| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.32 |
| Liaison | Karen Oberer |
| Submission Date | Dec. 11, 2020 |
McGill University
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Does the institution have a diversity and equity committee, office, and/or officer tasked by the administration or governing body to advise on and implement policies, programs, and trainings related to diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights?:
Does the committee, office and/or officer focus on students, employees, or both?:
A brief description of the diversity and equity committee, office and/or officer, including purview and activities:
The Equity Team at McGill is located in the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic). The team aims to ensure that equity is a key consideration in all decisions affecting academic life at McGill -- whether this relates to student life, teaching and learning, or the appointment, tenure, and promotion of professors.
The team works on four main strategies:
- Employment Equity, which seeks to ensure a diverse and representative McGill workforce, where all are fully supported in their efforts to flourish and succeed in their professional endeavours;
- Equity Education, which aims to enhance awareness and capacity in relation to equity principles, obligations, and best practices for ensuring a campus climate that is respectful and inclusive;
- Research Equity, which works to build research environments marked by diversity and equality of opportunity for training, funding, grants and awards, and to ensure the equitable assessment of scholarship and of researchers throughout the University community;
- Preventing and Responding to Misconduct, which commits to raising awareness about harassment, discrimination and sexual violence, the prevention of these harms, supporting those who’ve experienced such harms, and ensuring effective mechanisms for reporting and investigating complaints.
The team consists of 14 staff members:
- the Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies)
- one Senior Employment Equity Advisor
- one Equity Education Advisor (Gender Equity and LGBTQ+ Education)
- one Equity Advisor (Anti-Oppression and Anti-Racism)
- one Accessibility Advisor
- one Senior Equity & Inclusion Officer
- one Indigenous Education Advisor
- one Special Advisor, Indigenous Initiatives
- two Research Equity Advisors
- one Employment Equity Advisor
- three supporting staff
The Equity team offers workshops for faculty, staff, and students; has developed an Interactive Accessible Network (IAN) map which provides the McGill community accessible navigation options and building accessibility information; organizes major events, such as McGill Black History Month; Indigenous Awareness Weeks, Queer History Month, etc.; and oversees the Awards for Equity & Community Building nomination and awarding process.
The Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) also chairs the Joint-Board Senate Committee on Equity, which recommends University policy that strives to promote fair access to academic and employment opportunities, and full participation in the McGill community, for all individuals, particularly for those from social groups that have historically encountered or continue to face systemic barriers.
This year, the Equity Team developed a Strategic equity, diversion, and inclusion (EDI) Plan for 2020-2025, which seeks to redress the historical injustices that have and continue to hinder access to, and success within, the McGill community. After wide consultation, the plan was approved by Senate and Board of Governors in April 2020. Please see uploaded file below.
Estimated proportion of students that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Estimated proportion of academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Estimated proportion of non-academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
A brief description of the institution’s cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
In 2019, McGill implemented It Takes All of Us, a mandatory online sexual violence education program for the entire McGill community, including students, staff, and faculty. The program was designed to increase awareness of sexual violence and help shift campus culture to one of respect and consent. The program includes four modules, which address sexual violence, consent, bystander intervention, and supporting survivors.
Moreover, all members of Academic Search Committees must attend a two hour training on Equity and Inclusion in the Academic Search process. Over 600 faculty members have participated in the last two years.
The Equity Education Advisors offer a two-part Equity Education Workshop Series for staff members; a SKILLS21 Equity Workshop for Undergraduate Students; a Equity Education Workshop for Graduate Students; and a two-part Faculty Equity Education Workshop Series. The Equity Education Advisors also organize workshops on request.
Moreover, the Indigenous Education Advisor runs the Indigenous Education Program, which offers the following: training workshops on Indigenous Perspectives for clubs and faculty associations; advice on the development of Indigenous-focused programs and events; a connection to Indigenous organizations/groups at McGill and in Montréal; and the opportunity to tutor and mentor youth from the Kahnawa:ke Survival School.
Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity office or trainings is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.