ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ recognizes that our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is central to the University’s mandate as a research intensive institution of higher learning and a community leader.  ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ understands that our pursuit of research excellence and our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion are compatible and mutually supporting. As such, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ is committed to achieving and maintaining an equitable representation amongst our Canada Research Chair holders, as well as within ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s broader research enterprise. ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ seeks to ensure the equitable representation of the federally designated group members (women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous persons, and persons with disabilities).  In keeping with the importance of diversity and inclusion, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ also recognizes additional equity seeking groups, including persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity and/or gender expression.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is central to our strategic documents and established practices, including but not limited to the following:

• ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Strategic Plan, , launched in the fall of 2021, confirms “ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ will strive to ensure that our community, our campus, our programs, our research, our outreach, and our self-representation will be more inclusive”. The Associate Vice-President leading the   works collaboratively with the Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, and with other campus leaders to achieve measurable progress in these key areas and ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ is developing an EDI Strategic Plan for ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾.
• ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾'s (ISP) has, as goals, to "increase Indigenous faculty members working at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾” and “through promotion and tenure and annual performance review processes, recognize additional demands placed on time and workload of Indigenous faculty members through involvement in a number of activities that support Indigenous education and scholarship across the institution.” The ISP also commits to “review strategies to reduce the gap in Indigenous people’s representation.”
• ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Research Plan, Mobilize for Impact!, approved in February 2022, includes Advancing Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization as one of its four guiding principles which will implement proactive steps to extend equity, diversity and inclusion and decolonization efforts in the academy, its programs, services and funding initiatives it supports, including the Canada Research Chair Program.
• ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ and the University of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Ontario Faculty Association have agreed, in the Faculty Collective Agreement, to "cooperate in the identification and removal of all barriers to the recruitment, selection, hiring, retention and promotion of the following groups: women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of racialized groups and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. Other groups as may be designated as under-represented in federal and provincial human rights legislation or agreed to by the Parties may be included in this list."

Through the above strategic plans and our established practices, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion will support our efforts to attract and retain the best talent, increase the diversity of our workplace and contribute to the creation of a world-class research and scholarship culture. 

While we have made progress, we will continue to update and enhance provisions for equity, diversity and inclusion. As such, our EDI plan is a living document with strategies for continuous self-assessment and improvement.

Note: The data is based on self-identification and includes all 68 chairs (new and renewals) active as of July 1, 2024, with terms scheduled to begin on or after July 1, 2024.

In accordance with ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Employment Equity Policy (MAPP 3.2), final responsibility and accountability for the University’s Employment Equity Policy rests with the President.

A recommendation for approval of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CRCP EDI plan was made by ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Canada Research Chairs Steering Committee after development and endorsement of the plan from the ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Canada Research Chairs Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan Committee.

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CRC Steering Committee’s membership includes: the Provost and Vice-President (Academic); the Vice-President (Research); and the Vice-Provost (Academic Planning, Policy and Faculty). 

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan Committee includes representatives from Research ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾; the Office of Indigenous Initiatives; Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Faculty/Department/School Leadership; and, Canada Research Chair Holders.  

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Canada Research Chairs Equity, Diversity and Action Plan is a “living plan”.  Ongoing discussion and dialogue with the full academic community will be central to the plan’s continuous assessment and update.

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s recruitment objectives are to attract and retain the best talent available in an increasingly diverse workforce to achieve and maintain an equitable and diverse representation of the four designated groups in our Canada Research Chairs allocations.  Our action plan has been developed to describe the actions we will undertake to meet the objectives stated above, and to meet or exceed our equity and diversity targets in the Canada Research Chairs program. 

The action plan is a result of deliberations of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Plan Committee.  Deliberations have been informed and updated accordingly by:

1. The University of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Ontario Employee Systems Review (ESR), 2009
2. ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan (2011-2015)
3. The University of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) Collective Agreements, in particular Articles relating to recruitment, appointments, and employment equity, under the UWOFA Collective Agreement 2018-2022 and the most recent 2022-2026 Collective Agreement.
   
4. ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Annual Reports on Faculty Recruitment and Retention, 2024
5. ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Annual Reports on Promotion and Tenure, 2024
6. ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Annual Workforce Analysis Summary Reports prepared by the Equity & Human Rights Services Office
7. ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Career Trajectory Analysis Report 2022, in which pay equity was examined.

It is important to acknowledge that the Diversity & Inclusion Plan (referred to in (b) above) and the most recent language pertaining to employment equity in the UWOFA collective agreements for 2010-2014, 2014-2018 and 2022-2026 (referred to in (c) above) reflect prior institutional response to barriers identified in the ESR (referred to in (a) above). The reports referred to in items (d) through (g) represent institutional monitoring (environmental scans) of the outcomes of these provisions which continues as a key objective of the plan.

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CRC EDI Plan Committee discussed barriers that had been identified in the ESR review and examined the degree to which there was evidence suggesting that further action may be needed. Accordingly, we have developed our CRC EDI Action Plan as described below which includes the objectives and actions to ensure equitable supports for new CRCs, ensure mentoring is available for Tier 2 CRCs, implement EDI awareness and practice as core leadership competencies and ensure equity training for faculty.

Our EDI plan is drafted with an intent to enable regular updates as new information becomes available and with reflection annually on the outcomes vis-à-vis targets and gaps.

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CRC EDI Action Plan is situated within the context of the following environment:

The University of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Ontario Faculty Collective Agreement 2022-2026, builds on the previous Collective Agreement, 2018- 2022, and has a number of provisions for employment equity as well as provisions for monitoring the processes and outcomes described in the collective agreement, including stringent requirements for faculty recruitment.  Appointments and Search Committees are required to conduct a comparison of the applicant pool using available data (provided by the Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention) reflective of the applicant pools for similar positions elsewhere in Canada prior to short-listing applicants.  If the comparison reveals a significant under-representation of a designated group, the committee must undertake further efforts to attract candidates from the designated group before short-listing candidates from the applicant pool.  We continue to track the gender balance among applicants and short-listed candidates as well as successful candidates to faculty positions to ensure equity principles are being observed throughout the recruitment.   This process aligns with ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾'s Diversity & Inclusion Plan (2011-15) on targeted outreach and selection methodologies that avoid biases and barriers to be implemented to address areas of under-representation of designated group members.

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Faculty Employment Equity Guide (for Appointment and Promotion and Tenure Committees) is jointly produced by ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ and UWOFA. This guide is a valuable reference to committees as it guides committees through the steps of a fair and transparent recruitment and hiring process and promotion process at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾.  The guide is also a reference tool currently used in the employment equity training for each CRC search and appointments committee at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾.    Included in the 2018-22 Collective Agreement was a requirement that an Equity Representative be identified and trained for each of the following committees: Appointments, Performance Evaluation, and Promotion, Tenure, & Continuing Status Committees. This has been expanded to include Search Committees in the most recent Collective Agreement. Those with this responsibility will ensure that their respective committees adhere to the rules and expected practices as outlined in the Faculty Employment Equity Guide.

The Joint Employment Equity Committee (JEEC), convened as required under the UWOFA Collective Agreement, includes representation from both UWOFA and the University, as well as a resource member from the Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.  The JEEC is charged with reviewing adherence to the recruitment requirement described above.  As well, the JEEC conducts a review of the annual Recruitment and Retention report provided to Senate which looks at recruitment rates and upward career mobility (time to promotion) by gender.  This committee also reviews the annual Promotion and Tenure Report provided to Senate, which reports outcomes of promotion consideration for all four designated groups.   The JEEC has recently developed Equity Guides specific to the Performance Evaluation, Appointments Committees, Workload Committees, and Promotion and Continuing Status Committees.

Compensation for all faculty recruited, including CRC nominees, is negotiated at the Faculty or Department level and is subject to Provost approval.  The most recent Pay Equity analysis, as required under the 2018-2022 Collective Agreement, was completed in 2021-22 as part of a Career Trajectory analysis.

As part of the recently ratified 2022-2026 Collective Agreement, the next Career Trajectory analysis will take place in 2025-26 and will again take in to consideration gender-based anomalies.

In the spring of 2022 ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s updated equity census was launched.  The census was developed by an EDI Data Working Group which was established in 2020-21 and facilitated through the President’s Office.  The updated equity census collects data on equity-seeking groups, with updated classifications to extend the historic Federal Designated Group system and updated methods to enhance participation rates. 

