University of Alberta
PAE-8: Support Programs for Underrepresented Groups

Canada's Employment Equity Act recognizes four historically disadvantaged groups: Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities and women. For this reason we have specifically focused on Aboriginal peoples, women and people with disabilities for this credit. In addition, we included supports for those from sexual and gender minorities. Many of these groups were also identified in the UAlberta Comprehensive Institutional Plan (CIP) to be provided with unique support (see Public Submission Notes section). ABORIGINAL STUDENT SERVICES CENTRE (ASSC) http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/aboriginalservices/ Students of Aboriginal descent are supported by ASSC in the following ways: - Employing four full-time and one-part time staff to implement a suite of services to support Aboriginal students and remove barriers to their success - Hosting the Transition Year Program (TYP), a university access program for Aboriginal students who may not be prepared to enter a faculty through the regular admissions route. Each year, up to 50 students are admitted to this program and given the opportunity for post secondary education with additional academic, social, and cultural supports. Example supports include attending full credit courses - University 101 and 102 - which teach holistic curricula and focus on stress and coping strategies, transition services, and brings in elders for cultural teachings. Also, additional tutorials, work space, access to textbooks, lockers, and social events are provided for all TYP students for a nominal fee - Honouring ceremony at convocation recognizes Aboriginal students with a culturally significant gift and banquet to celebrate their academic achievement - Recruitment efforts focussing specifically on Aboriginal student audiences, accomplished by an Aboriginal Recruitment reaching out to remote communities - Hosting an Aboriginal Education Advisors Conference where anyone who is involved in advising Aboriginal students across Alberta are invited to campus to discover the support systems that exist Additional supports for Aboriginal students include: -Seats reserved in the Faculties of Law, Medicine & Dentistry, and Nursing (specifically for Aboriginal students) -Each year approximately 43 undergraduate student awards are distributed ranging from $400 to $20,000 each, exclusively for students of aboriginal descent -The Aboriginal Teachers Education Program is an off-campus elementary teacher education program designed to improve the educational success of Aboriginal children by increasing the number of Aboriginal teachers in communities in northern Alberta. It achieves this goal by partnering with post-secondary institutes across Northern Alberta INSTITUTE FOR SEXUAL MINORITY STUDIES AND SERVICES (ISMSS) http://www.ismss.ualberta.ca Underrepresented groups are supported by ISMSS in the following ways: - Providing resources and support for many sexual-minority related groups and their programming on and off campus Examples include Siderite, the residence-specific Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (GLBTQ) student initiative, and Outreach, the university-wide GLBTQ student initiative - Providing leadership opportunities for students to volunteer their time and develop new skills in a variety of ways, including the volunteer-supported annual Camp fYrefly (a summer camp providing youth self-identified as being a sexual minority the opportunity to discover community and increase their knowledge base) - Providing mentorship to potential and current students who identify as being a sexual minority, a role that includes advising, referrals, and hosting an open social community for them to participate in with the goal of making post-secondary education more welcoming and accessible to these individuals - Hosting the Safe Spaces Initiative, a comprehensive and multi-stakeholder action plan to improve the availability of safe spaces and inclusive learning environments on campus. This initiative works with existing supports to identify necessary resources and create an implementation plan - Coordinating and delivering workshops to any faculty, staff, or student audience that requests a presentation. The ISMSS Education Coordinator delivers these sessions to courses and groups to increase their awareness of sexual minorities - Hiring, mentoring and supporting graduate and undergraduate students in paid research positions that focus on sexual minority studies WOMEN IN SCHOLARSHIP, ENGINEERING, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (WISEST) http://www.wisest.ualberta.ca Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST), a community where women explore career opportunities, network, and gain leadership experience in