Our 2025–2028 Strategic Priorities
In 2024, the Scarborough Charter Secretariat completed an engagement initiative with its signatory institutions, Board of Directors, and other key informants, to identify effective strategies for implementing the Charter’s national framework and addressing critical issues affecting the success and sense of belonging for Black students, faculty, staff, and their communities. The initiative assessed progress, identified gaps and opportunities, and reviewed best practices, including financial, political, and social factors affecting Canada’s higher education sector. These findings, together with insights documented in our 2023–2024 Progress Report, have informed the following strategic priorities for the coming years:
Black Disaggregated Data Standards, Metrics and Repositories
Currently, there is no overarching standard for collecting and reporting Black disaggregated data across our membership. Developing such a standard will allow members to better understand the diversity, intersectionalities, and inclusion of the Black population in the Canadian academy. There is also the need to make the Scarborough Charter a “go-to” and “one-stop-shop” resource for Black-related data, metrics, and research for its members, reducing the burden on individual member institutions to undertake these research efforts independently.
Accountability Framework and Progress Reporting
Developing the first national accountability framework is a priority for members. This framework will enhance transparency, annual progress reporting, and comparative analysis of how individual and collective members are advancing in implementing their Charter commitments and public declarations.
Scarborough Charter Biennial Inter-Institutional Forum
This forum is a flagship event held every two years, that brings together members, partners, and communities across the country. The event features discussions and idea-sharing among leaders and participants, to develop a shared understanding of collective progress and challenges, while gaining tools, connections, and renewed motivation to continue advancing their Charter commitments. Previous sessions were held in 2022 and 2024, with upcoming events scheduled for 2026, 2028, and 2030.
Membership Pilot Projects and Initiatives
Members have expressed interest in a range of pilot projects and initiatives across signatory institutions. From examining ways to increase the Black student graduation rate and access to post-graduation employment opportunities, to increasing attraction and retention rates among Black faculty and staff.
Leveraging potential new funding opportunities allows the Scarborough Charter to serve as a conduit to support and fund researchers to carry out these projects that benefit members.
Black Student Fellowships and Internships
Black students desire more fellowship and internship opportunities with the Scarborough Charter Secretariat and its member institutions. By leveraging potential new funding opportunities, the Scarborough Charter can facilitate these opportunities in collaboration with member institutions, community organizations and other partners, to enhance experiential learning and professional development for Black students.
Membership Services and Storytelling
There is a wide range of services members expect from the Scarborough Charter Secretariat to support their Charter commitments. These include national advocacy, storytelling, business cases, leadership development, training, strategic engagement, and communities of practice, among others. The Scarborough Charter will continue to pursue these opportunities to strengthen membership, advance Black success in the academy, and raise awareness of these efforts both nationally and internationally.
Organizational Sustainability and Partnerships
Members want the Scarborough Charter to be effective and sustainable long-term. With financial impacts, declining enrolment, and growing reprioritization of inclusion work, members expect the Scarborough Charter to continue to be an evidence-based, engaging, resourceful, and a global exemplar of what Black inclusion in higher education, partnerships and opportunities can look like in Canada and beyond.