UTM hosts first Indigenous Access Day for local students

One of the best ways to welcome someone in is to open the door. 

The Centre for Student Engagement (CSE) did just that, inviting eight Indigenous-identified students from the Peel District School Board to tour the campus this month as part of University of Toronto Mississauga’s first Indigenous Access Day. 

The day-long event offered a chance for Indigenous students to experience university life through activities led by Indigenous staff and students from UTM, while also becoming familiar with the supports and services available to them at UTM and across other institutions.   

“The CSE has had Access Days in the past for all equity-deserving communities,” says Delaney Thomas, the community engagement coordinator for Indigenous access and inclusion at CSE. “But it was important for me to create a space specifically for Indigenous Students as our students have specific needs, services and experiences in post-secondary.” 

The Indigenous Access Day Initiative attempts to build a bridge between Indigenous-identified students and western post-secondary institutions, which have historically been a site of exploitation and oppression for marginalized communities, says Thomas.   

“We hope that Indigenous students feel empowered to consider post-secondary as a realistic option for our communities,” she says, noting UTM aims to offer a curriculum based in decolonization theory and a strength-based, holistic approach to reframe the idea of western education as a tool for liberation.  “Combining western education with traditional Indigenous knowledge can uplift our respective communities.” 

During Indigenous Access Day, students were introduced to academic, cultural, social and financial supports and programs such as the Indigenous tuition waiver along with an Indigenous student support specialist and Indigenous counsellors.  

They visited the library and had a session about transitioning from high school to university. They also had a chance to learn about the admissions process from Kwame Diko, manager of diversity student recruitment & admissions.  

“We heard really good feedback from the students, specifically that they loved hearing about the Indigenous student experience directly from Indigenous students,” says Thomas. “The other piece of feedback was that they wanted to see even more of the campus.” 

She says CSE plans to make that happen by hosting more Indigenous Access Days in the future. 

“We would love to expand our scope to partner with reserve community schools,” Thomas says.