UBC released its first ever Student Diversity Census Report (SDC) with 32 per cent of the UBC students across both campuses responding to the survey.
In gathering demographic data on the student population, both Okanagan and Vancouver campuses were surveyed from September to November of 2024. Of the 72,692 eligible respondents, 32 per cent of UBC’s student body provided answers relating to sexual orientation, gender and trans experience, ethno-racial identity and more.
Chief Institutional Research Officer Stephanie McKeown said the report was initiated back in 2021 with the help of UBC’s Equity and Inclusion office, enrolment services and data offices.
“It became a really wonderful partnership between these four units,” she said in an interview with The Ubyssey.
Associate Vice President, Equity and Inclusion Arig al Shaibah said despite it seeming like UBC had taken a long time to start collecting this type of data, people at UBC have been thinking about this data, and the SDC was to centralize all this information.
McKeown also noted the priority of community engagement and transparency. Student focus groups were pivotal to the survey during its early stages, with developers constantly asking “did we hear you correctly? Did we get the message right?"
Here’s what students had to say.
According to the report, the SDC questions on gender and trans experience followed the BC provincial data standard. Students were given the opportunity to self-identify as “man,” “non-binary,” “woman” or “choose not to disclose.”
A majority of respondents, 53.1 per cent, identified as women. 4.2 per cent of respondents reported having trans experience, and of these individuals, 20.7 per cent also identified as non-binary, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled people or people living with disabilities.
Students were able to express their ethno-racial identities through self-selection.
Per campus, 57.3 per cent of UBCO students selected white as an identifier, with 52.8 per cent identifying exclusively as white. Additionally, 42.8 per cent of respondents identified with at least one Black and People of Colour (BPoC) identity.
At UBCV, 32.4 per cent of respondents identified exclusively as white and 25.9 per cent with an exclusively East Asian identity. Compared to UBCO, a higher number of students — 63.1 per cent — identified with at least one BPoC identity at UBCV.
597 student respondents identified as Indigenous, listing over 300 different Communities and Nations they have connections to.
The SDC gave students the opportunity to identify with one or two models of disability: social, addressing barriers of adversity, or legal, reliant on UBC’s Disability Accommodation Policy.
“Shifting the definition with respect to disability and how that invites greater identification was really interesting,” said al Shaibah.
Students who identified as disabled persons or persons living with disabilities were asked about encountered attitudinal and/or environmental barriers to their participation. 64.9 per cent indicated experiencing 2 or more barriers, and 33.1 per cent specified 5 or more.
52.9 per cent reported a formal diagnosis for all conditions, with 47.9 per cent of respondents being undiagnosed for at least some of their conditions.
31.1 per cent of students are currently obtaining a formal diagnosis, while 24.6 per cent are facing barriers to receiving a formal diagnosis. Some respondents, 15.8 per cent, report that they do not have a formal diagnosis nor are currently seeking a diagnosis. Such documentation is essential in receiving accommodations with the Centre for Accessibility at UBC, as stated in their Disability Accommodation Policy.
19.8 per cent, or 1 in 5, UBCV students were identified as first-generation university students — with their most highly educated guardian having less than a bachelor’s degree.
At UBCO, it’s 25.3 per cent, or 1 in 4 students.
According to the report, UBC plans to apply this newfound demographic information to future policies, decisions and admission processes.
al Shaibah said the survey will help them understand which demographics were represented and which weren't, and UBC will be adjust their recruitment strategies accordingly.
Moving forward, UBC also aims to increase participation in the SDC by making the survey more accessible and mobile-friendly for participation.
Share this article
First online
