Camosun College
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Camosun's Diversity Committee brings together members of Camosun's community for continuing dialogue and planning aimed at placing the College as a community that celebrates diversity, to ensure students and employees feel welcomed and valued. Diversity includes but is not limited to characteristics of age, gender, ethnic heritage, culture, sexual orientation, religion, and abilities. Diversity is also the sum total of potential to be found in any group of people. The purpose of Camosun's Diversity Committee is to assist the college to recognize and celebrate the diversity and common humanity of its students and employees and to make them feel welcomed and valued. The committee is made up of 15 members who collectively represent students, unions, management and all major work groups of Camosun College. The Diversity Committee is active on campus and has organized and supported several notable activities. A campus wide Diversity Writing Contest in 2012 invited students to share stories to help recognize and celebrate the diversity and common humanity of the college community. Stories were showcased at the Diversity Celebration and published online and in a book entitled "Voices of Diversity: Student Writing 2012."

Employee Opportunities: TEL TIN TTE WILNEW - Understanding Indigenous Peoples is an award winning course that provides insight into an Indigenous world view, describes the impact of colonization and how it affects students attending the college today. The program guides participants in the development of new teaching and learning methods. Intercultural Connections is a series of workshops that builds on the TEL TIN TTE WILNEW workshop that focuses on development of intercultural competence, fosters respect and opens participants to the mutuality of teaching and learning across cultures. Respect the Workplace Education program informs employees on preventing and recognizing behaviors, comments or actions that might indicate bullying or harassment and provides procedures on how to respond, resolve and report situations. Camosun's International department also provides presentations to staff and faculty on each campus that includes an overview on "Transition Stress" related to international student's cross cultural experiences. Workshops are also provided to Health and Human Services staff, faculty and administration on developing intercultural competence. Student Workshops: Cultural competence training workshops are provided to several classes at Camosun. Several English Language Development classes, the Business Hospitality program and all Business 150 students are provided with workshops that focus on international cultural issues and building intercultural competence. Additionally, an intercultural workshop is also provided to students that are part of the Peer Connection Student group. Students that are registered in field schools abroad or exchanges are provided with pre-departure orientations that focus on intercultural issues and the development of intercultural competence.

Camosun's International department is in the process of developing a comprehensive pre-departure orientation that will be implemented next year. The program will include all Exchange and Field Schools and will apply current research and understandings in the field of intercultural teaching and learning to these study abroad experiences. Such a program will ensure that Camosun is supporting students to capitalize on these significant life experiences and support them in the development of intercultural competence.