Stephan Allen found a path to leadership in advocating for Black students
Orientation and Campus Events Facilitator Stephan Allen relied on his experience as a student to make his mark in Student Affairs.
In the short time Stephan Allen has been working in Student Affairs, he’ll be leaving a lasting imprint not just in the department but across the university.
As the orientation and campus events facilitator in Student Life and Campus Engagement, Allen has been instrumental in planning events and creating programming for all students but in particular Black-identified students. This year, he’s led Orientation programming geared towards Black students for the first time on campus. In 2020, he created the Black Students Support Group, initially as a support service after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, it eventually evolved into a safe space for Black students to be in community with each other.
Allen is also part of the Black Excellence Committee, an initiative organized in partnership with the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students (the Tri-Mentoring Program and Student Life Programs); the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion; Alumni Relations and Experiential Learning. The Black Excellence Committee organizes the Black Excellence Graduation Celebration and Black Excellence Mixer for self-identified Black students, faculty and staff to connect.
His work hasn’t been limited to Student Affairs. Allen has also been a liaison for a student working group and Black student advisory committee as part of the Presidential Implementation Committee to Confront Anti-Black Racism - an experience he says has been a valuable student-driven strategy.
“I love how student-focused it’s been each step of the way,” Allen said. “I think that has been one of my favorite parts of working on the committee - being able to hear and provide guidance to those students and make sure that their voices are being heard.”
Allen will be leaving Student Affairs on July 16, embarking on a new journey in Vancouver, B.C. A 2019 food and nutrition graduate, Allen knows the student experience well. He was the president of United Black Students at Ryerson, which led to a Student Life role on the Orientation team and he served as a resident advisor in residence. It was these varied opportunities that have informed Allen’s knowledge and expertise in Student Affairs in continuing his advocacy for Black student-focused programming.
“It really showed me that the sky's the limit and what you can do when you have resources,” Allen said. “And coming into my role now with all those experiences and being able to oversee not just student initiatives, but oversee campus orientation as a real opportunity to create leadership opportunities for students on campus, and to empower and teach students on campus.”
It’s hard for Allen to pin down what his favourite aspects are in Student Affairs. Having the creative freedom to develop events and programming geared towards students has been a highlight, he says. But also the consistent support and ability to collaborate across units and departments has kept him energized.
“Looking back on my experience, and I hope other people can appreciate this as well, but for myself, it's knowing that I was able to create spaces on campus that I would have loved to see more of when I was a student,” he said. “Knowing that those spaces now exist and will continue to be expanded as a result of my work, I think that's part of my legacy.”
Allen is one of many Black-identified professionals in Student Affairs moving the needle forward in Black student support. It’s been an ongoing commitment and priority in the department, as recommended in the (PDF file) Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review Reportpublished by the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion, to create programs, spaces and resources dedicated to Black students as a means to foster belonging and inclusion on campus. Working on the anti-Black racism committees has been Allen’s greatest achievement in his time at the university.
“Being able to develop strategy and help students on campus, specifically Black students, to be equipped with the skills to advocate for their individual communities, and being able to push forward that work and help the campus overall to prioritize supporting Black students, I think that was my biggest triumph,” he said. “Being given so much trust and an opportunity to have influence and provide leadership as part of the presidential implementation makes me very excited to see how that work will enable our campus to continue to grow.”
This is one in a series of stories spotlighting Black-identified professionals in Student Affairs.
