University of Victoria
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Special efforts and initiatives are required to achieve these goals, particularly in relation to issues concerning women, racialised men and women, persons with a disability, Indigenous persons and sexual and gender minorities.

The Director of Academic Leadership Initiatives and the Advisor to the Provost on Equity and Diversity have the responsibility of providing equity and diversity support to senior leaders and the academic units across campus. The combination of these two areas ensures that academic leadership is infused with diversity and equity seamlessly. This role is to foster a welcoming and diverse learning, teaching and working environment by contributing funding for equity projects and events, coordinating and communicating equity and diversity across campus, and providing advice and information to units on the dynamic and changing landscape of equity, diversity, and human rights current practices, policies and new legislation. The position also chairs a Diversity and Equity Steering Committee.

See: http://www.uvic.ca/vpacademic/administrators/diversity/index.php and http://www.uvic.ca/vpacademic/administrators/diversity/diversity-forum/index.php

The Provost’s Diversity and Equity Steering Committee is composed of chairs of departmental equity and diversity committees and is chaired by the Diversity Advisor. The committee provides a forum to share information between and among faculty members and departments/ faculties. There is also an annual professional development session on a relevant topic. The committee provides opportunities to discuss critical issues related to equity and diversity, and a process for moving forward on identified goals.

The University Human Rights Committee is an advisory committee to the President on equity and human rights issues. The intent is to develop as consistent an approach to human rights and equity as possible across all employee and student groups, to enhance communication and co-ordination between groups and committees serving common ends, and to foster the acceptance of individual and institutional responsibility to respect the human rights of all members of the campus community.

The University Human Rights Committee is made up of two advisory groups, one concerned with employment equity - Employment Equity Advisory Group (EMAG), and the other with educational equity - Educational Equity Advisory Group (EDAG). The committees have a very broad and inclusive representation of campus community members who meet about eight times a year including an annual meeting with the President to raise issues of concern.

The Equity and Human Rights (EQHR) office champions UVic’s commitment to practices of equity, fairness and inclusion. In partnership, EQHR fosters communities where strength is found in diversity, and respect for differences provides dynamism and vibrancy to university life. Specifically, the EQHR office provides leadership in the development and coordination of plans, policies, and procedures which support the University's organizational and legislative commitments to provide equitable access to and participation in employment and educational opportunities. This includes the development and implementation of educational programs, investigating human rights complaints, assisting with dispute resolution, providing consultation on implementing equity plans, and advising the University on reaching its strategic goals in these areas. EQHR Office also oversees the University Human Rights Committee. See: http://web.uvic.ca/eqhr/

- International Plan - Takes our university’s global commitment another step further by identifying key objectives and strategies to move us forward in this era of heightened connectivity, complex geopolitics and increased international collaboration. See: https://www.uvic.ca/international/inbound-students/international-plan/index.php

- Employment Equity Plan – Largely consists of a chart which identifies all the major players in equity in each faculty at UVic and their responsibilities for leadership and accountability, messaging and communication, consulting and participating, training and education, policy, employment practices, accommodation, collaboration, support and sponsorship, planning, monitoring and reporting. Each faculty will submit annual plans and summaries created and will submit the results and plan in 2016 to the Director of Academic Leadership Initiatives and the Advisor to the Provost on Equity and Diversity. See: http://web.uvic.ca/eqhr/eep.htm

- Indigenous Plan (IAP) (nearly completed) - The IAP Planning Committee has been meeting to develop the framework for the Indigenous Plan, informed by the current status of Indigenous student enrolment and programming at UVic, the goals, aspirations and concerns of Indigenous student and faculty, and the wishes and needs of Indigenous community members. Framing documents include the university’s Strategic Plan, the Strategic Research Plan, the Truth and Reconciliation Report and Calls to Action, Universities Canada Principles of Indigenous Education, and other documents. The IAP Planning Committee held a retreat in October 2015 to develop pillars of a draft plan, and to begin discussing objectives and actions that would support the goals of the plan. We have consulted on the draft IAP with UVic’s Indigenous Academic Advisory Council, the Executive and Deans. We are undertaking additional consultations and seeking broad input as we move forward to complete the plan.