Recognizing the need to build our talent pipeline and continue to diversify our faculty and build on community engagement and leadership, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ has intentionally also engaged in a number of CRC searches, as well as other searches that are not CRCs, for other equity seeking groups. This included a Provost Academic Recruitment Fund to recruit 5 Black Scholars and 4 Indigenous Scholars.  Several Faculties and units have hired leadership positions focused on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.  In addition, during a recent cluster hire, which was not identified specifically for CRCs or designated groups, search and appointments committee kept equity issues front and centre, further contributing to this diversification.  A current CRC search for 2 Indigenous Scholars is in progress, as well as a Tier 1 CRC search for all designated group members in Geography and a Tier 1 CRC search in Civil and Environmental Engineering for a woman (inclusive of gender equity seeking groups).  Recently the Departments of Geography and Gender, Sexuality  & Women’s Studies conducted a search for a black scholar.  In 2023, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ welcomed Dr. Robyn Klein as Canada Excellence Research Chair.   Dr. Klein is setting up Canada’s first ever research program studying impact of infectious diseases on the brain.  She is a scientist, prolific scholar and physican.

Effective August 2021, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ appointed its first Associate Vice-President of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion to lead, manage, direct and evaluate EDI values and initiatives at the university. They are working closely with diverse groups across campus to promote equity, anti-racism and accountability.

Facilitating recruitment of dual career families of a CRC candidate remains a challenge.  ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ has a program in place to provide financial support to units when hiring an academic spouse of a faculty candidate.  The support is to provide a component of salary for a three year limited-term academic appointment to the spouse of a faculty candidate.  For non-academic spouses, the Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention continues to provide support through an external partnership with a Career Support firm to provide career support for partners of newly hired faculty members.

In 2020 a number of Letters of Understanding were negotiated with the University of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) to lessen the impact of COVID 19 on faculty members’ careers.  These COVID supports included:

• Flexible academic progression including providing a one-year extension for promotion and tenure;
• Sabbatical leave deferrals
• Accommodations based on family status
• Workload adjustment
• A revised process for annual performance evaluations

The 2022-2026 Faculty Collective Agreement includes Letters of Understanding related to provisions for Covid-19 Pandemic Provisions, Indigenous Faculty Members, and Members with Disabilities Joint Working Group.

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ is committed to providing a learning and working environment that is respectful and free of harassment and discrimination.  All students, staff and faculty have a role in this commitment and have a responsibility to ensure and promote a safe and respectful learning and working environment in their interactions with other community members.  To support this commitment, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ has implemented a number of policies and training initiatives, which include the following:

• Non-Discrimination/Harassment Policy (M.A.P.P. 1.35) and Non-Discrimination/Harassment Policy - Administrative Procedures (M.A.P.P. 1.35)
• Employment Equity Policy (M.A.P.P. 3.2)
• Safe Campus Community Policy (M.A.P.P. 1.46)
• Building Inclusivity through Anti-Racism
•  (article specifically for faculty)
• (M.A.P.P. 1.52)
• Accessibility Resources

Communication and ongoing training is an effective method of providing tools to all members of the community who share in the responsibility of creating a safe and supportive teaching, learning and working environment.  ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ conducted a comprehensive Campus-wide communication strategy and formal training obligations relating to harassment and discrimination.  Formal training modules for all ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ employees relating to safe and respectful workplace include:

• Preventing Harassment, Violence, and Domestic Violence at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾
• AODA - Accessibility in Series OR AODA - Accessibility in Teaching
• Mental Health Interactive Learning Module

Currently Equity, Diversity and Inclusion training is provided to members of appointments/search committees involved in a CRC search. During the summer of 2018, Equity & Human Rights services extended this training for all Appointments Committee members. The current Faculty Collective Agreement includes a requirement that a minimum of one member of Appointments committees, Search committees, Promotion, Tenure and Continuing Status committees, Performance Evaluation committees, and Chair/Director Selection committees be trained and serve as that Committee’s Equity Representative.  To facilitate this requirement, additional training during the summer and fall of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 was conducted and open to all members of these committees.  This training will continue and there are plans to evolve this training to an online module in the future.

