Exploring the Nexus of Belonging, EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Implementation, and Mental Well-Being Among International African and Caribbean Graduate Students in a Canadian University

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Language, Social Capital, and Power in Education (Table 1)

Abstract

This research employs a case-study approach to examine the experiences of racialized international graduate students at a small Western Canadian university, with a specific focus on students from African and Caribbean backgrounds. It utilizes an interactive wheel of privilege and campus map within a survey to capture 30 students' perceptions and experiences with Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives, cultural safety, and well-being on campus. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with a randomly selected subset of 15 survey participants provided qualitative depth to the findings. The findings showed that many graduate students of African and Caribbean descent were not feeling the impact of EDI initiatives and found some of these to be performative.

Author

• Tanya R. Manning-Lewis, Thompson Rivers University