science, engineering, and technology (SET), supports underrepresented groups in the following ways: - Employing three full-time staff to implement a suite of programming and services to support women and men in less-traditional career paths (i.e. SET and nursing or ecology respectively) and remove barriers to their success. More than 600 volunteers engage with WISEST every year in the delivery of programming, awareness and fundraising initiatives - Being directed by the WISEST Chair who is supported by a diverse and influential Advisory Board composed of representatives from campus (students, staff and faculty), industry, education, and government and who is ultimately responsible to the UAlberta's Vice-President of Research - Actively engaging and educating young women about the opportunities that exist within science, engineering and technology careers. This includes a variety of conferences and community-based events targeting different audience ages that provide activities and learning experiences (i.e. Choices Conference, SET Conference and IlluminateIT) - Connecting future students with mentors through a series of videoconferences called Meet a Mentor, where women talk about their experiences, provide hands-on activities and encourage youth of both genders in SET careers - Operating a Summer Research Program where faculty members in SET or nursing, ecology or human nutrition volunteer to host a young woman (grade 11) or a young man (grade 11), respectively who join their laboratory groups and participate in research studies under the guidance of the faculty members and who then present their findings publically - More than 1,000 young girls and women are engaged in the WISEST programs and conferences annually - Providing formal and informal networking opportunities with the goal of improving retention of women undergraduate, graduate and post-doc students and giving current students peer-to-peer as well as mentorship supports (i.e. University of Alberta – Women in Science and Engineering [UA-WISE], Women in Science, Engineering, and Research [WISER]) while developing leadership skills. - Providing structure to encourage the advancement of women along their chosen career paths. By creating career opportunities and identifying women to be recognized for their work (i.e. awards), women in academia are inspired to act on professional career advancement SPECIALIZED SUPPORT AND DISABILITY SERVICES (SSDS) http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/SSDS Specialized Support and Disability Services (SSDS) promotes and coordinates the efforts of university departments and off-campus agencies to provide the following services to those with disabilities: - Providing students with adaptive technology and assistive devices, such as braille devices and software, assistive listening devices, voice input and output software and devices, screen magnification devices and software, alternate formats for print materials, and adaptive technology supported computer labs - Delivering a Specialized Support Transition Course for students who are blind or partially sighted, and assists in developing competence in completing university-level coursework with the aid of adaptive technology, provides technology training, and fosters a peer support group for students. Student can also take part in the Program for Student Learning Diversity, which provides academic accommodations and instructional services to help students acquire strategies for learning more effectively and independently, and develop their abilities in skill areas such as reading, writing, studying, personal management, and social interaction - Offering communication, advocacy, and counselling support, including interpreting services, note taking services, communication with instructors to advocate disability-related need for accommodations, field and practicum placement supports, exam arrangements and accommodations, and short-term support counseling and advising related to disability issues - Conferring of several awards, bursaries, and scholarships for students accessing SSDS services UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA INTERNATIONAL http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/uai University of Alberta International (UAI) works on the front line and behind the scenes to support the creation of an internationally vibrant learning and research environment. UAI provides a broad suite of services to assist students, faculty, staff and the city’s communities in virtually every aspect of internationalization and international engagement. Among their programs is the International Centre (IC) which helps international students adjust to life both within UAlberta and Canada. RACISM FREE EDMONTON http://racismfreeedmonton.ca/ The University of Alberta is also a partner in Racism Free Edmonton.

