John Abbott College
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA) Committee was established to make recommendations to the College Administration in helping to address Orientation 8 in our 2020-2025 Strategic plan: Achieving Systemic Change Together: JAC is informed about and is resolving structural and systemic discrimination faced by minoritized students and staff at the College and works to address systemic barriers.

The Committee’s recommendations will centre around the following action areas:
1. Identify evidence-based principles, common definitions of issues, and effective structures to address and reinforce inclusivity, diversity, equity, accessibility and a sense of belonging at the College.

2. Create a protocol for identifying current areas of concern with regards to structural and systemic discrimination to Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility at JAC.

3. Develop Institutional accountability in areas related to Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility at JAC.

• Gather evidence of existing barriers and develop a vehicle for the college community to notify appropriate JAC administration about barriers or issues of concern.
• This process should include centering lived experiences of minoritized groups in the process of evidence-gathering and determination of systemic barriers.
• Prioritize what needs to be done and when.
• Assemble and guide IDEA working groups to address priority items
• May be composed of IDEA committee and non-committee members included but not limited to external subject matter expert, internal subject matter expert, person(s) with lived experience relating to the area of concern, etc.
• Explore opportunities to raise awareness in the College community regarding systemic discrimination through training and other pedagogical and socio-cultural activities; and

• The Committee should ensure steps to actively involve existing equity-seeking groups within the college community (current and future college committees, etc.) as well as within the community at large in the process of developing initiatives to address systemic barriers.
• The equity-seeking groups availability and access to the meetings of the working groups should be prioritized over the other members of the working group, as well as any other barriers identified, (ex: tools used, communication methods, etc.)

• All College committees/groups/activities will be encouraged to embrace/adopt IDEA recommendations.
• Collect information on existing activities/initiatives related to IDEA principles.
• Implement effective learning management systems (to create training plans; capture existing awareness and training activities; that can be used for reporting and KPI purposes for the IDEA Committee, Bill 90, etc.)

• These action areas should be addressed following an annual ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate, repeat the continual cycle) and employing representative working groups at the college (which may include external subject matter experts in order to lend their expertise and expedite the actions at the college. )
• Given the College’s strategic direction towards resolving the structural and systemic discrimination faced by minoritized students and staff at the College, it is important for the College to address these barriers. In so doing, it needs to build the awareness, knowledge and skills of the members of the College community to redress inequalities and social disparities and to provide an environment where groups can work effectively in cross-cultural situations that recognize and respect diverse identities, expressions and orientations. (working groups to be created to work on this that inform the IDEA committee of what is planned and or what has taken place).
• Foster brave spaces and safe spaces for the civil exchange of ideas to address systemic barriers at the College. (a working group can create standards/guidelines and a marketing plan to ensure all are aware and are using them for classrooms, meetings, events, locations, etc.)
• Suggestion boxes and other means of capturing feedback, suggestions, barriers, challenges, etc from the College community re systemic barriers and discrimination. A working group could focus on this.

The ANTI-RACISM RESPONSE TRAINING Program (A.R.T.), developed by Dr. Ishu Ishiyama – recently adapted and enhanced, including virtual adaptation, by the facilitators – uses a witness-centered approach to disrupting racism. This training is designed to encourage participants to shift from being frozen or silent bystanders to becoming active witnesses. In doing so, we can disrupt racism and build a safer and more inclusive community. Overview of 2.5-Hour Workshop
● Consider the impacts of being a passive bystander vs. active witness
 
● Gain greater empathy regarding the harmful impacts of racist encounters
● Review four levels of witnessing
● Explore four key categories of active witnessing
● Learn and practice a wide range of anti-racism responses and share some of your own