Our Commitments

Diversity and Inclusion

Selkirk College is committed to diversity and inclusion, and promoting equity. We aspire to providing a safe, supportive and inclusive community to learn and work together. Our daily work and our vision of the future is enriched by the inclusion of diverse communities and persons of different abilities, ages, cultures, races, ethnicities, family models, gender identities and expressions, health statuses, nationalities, political views, spiritual beliefs and traditions, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, and educational backgrounds. We welcome, expect and encourage the continued pursuit of universal acceptance and application of a working and learning environment without harassment, intimidation and discrimination. Our learning activities, programs and services will be designed to develop the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to build a more diverse and inclusive community.

Environmental Sustainability

Selkirk College will continue to integrate respect for the land and natural environment, sustainable practices, carbon footprint reduction and responsible use of natural resources into student learning, services, operations and workforce development. We are committed to solutions to environmental remediation, cleaner transportation, lowered emissions and waste reduction. Selkirk College is a proud partner in the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating (STARS) system in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Health and Wellness

Selkirk College will continue to promote and integrate health and wellness into day-to-day operations, practices, services and educational programming. This includes physical health and wellness, mental health, safety, compassion, acceptance, social justice and belonging. We recognize the critical importance of education as a key social determinant of health. Selkirk College is a proud signatory of the Okanagan Charter, 2015.

Innovation

Innovation creates new thinking, new ways of delivering our programs, enhanced and flexible learning, and a willingness to expand our role in the community. Innovation includes making higher education more accessible. Because regional, national and global economies are transitioning and diversifying so rapidly, innovative partnerships and greater collaboration between businesses, social enterprise and educators can result in the workers of tomorrow arriving on the job with the skills for success. Selkirk College recognizes that being a valued partner in community economic development and renewal, regional collaboration, social innovation, and rural capacity building is critical to our success and the success of our region.

Reconciliation

Selkirk College is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, the intentional process of establishing and maintaining respectful and right relationships with Indigenous governments, organizations, families and learners. This process involves repairing damaged trust in education systems through respect and reciprocity. We are committed to the Indigenization and decolonization of education. Supporting traditional First Nations, Métis and Inuit approaches to learning, resolving conflict, repairing harm and restoring relationships will inform the reconciliation process. We support the principles of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and continue to incorporate the relevant Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action into our planning and operations. Selkirk College is a proud signatory of the College and Institutes Canada Indigenous Education Protocol, 2015.