The University has also embedded EDI-related policies, principles and best practices into various aspects of our Excellence in Leadership at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Program. This development program is for academic and research leaders, as well as administrative leaders.  EDI awareness and accountabilities for human rights, equity and accessibility have been incorporated into a half-day learning session called “Supervisor Responsibilities: What a ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Leader Needs to Know”.

At the 2019 Academic Leaders Summer Conference, a plenary session on Indigenizing ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ was given and in 2021 sessions on the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and Accessibility as EDI were included.   Annual Fall and Spring Academic Leaders Conferences in 2020 and 2021 have focused on Faculty Recruitment and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Embedding Anti-Racism, Decolonial and Indigenous Approaches in Curriculum.  The Summer 2022 conference included an afternoon with a KAIROS Blanket Exercise as well as sessions on Historical Perspectives from a Local Indigenous Leader and Sharing our Gifts.   The Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion hosted a session on the Evolving Nature of Equity and Inclusion. 

A number of additional leadership development opportunities continue to provide Academic Leaders support of increased awareness of equity, diversity and inclusion.  They include:  Accessibility, Accommodation and Inclusion at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾; More than Words: Land Acknowledgements; Indigenizing the University: Transformative Leadership.  

In addition to the training listed above, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion also provides training and education workshops on equity, diversity and human rights to the campus community on request.

Providing supports to employees to achieve work/life balance is important to ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ and we are proud to have been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2014, 2015 and 2016.  For many years, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ has offered supports, policies and programs to support employees in achieving this balance and continue to do so.

The UWOFA collective agreement includes a number of articles that provide resources and available options for faculty to consider in support this commitment.  They include the following articles: Child and Family Care, Leave of Absence, Pregnancy and Parental Leave, Promotion, Tenure and Continuing Status, Reduced Workload, Working Conditions, Workload, Compensation and Benefits.  The Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ also provides guidance and assistance to Members regarding a number of resources, programs and policies relevant to concerns such as child care and schooling, community resources, family health care and/or elder care.  This office has also developed a Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption Leaves guide and a Practical Guide to Sabbaticals resource to provide a comprehensive information on preparing for academic leaves.

In addition, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ provides a number of supports through a cross-campus initiative designed to encourage and promote a wide variety of physical, cultural, and intellectual activities to improve health and wellness at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾. These programs are excellent recruiting tools to attract candidates to ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾. 

Increasing representation of Indigenous peoples in the Canada Research Program is important to ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾.  An (ISP) was approved in November 2016 and a Task Force was initiated by the Provost to begin the process of implementing the plan's goals and suggestions and it released its report in June 2018 Efforts include the appointment of a Special Advisor to the Provost (Indigenous Initiatives), Indigenous Faculty cluster hires, the appointment in March 2021 of the Vice-Provost & Associate Vice-President (Indigenous Initiatives) led to the development of a guide for Working with Indigenous Students, a Land Acknowledgement guide, training for students and faculty to increase cultural awareness to support cultural diversity and mentorship (including Indigenous Awareness Week).   and development of a dedicated Indigenous Learning Space - Wampum Learning Lodge, which opened in the fall of 2022.

A “Letter of Understanding, Indigenous Faculty Issues” was negotiated in the 2018-22 Faculty Collective Agreement and an updated Letter of Understanding forms part of the 2022-2026 Faculty Collective Agreement.  The Letter of Understanding specifically endeavours to address the collective agreement processes such as workload, promotion, tenure, and continuing status, and performance evaluations, and to customize these to recognize the additional demands placed on time and workload of Indigenous faculty members. ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ continues to monitor the implementation of the ISP, and as applicable, specific actions informed by this work are incorporated into the CRCP EDI plan. 

Funding through an Interdisciplinary Development Initiative (IDI) in Applied Indigenous Scholarship (2016-2019) has supported the implementation of the ISP through a number of teaching and research initiatives as well as student scholarships, curriculum development and partnership on a number of the aforementioned efforts above.

