By: Mason Mattu, News Writer
On January 23, SFU announced plans to close their Vancity Office of Community Engagement (VOCE), and Surrey’s Office of Community Engagement. The university cited budget challenges as the reason. Both programs served to connect SFU with broader communities.
VOCE “has supported creative engagement, knowledge democracy, and access to arts and culture.” The office hosted events in the Downtown Eastside, establishing connections to the arts and culture scene. Since its inception in 2010, VOCE has established over 20 community partners and held over 100 discussions each year. The office also collaborated with SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) to host events.
The office, faculty, local artists, and community partners have voiced their disapproval of VOCE’s closure in an online letter. While SFU confirmed they spoke with “staff in both offices ahead of the public announcement,” they did not provide additional details to The Peak. The open letter described the closure as a “shocking and reckless development that has happened with little dialogue or consultation.”
The Peak corresponded with Peter Dickinson, director of SCA, who explained VOCE has been “a vital partner in the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, helping to legitimate SFU’s presence in the Downtown Eastside and, in the process, burnishing the image of Canada’s ‘engaged university.’
“To pull the plug on the office so abruptly and arbitrarily seems like a complete betrayal of SFU’s values.” He also said the impacts of VOCE’s closure on SCA will be “massive,” referencing the events and connections VOCE can no longer support.
“To pull the plug on VOCE so abruptly and arbitrarily seems like a complete betrayal of SFU’s values.” — Peter Dickinson, director, SFU School for the Contemporary Arts
According to the VOCE letter, all six of its staff members will be terminated, including director Am Johal. “I consider Am a good friend as well as a colleague, and I don’t want to speak for him, but I know that he is gutted by what has happened, not least because of the effect this will have on his team,” said Dickinson. “Now, they are unemployed, upset, but also justifiably bewildered as to why this decision was taken.”
Community members have shared their thoughts online in support of the office. “Hogan’s Alley Society strongly supports VOCE and its vital role in fostering meaningful connections between the university and the broader community,” wrote Djaka Blais, executive director of Hogan’s Alley Society. “Their commitment to amplifying the work of Hogan’s Alley Society has helped raise awareness of the systemic issues affecting Black communities and has strengthened our capacity to advocate for culturally informed housing, equitable development, and historical recognition.”
To “protest the shutdown of VOCE,” SCA held a teach-in event — Voices for VOCE — from 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on February 13. The event involved lectures, “small file” film viewings, and activism workshops to advocate for the continued operation of VOCE. Students gathered to show their support and solidarity.
SFU’s Office of Community Engagement in Surrey also closed. It also aimed to connect students, faculty, and staff to the broader community — advancing education, strengthening knowledge, and having a “meaningful impact on issues that matter.” The office distributed up to $120,000 worth of community engagement grants to staff and $30,000 for students. These community engagement grants supported “teaching, research, and social impact work.” The office was also in charge of implementing SFU’s Strategic Community Plan, a framework to “engage students, engage research, and engage community.”
According to SFU, the university will continue to be engaged with the community through the “Center for Dialogue, Public Square, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts Production and Event Services, and SFU Galleries.” The university also stated that a new “organizational structure” has been put in place with a “consolidated organizational model for Community Engagement & Dialogue.” SFU also told The Peak that “over the next few months, the university will work with relevant academic units, including the faculty of communication, art, and technology” to support the arts community. They stated, “This will include a discussion on the right reporting relationship for the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts Production and Event Services and SFU Galleries.”
This is a story that The Peak will continue to cover.
