| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 62.69 |
| Liaison | Christina Olsen |
| Submission Date | Aug. 20, 2024 |
British Columbia Institute of Technology
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:
A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:
BCIT acknowledges that racism exists within our community, just as it does within the broader community - both on an individual level and systemically. BCIT recognizes that removing barriers to inclusion for Indigenous and racialized staff and students is imperative to acknowledging and supporting their voice, empowerment, and agency.
While BCIT has already taken proactive steps to reduce and address discrimination, the Institute recognizes there is much more work to be done. We are committed to actively working and committing resources towards the ultimate goal of eliminating all forms of racism within our community. BCIT worked with Veza Global, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) strategy specialists, to build a strategy addressing the unique needs of our diverse community.
In summer 2022, a comprehensive Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Belonging (IDEA+B) assessment began that focused on the internal organization of BCIT and included a review of key BCIT polices and procedures, individual interviews and focus groups with key community members, as well as confidential surveys open to all staff, students, and alumni. The purpose of the assessment was to learn more about the make-up of the BCIT community, what we are doing well, and what opportunities and barriers to full inclusion and participation remain. Veza’s audit approach includes qualitative and quantitative analysis, the Gender-Based Analysis Plus approach, and Global Diversity and Inclusion Benchmarks, integrated with a foundation of personnel expertise in IDEA+B, human resources, human rights, marketing, change management, and certified internal audits.
Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of employees and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:
The results of the assessment were released in September 2023 and will guide the formation of the EDI strategy expected to be completed the following year in 2024.
BCIT received a score of 57% on Veza Global’s IDEA+B Maturity Model and ranked in the Committed stage of their IDEA+B journey. The results highlight that BCIT is committed to, and has taken important steps towards, embedding inclusivity within the Institute’s culture.
The basis of the recommendations and next steps are grounded in Indigenization and Decolonization. The implementation of these recommendations will need to be an Institute wide initiative as IDEA+B is most meaningful and impactful when embedded into how managers engage with their teams, students engage with staff and faculty, and faculty members teach.
A key recommendation to support these initiatives is for BCIT to continue this work through the Respect, Diversity and Inclusion office through the development of the strategy report that will ideally be adopted at a departmental level through implementation plans by departmental committees.
Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:
A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:
The results are available for the public to view on the BCIT website at the link below.
Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:
The diversity and equity assessment report or summary (upload):
Website URL where the diversity and equity assessment report or summary is publicly posted:
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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