In 2021, the , which leads the system-wide change required to advance Truth and Reconciliation efforts at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ and achieve equitable outcomes for Indigenous Peoples and implement   provided an which outlines its Milestones on the Road to  Indigenization, including the hiring of Indigenous faculty members and the hiring of new Indigenous faculty for two Canada Research Chairs as well as additional faculty members. 

In 2021, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ announced an investment of $6 Million to support a wide range of new EDI initiatives.  This includes the Provost Academic Recruitment Fund as well as funding to support EDI curriculum development across the university and funding to support indigenizing university curriculum.  .

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Research office has developed a number of resources supporting researchers to incorporate EDI principles throughout all research programs and funding applications.    . 

At the outset, the committee wishes to be clear about the following:

1. This Action plan is presented as a condensed list of Actions.
2. The process whereby these Actions were identified is described under the Process for Developing ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CRC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan section described above.
3. The goal of the action plan is to ensure that we are promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in our culture and practices.  Achieving equity targets is a measure of the success in achieving our EDI action plan.

The following are key actions that have been or will be undertaken as part of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CRC EDI Action Plan.

Objective 1: Attract and retain the best talent available in an increasingly diverse workforce to achieve and maintain an equitable and diverse representation of the four designated groups in our Canada Research Chairs Allocations.

1.1 During the summer of 2019, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ allocated up to 14 CRCs as a Special Call for CRCs to increase representation for members of three designated groups; women, persons with disabilities and Indigenous persons.   As the action plan continues to be implemented, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ has allocated Special Calls for CRCs: 3 CRCs for Indigenous Faculty; and 1 CRC for a Scholar with a Disability, and a current Special Call for 2 CRCs for Indigenous Scholars.   In addition, the CRC Steering Committee allocates CRCs to Faculties specific to hire members of designated groups. The Department of Geography is currently conducting a search for Members of the four designated groups, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is conducting a CRC search for applicants who self-identify as a woman, which includes individuals from Gender Equity-Seeking Groups. 

1.2 ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ will continue to use the opportunity provided by the CRCP through the “corridors of flexibility”, in our management of CRC allocations in an effort to create opportunities to attract a broad and diverse pool of applicants.

1.3 In advertising for new CRC searches, committees are instructed, and reviews are conducted, to ensure qualifications are not narrowly specified and qualifications are stated as broadly as relevant to the research field in order to attract a broad applicant pool.

1.4 To ensure individuals are not disadvantaged for legitimate career interruptions, language will be included in all CRC advertisements encouraging individuals to explain the impact that career interruptions have had and to submit a full career or extended CV.

1.5 As part of the recruitment process, consultants from the Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention meet with short-listed applicants to provide information on relocating to ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ and the resources available at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ and within the London community.

1.6 Steering Committee assigns CRCs that are aligned with the Strategic Research Plan and Faculty Academic Plans with emphasis on allocations where field of research is more broadly defined and in areas where units have identified a diverse applicant pool.

Key Objective 2: Continue Institutional monitoring of Employment Equity through the provisions of the Faculty Collective Agreement and annual reporting on Recruitment and Retention, Promotion and Tenure and Career Trajectory Analysis as required.

2.1 The Joint Employment Equity Committee (JEEC) currently monitors adherence to ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Faculty Employment Equity Guide (for Appointment and Promotion and Tenure Committees) as described in the Current Provisions for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion section described above.  Effective January 2017, a more intensive monitoring of CRC recruitment processes was instituted by the Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention (OFRR) which continues. 

2.2  The 2022-2026 Faculty Collective Agreement continues provisions for monitoring EDI to ensure women and members of other designated groups are not disadvantaged in recruitment processes and academic progression. An added provision of the collective agreement is the inclusion of a committee member who is designated as an Equity Representative on all Appointments committees, Search committees, Promotion, Tenure and Continuing Status committees, Annual Performance Evaluation committees and Chair/Director Selection committees. This extends beyond CRC committees.

Key Objective 3: Ensure equitable pay, workload and research supports for new CRCs.

3.1 Standards have been developed for workloads and salary stipends as indicated in the Level of Support section.  Ongoing monitoring will continue to ensure adherence.   In particular, special attention will be paid to the workload and career planning support of Indigenous scholars in recognition of the differential demands on their time due to the small numbers and the demands associated with implementation of the Indigenous Strategic Plan.

