, I feel like a lot of the issues that Black students face on campus still need to be addressed in person by a university official,” said Oneil.
TMU President Mohamed Lachemi reaffirmed the university’s commitment to inclusivity in an email statement to The Eyeopener. “TMU is proud of its commitment to a more inclusive environment so that Black students, faculty and staff can flourish.”
He stated the university is actively working to improve representation on campus. “For instance, to inform curriculum development and hiring practices, departments are working to ensure all programs offer courses that centre the experiences of Black students, promote Black scholarship and apply principles of anti-Black racism in the curriculum,” Lachemi said.
Oneil said the website is a “great step” towards providing support and believes the site will be especially beneficial for new students to explore the opportunities available to them.
However, she said the university still has work to do to ensure Black students feel truly represented, supported and understood by TMU. Oneil added having people build resources based on knowledge is not as impactful than being supported by individuals who share the same experiences as you.
“Having someone that understands your experience exponentially changes the way that you see the world around you.”
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