The Office of Equity and Human Rights (EQHR) provides education for all employees and specifically for managers and supervisors on preventing and addressing discrimination and harassment, diversity, fair and equitable hiring practices, intercultural communication, creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace & other related issues.

We educate senior leadership, managers, supervisors and all employees about the changes to the BC Workers Compensation Act that defines workplace harassment and bullying as a safety hazard. This education is contextualized with the university’s commitment to creating and maintaining a welcoming, equitable and inclusive working and learning environment. This same group assisted with the development of a training session for supervisors and managers on their responsibilities under this amended legislation.

Office of the Vice-President Academic and Provost holds workshops annually for academic leaders to articulate the alignment of policies and practices with leadership preparation and needs as well as with institutional resources in ways that complement our mission, values and culture. A coordinated academic leadership program provides effective strategies and tools for academic leaders for guiding their units forward. The workshops include training in the areas of recruiting for diversity and support for accommodation. This is also an opportunity to build and maintain a network of peers to discuss leadership challenges and to learn from experiences of other leaders. We have a series of 8 full-day workshops for faculty members to develop their leadership skills. Some of these workshops are offered with staff from Student Affairs. A new initiative this year is to strengthen mentoring for faculty members and librarians with a coordinated program which includes information, training and networking events for both mentors and mentees. There is an annual Orientation for New Academic Leaders, and one for new faculty members and librarians and a third for sessional instructors.

UVic applies for and obtains an exemption from the BC Human Rights Tribunal that allows us to engage in preferential, limited, and equity planning hiring of women, Aboriginal Peoples, members of visible minorities, and people with disabilities.

A revised committee of the Staff and Faculty Aboriginal Cultural Training (SFACT), called ICAT, Indigenous Cultural Acumen Training has implemented a video to welcome people to the territory and three laddered workshops that will address the historical and contemporary contexts of Indigenous experiences in Canada, the definition and use of appropriate terminology and how to better support Indigenous student success.
The Indigenous Advisory Council, which is designed to provide a forum for senior academic leaders, Indigenous faculty and academic staff, staff of the First Peoples’ House and Student Affairs, and Indigenous students to bring forward and make recommendations with respect to the critical elements that will support Indigenous education, research and engagement at the university. It is advisory to the Vice-President Academic and Provost on all matters related to Indigenous education in the university.
A new group has been formed through the Community Engagement Office and the Learning and Teaching Centre to discuss strategies and support needs for Indigenous curricular initiatives.

UVic has policies and procedures that aim to prevent and where necessary address discrimination and harassment. The policy addresses discrimination and harassment on the prohibited grounds contained in the BC Human Rights Code (e.g. race, sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation, etc.) and personal harassment. All new and revised university policies are reviewed by the Director of Equity and Human Rights using an equity lens.

Other activities and groups include:
Sexualized Violence Awareness Week, Clothesline Project, Academic Women's Causcus, Women in Engineering and Computer Science, Distinguished Women Scholars Lecture Series, National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence on Women, MIWIN (Minority and Indigenous Women Instructors' Network), Let's Talk Mental health - Roundtable Conversations, Exploring The Experience of Immigrant Employees Through Theatre, Immigrant Employee Support Network (IESN), Asian Heritage Celebration, Elders’ Voices program, The Positive Space Network (LGBTQ), permanent rainbow crosswalk on campus, and Pride.

In 2016, UVic was named one of Canada's Top Diversity Employers for the fifth year in a row in a national competition. It was recognized for its workforce representation, diversity programs, employee resource groups, formal commitment, and unique diversity initiatives. See: http://content.eluta.ca/top-employer-university-of-victoria#section-18