Thursday, October 01, 2026
Langara’s EDI Student Reflection and Action Guide gives students a peer-built tool for practicing equity, diversity, and inclusion in campus life.
The best equity and inclusion work doesn’t stay theoretical, it shows up in the everyday moments that shape whether people feel safe, seen, and supported. Langara College’s EDI Student Reflection and Action Guide came out of the 2025–2026 EDI Student Advisory, working in partnership with the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Office.
At the heart of the guide is student agency and its purpose is simple.
Urvi, a member of the advisory, says, “We're all sharing classrooms and campus spaces with people from totally different backgrounds. Something that feels normal to us could genuinely be hurtful to someone else without us even realizing it. Looking at things through an EDI lens is means we're putting in the effort to understand each other.
“The guide isn't asking anyone to have all the answers. It's meant to get you thinking, and that's honestly how it worked for me. Before I joined the Advisory, I had a lot of the same uncertainty most students probably do, but the guide gave me somewhere to actually start.”
That mindset changes everything. Instead of asking students to absorb policy language and hope it translates into action, the guide offers seven guiding principles paired with reflection questions and small actions students can actually take. The goal is not to be perfect; it’s to be more thoughtful, aware, and helpful in real classrooms and student life.
Everyday scenarios, not abstract rules
Urvi describes the approach as grounded in what students actually encounter. The guide addresses moments like responding when a classmate needs an accommodation you don’t understand or taking time to reflect on and consider our responsibilities to the land and its stewards when we hear a territorial acknowledgement. These aren’t one-size-fits-all lessons. They’re prompts that encourage students to slow down and consider impact before reacting.
That’s why the structure matters: each theme has a guiding principle, then questions that help students reflect, followed by actions that make it easier to choose differently next time. Urvi says, “This approach gives students a way to practice inclusion without needing a special role, a special authority, or a special vocabulary.”
Student built for student use
While the guide has institutional backing, Urvi stresses that authorship and ownership were student-driven. As Erin Smith, senior EDI advisor, explains, “Our office is a partner and supporter here, not the author.” In practice, that partnership means support without pulling priorities away from students.
Urvi adds, “Students were the ones who built what they wished they’d had earlier.” That means the guide reflects peer concerns, realities, and language so students can recognize themselves in the scenarios and feel invited to respond.
A sense of belonging before students even arrive
Inclusion isn’t only something Langara College promises, it’s something our students help create. The guide reflects Langara’s values of access and equity, with a focus on removing barriers and supporting student success. It also reinforces that belonging can be complex and takes intentional effort from everything. This sometimes mean learning through discomfort, understanding rights and responsibilities, and working hard to be in community with one another.
And importantly, it extends inclusion beyond classroom talk. The guide pays particular attention to land, place, and Indigenous presence, reflecting the College’s priority to ensure that reconciliation is a part of daily responsibility.
From reflection to action
EDI doesn’t end at awareness; and the guide leads students toward next steps and the small actions that add up. For Urvi and the advisory, the point was not to replace conversation, but to make it easier for students to start and sustain it.
Take action today.
You can read more about the EDI Student Reflection and Action Guide, download a copy, and/or apply to get involved with the next EDI Student Advisory. Applications for the 2026-27 cohort is are now being accepted.
