Advancing EDI at UBC

Dr. Arig al Shaibah has amassed over two decades of experience working in higher education. In the last 15 years, she has held positions as a senior administrator in three Canadian research-intensive universities, advancing institutional accessibility, employment equity, and inclusive excellence goals. Prior to joining UBC, she served as McMaster University’s inaugural Associate Vice-President Equity & Inclusion, as Dalhousie University’s Vice-Provost Student Affairs and Interim Executive Director for the Human Rights & Equity Services, and as Queen’s University’s Assistant Dean Student Life and Learning as well as Assistant Dean Residence Life, Diversity, and Community Development.

Holding a PhD in Education (Cultural and Policy Studies) and a Master’s degree in Public Administration, Dr. al Shaibah describes herself as a scholar-practitioner. While in her administrative roles, she has held cross-disciplinary faculty appointments in Educational Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, Gender Studies, and Sociology Departments. She has taught courses on Equity in Higher Education, Diversity & Human Rights Inquiry, Feminist Pedagogy, and “Race” and Racism. Her research and scholarly activities examine questions of how to effectively build individual and organizational capacity for equitable leadership and organizational change in higher education.