Toronto Metropolitan University
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

OVPECI provides oversight with respect to the realization of the university’s ECI strategic initiatives. We will work collaboratively — providing technical guidance and support — to empower all members of the university to create a human rights centred campus. We work in partnership to reduce barriers to access and inclusion for students, faculty and staff and bolster an equitable and inclusive community-focused decolonized university that pursues its academic mandate.

We assist in building capacity across all sectors of the university, assemble ECI expertise and intentionally guide purposeful action through the provision of:

-Advice and consultation
-Education and awareness
-Identification of best practices
-Human rights-related services
-Research and data
-Support for the development of policies and programs, including for the review of ongoing policies and programs

The Office of the Vice President Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI) plays a central role in leading and coordinating equity, diversity, social inclusion, human rights, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and education and awareness activities and training. While TMU does not provide a suite of education and awareness opportunities in a training calendar, we provide a wide range of events, sessions, and academic programming to develop knowledge of anti-oppression, anti-racism and social inclusion, and more. Instead of cultural safety, TMU integrates cultural safety, as appropriate, into education and awareness activities. These include but are not limited to:

The Ryerson Soup and Substance series, which is a noon hour moderated panel discussion, where participants enjoy a warm bowl of soup and refreshments, and engage panelists in an open conversation on a range of diversity topics that address social inclusion, human rights, and anti-racism/oppression;

Dine and Discourse, in which Ryerson community members are invited to learn from expert guest speakers and engage in an interactive working lunch to further explore ideas that focus on cultural or social inclusion topics that engage human rights, equity, diversity and inclusion issues at Ryerson;

Mandatory training required for faculty, staff and students prevent to Human Rights, discrimination and harrassment violations;

Online Accessibility for Onatrians with Disabilities Act (AODA) training for all employees, primarily new and shortly thereafter;

Training related to Human Rights policy and the Sexual Violence Policy for on- and off-campus partners including, but not limited to, student organizations and unions, Student Affairs staff, academic departments, Human Resources, the Office of Vice Provost Faculty Affairs, The Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (The Learning and Teaching Office, Human Rights Services), and Community Safety and Security (Security and Emergency Services).

OVPECI through its various units also provides group and one-on-one and customized training and support for employees and students, along with reports and online resources related to EDI.

The overall goal of the education and awareness training is to provide educational opportunities to mitigate risks associated with human rights violations and foster a welcoming, equitable, inclusive environment that is human-rights centered, for all to learn and work.