3.2 The Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention developed additional online resources on Academic Leaves which incorporates leaves such as elder care and parental leave, and includes information on supports for maintaining laboratories on leave and entitlement to alternative or reduced workload arrangements under the UWOFA collective agreement.  Additional resources will be developed as applicable.

3.3  A career trajectory analysis conducted in 2017 for all full-time Faculty members indicated no gender anomaly in current complement. In accordance with the 2018-2022 collective agreement, this analysis was also conducted in 2022 and, in the recently ratified collective agreement, a career trajectory analysis wiill be completed in the final year of the agreement. In addition, a comparative review was conducted to specifically assess current equity within CRCs, particularly relating to research stipends (compensation), workload and research supports.

Key Objective 4: Ensure Mentoring is Available for Tier 2 CRCs

4.1  Development of career progression and development support for all faculty is under review which will include all CRC holders.

Key Objective 5: Implement EDI awareness and practice as core leadership competencies, with accountabilities to ensure EDI is advanced throughout the institution.

5.1 ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s annual Academic Leaders Summer Conference brings together academic leaders to help support and develop their leadership competencies. At ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾, we recognize the importance of senior leaders modelling their personal commitment to EDI and the impact that this can have on all leaders within our institution. As such, at the 2019 conference, the importance of EDI was focal to the curriculum:

• In each of their opening remarks, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s President and the Provost included specific aspects of equity, diversity and/or inclusion and their importance to ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s academic and research missions.
• An “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” session was co-delivered by the Vice-Provost (Academic Planning, Policy and Faculty), a previous Associate Vice-President of Research and a UWOFA Representative of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Joint Employment Equity Committee.
• A keynote address entitled “Indigenizing ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾” was delivered by the Special Advisor to the Provost (Indigenous Initiatives).

Emphasis on EDI continued and in 2021 sessions on the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and Accessibility as EDI were included. Annual Fall and Spring Academic Leaders' Conferences in 2020 and 2021 have focused on Faculty Recruitment and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Embedding Anti-Racism, Decolonial and Indigenous Approaches in Curriculum. The Summer 2022 conference included an afternoon with a KAIROS Blanket Exercise as well as sessions on Historical Perspectives from a Local Indigenous Leader and Sharing our Gifts. The Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, hosted a session on the Evolving Nature of Equity and Inclusion.

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ continues to support and develop leadership competencies have implemented additional Academic Leaders Conferences in the Fall and Winter.  Topics focused on The Office of Indigenous Initiatives, Accessibility as EDI, Faculty Recruitment and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Embedding Anti-Racism, Decolonial and Indigenous Approaches in Curriculum, and Gender-Based Sexual Violence and the Engaged Campus.  

5.2 We have designated EDI awareness and practice as being core leadership competencies and an objective for the CRC EDI program.  Leaders will have accountabilities to ensure equity, diversity and inclusion are advanced throughout the institution. 

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ has embedded EDI-related policies, principles and best practices into various aspects of our Excellence in Leadership at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Program. This development program is for academic and research leaders, as well as administrative leaders. EDI awareness and accountabilities for human rights, equity and accessibility have been incorporated into a half-day learning session called “Supervisor Responsibilities: What a ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Leader Needs to Know”. Additionally, an online training module on ‘Leadership Recruitment at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’ was developed in 2019, which includes a special focus on EDI-related best practices in hiring.

A number of additional leadership development opportunities continue to provide Academic Leaders support of increased awareness of equity, diversity and inclusion.  They include:  Accessibility, Accommodation and Inclusion at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾; More than Words: Land Acknowledgements; Indigenizing the University: Transformative Leadership.  

Key Objective 6: Equity Training for All Faculty

6.1 Since 2017, equity training, incorporating the CRC Unconscious Bias Module, has been provided to CRC search committee members, academic leaders and administrators. This training is on-going to ensure all individuals involved in CRC recruitments and appointments have the opportunity to participate.  During the summer of 2018, Equity & Human Rights services extended this training for all appointments committee members. The current Collective Agreement broadens this training to include a requirement that a minimum of one member each of Appointments committees, Search committees, Promotion, Tenure and Continuing Status committees, Annual Performance Evaluation Committees and Chair/Director Selection committees be trained and serve as that Committee’s Equity Representative.  To facilitate this requirement, additional training during the summer and fall of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 continues.     A full description of training activities is included in the Management and Allocation of Canada Research Chairs section.

