{"id":1811,"date":"2024-10-04T13:39:05","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T17:39:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/vpepc\/?page_id=1811"},"modified":"2026-01-09T15:34:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:34:20","slug":"about-meet-the-vice-president","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/vpepc\/about-meet-the-vice-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Interim Vice-President"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Parissa Safai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cInclusion is not bringing people into what already exists; it is making a new space, a better space for everyone\u201d (George Dei).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I joined York in 2006 as a faculty member in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science in the Faculty of Health. Since then, it has been a privilege to support our diverse community as an academic leader within the School, Faculty, and University. I am deeply honoured to now serve as Interim Vice-President, Equity, People, and Culture, supporting our shared goal of building an inclusive, equitable, and caring university where all students, staff, and faculty can thrive, belong, and access opportunities fairly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equity, accessibility, and inclusion are at the heart of my work as a teacher, researcher, and academic leader. My beliefs are grounded in decolonial, feminist, and anti-racist thought and praxis. For me, this means striving to understand how inequity shapes experience, how systems privilege some while restricting others, and how we can act\u2014individually and collectively, in big or small ways\u2014to disrupt those injustices. I believe our university\u2019s success depends on ensuring that every person feels seen, valued, and supported in spaces that sustain diverse bodies, abilities, perspectives, and experiences. Equally, York\u2019s role as an anchor institution matters deeply to me as we must always bridge with communities beyond our campuses as partners in social struggle and positive change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Division\u2019s goals resonate deeply with my own values and commitments as a teacher and researcher. My research explores sport through a critical sociological lens\u2014examining risk, health, and healthcare, as well as social inequality and systemic barriers faced by equity-denied groups. I believe education and scholarship should always connect back to people, creating knowledge that uplifts the communities we serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I step into this role at a moment of great complexity with unwavering faith in our ability to weather storms together, and belief in our collective capacity to hold empathy, compassion, reciprocity, and respect for one another. Whether as the Chair of School of Kinesiology and Health Science, or as Interim Associate Dean in the Faculty of Health, or as Special Advisor to the President during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have held firm to the knowledge that the well-being, innovation and excellence of our whole community can only happen when students, staff, and faculty are able to grow their own potential, successfully navigate challenges, feel connected to and valued by those around them, and uphold York\u2019s promise to serve the public good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For more about Parissa:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n