Written by Brad Long

On September 26, 2015 the university hosted the first Equity Summit, bringing approximately 75 delegates from across campus together to discuss ideas and issues relating to equity on campus. Full disclosure: I was an invited delegate but was unable to attend, and therefore I am not able to report on the commitments generated by this Summit. I would like to acknowledge that it even happened, and to appreciate those individuals who have been instrumental in advancing the discourse of equity on our campus so that an event like this Summit could take place. It must be said that much of the historical groundwork was laid by StFXAUT members, in part at least through their role on StFXAUT committees such as the Status of Women (now Status of Women and Equity). The example of the Joint Employment Equity Committee, established by the Second Collective Agreement but never enacted until sometime during the Third, highlights how the StFXAUT has been trying for years to bring along a somewhat reluctant administration into this conversation about equity at StFX. The fact that we are at this moment now gives me pause to appreciate the insight, activism and leadership that have been so evident amongst our own membership for so long. I look forward to being involved in the actions that will follow this Summit, both personally and as an StFXAUT member, and encourage us all to follow the lead of our colleagues who seek to construct StFX into being as an equitable community