Information about ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾'s Management of Canada Research Chair Allocations can be found at Management of CRC Allocations.

The collection of equity data is crucial as we work towards achieving and maintaining an equitable representation of designated group members in ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s workforce and amongst our Canada Research Chair holders. As such, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ collects data on equity seeking groups which includes CRC applicants, as well as Chair holders. In both cases, survey recipients are asked whether or not they self-identify as belonging to one or more of the designated groups: women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous peoples and/or persons with disabilities. 

At ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾, the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  is currently responsible for collecting, maintaining and reporting on the equity data collected by the University. The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is also charged with maintaining the confidentiality of this data and facilitating its use for employment equity purposes. Additionally, survey recipients are provided with the direct contact information for this office to ensure that any questions about the survey can be addressed.

An EDI Data Working Group, facilitated through the President’s Office was established to refresh the survey to extend the historic Federal Designated Group system, update methods of collection to enhance participation rates and develop a communications strategy for the launch of the campus-wide EDI collection process.  In the spring of 2022, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s updated equity census was launched.

Canada Research Chair Applicant Equity Data

Applicants to CRC advertisements are sent an email from the Chair of the relevant Search/Appointment Committee thanking them for their application and requesting that they complete ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s CRC applicant equity survey (see Appendix A). The applicant survey includes an explanation of the survey’s purpose and use of the data. Completion of the survey is voluntary. In the case of applicant data, the Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion aggregates the data and provides it to the Chair of the Search/Appointment committee to inform the committee on the composition of the applicant pool.   The assessment of the diversity of the applicant pool is required prior to short-listing applicants to allow the committee to meet the defined process in the UWOFA Collective Agreement.

Canada Research Chair Holder Equity Data

Successful nominees to a CRC position receive an email requesting their participation in the ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (WIDE) Survey (see Appendix B). All employees of the university (staff and faculty) are strongly encouraged to complete this confidential survey. While completion of the survey is voluntary, the University encourages participation through a series of follow up reminder emails requesting the participation of any non-respondents to the survey. 

A detailed description of the current environment at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ is provided under the tab "Current Provisions for EDI at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾". Information regarding the primary contacts for equity concerns and/or complaints, how concerns and/or complaints are managed and the mechanism of how these concerns and/or complaints are managed is documented under the following sections of

• Contact Information of Persons Responsible for Implementing ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan
• Procedures for Addressing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Concerns

As identified in the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, 2011-2015, the ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ community has indicated a desire for inclusion and connectivity with others within the greater-ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ community.   There are a number of programs available to provide opportunities for support and inclusion. 

Since 2017, the Office of the Vice-Provost (Academic Planning, Policy and Faculty) has provided an orientation program for new faculty members, including CRC holders at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾.  The program includes information about academic responsibilities and progress and research supports.  In addition, ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers a full day, New Faculty Orientation workshop every August which introduces new instructors to resources and policies related to teaching and learning. 

The CTL also offers a Faculty Mentor Program which includes a variety of workshops, presented in collaboration with other partners on campus, on topics that relate to the challenges and experiences of faculty.  Typically, four to six sessions are offered each year and cover topics such as: promotion and tenure, developing a teaching dossier/teaching philosophy, running effective meetings, preparing Tri Council grants, preparing for sabbatical, tips for graduate supervision, and applying for promotion to full professor.

The University implemented and jointly agreed to a Letter of Understanding Indigenous Faculty Members to support the goals of ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾’s Indigenous Strategic Plan to increase representation of Indigenous faculty members at ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ in addition to recognizing and supporting the activities of Indigenous Scholars.

ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ Research continues to develop and provide a number of resources and workshops on several topics to support researchers.  Topics include grant applications, managing grants, ethics applications and guidelines, tools and technology, collaboration and partnerships, and procurement practices.

Exit surveys are conducted for all full-time UWOFA faculty members, including CRC holders, who resign from ÉîÒ¹¸£ÀûÕ¾ to identify trends and provide opportunities for improvement.