COUNCIL ON ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS http://www.aboriginal.ualberta.ca Campus community members of Aboriginal descent are supported by the Council on Aboriginal Initiatives in the following ways: - Gathering the 60-member Council with representation from five Aboriginal student groups, faculty members (from Native Studies, Education, Law, Medicine & Dentistry, and Family Medicine for example), Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal post secondary institutions, members of the Senate and City of Edmonton employees. This diverse group allows for incredibly rich and expansive discussions and opens up a space for meaningful and consultative dialogue and discuss topics such as honourariums, protocol with Elders, and conflicts concerning traditional ceremonies - Development of a guideline booklet that holds a consistent set of principles that enables people from the university community to respectfully connect with Elders and members of the community - Organizing informal brown bag lunches and other social gatherings for Aboriginal staff and faculty across campus - Coordinating an Aboriginal Focus Groups comprised of staff and faculty members who meet regularly to coordinate their efforts and collaborate to better support Aboriginal students, staff and faculty - Hosting events such as the Amiqaag Conference, a one-day conference held annually that invites students, faculty, staff and community members to share their cultural roots and traditional knowledge organized by the Special Advisor to the Provost on Aboriginal Initiatives. Other events include Aboriginal Health Speaker Series, traditional feasts, Powwows, round dances and an Aboriginal Writers Spring Gathering and Workshop. For more information on the Amiqaag Conference, visit http://www.aboriginal.ualberta.ca/WhatsHappeningEvents/2011/05/Amiqaaq2011 INSTITUTE FOR SEXUAL MINORITY STUDIES AND SERVICES (ISMSS) http://www.ismss.ualberta.ca Underrepresented groups are supported by the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (ISMSS in the following ways: - Hosting the Safe Spaces Initiative, a comprehensive and multi-stakeholder action plan to improve the availability of safe spaces and inclusive learning environments on campus. This initiative works with existing supports to identify necessary resources and create an implementation plan - Coordinating and delivering workshops to any faculty, staff, or student audience that requests a presentation. The ISMSS Education Coordinator delivers these sessions to courses and groups to increase their awareness of sexual minorities - Hiring, mentoring and supporting graduate and undergraduate students in paid research positions that focus on sexual minority studies WOMEN IN SCHOLARSHIP, ENGINEERING, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (WISEST) http://www.wisest.ualberta.ca Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST), a community where women explore career opportunities, network, and gain leadership experience in science, engineering, and technology (SET), supports underrepresented groups in the following ways: - Employing three full-time staff to implement a suite of programming and services to support women and men in less-traditional career paths (i.e. SET and nursing or ecology respectively) and remove barriers to their success. More than 600 volunteers engage with WISEST every year in the delivery of programming, awareness and fundraising initiatives - Being directed by the WISEST Chair who is supported by a diverse and influential Advisory Board composed of representatives from campus (students, staff and faculty), industry, education, and government and who is ultimately responsible to UAlberta's Vice-President of Research - Actively engaging and educating young women about the opportunities that exist within science, engineering and technology careers. This includes a variety of conferences and community-based events targeting different audience ages that provide activities and learning experiences (i.e. Choices Conference, SET Conference and IlluminateIT) - Operating a Summer Research Program where faculty members in SET or nursing, ecology or human nutrition volunteer to host a young woman (grade 11) or a young man (grade 11), respectively who join their laboratory groups and participate in research studies under the guidance of the faculty members and who then present their findings publicly - Providing formal and informal networking opportunities with the goal of improving retention of women undergraduate, graduate and post-doc students and giving current students peer-to-peer as well as mentorship supports (i.e. UAWiSE, WISER) while developing leadership skills - Providing structure to encourage the advancement of women along their chosen career paths. By creating career opportunities and identifying women to be recognized for their work (i.e. awards), women in academia are inspired to act on professional career advancement SPECIALIZED SUPPORT AND DISABILITY SERVICES (SSDS) http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/SSDS SSDS promotes and coordinates the efforts of university departments and off-campus agencies to provide the following services to those with disabilities: - Providing communication support, including sign language interpreting and real-time captioning services (CART) for staff and faculty members who are deaf or hard of hearing - Assessing staff and faculty members with disabilities who may benefit from the use of adaptive technology or other specialized equipment, as well as training in those technologies or use of those devices - Administering, along with Health Promotion and Work Life Services, the Reasonable Accommodation Fund for staff with disabilities, a central fund that helps departments to offset the costs of reasonable accommodation measures for faculty and staff with disabilities or disabling conditions CENTRE FOR TEACHING & LEARNING (CTL) http://www.ctl.ualberta.ca/ The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) provides leadership and informed support for instructors on campus, by connecting teachers with learning communities, cultivating engagement through research and innovation, linking teaching methods with effective uses of technology, and offering support for existing and emerging eLearning technologies. Examples of programming for instructors include Breaking the Sound Barrier Workshop that familiarized faculty with the effective use of audio to enhance learning; Local Student Global Citizen: Global Citizenship Symposium that linked local and global issues and perspectives, including human rights, social justice and citizenship education, sustainable development, and globalization; Opening Doors: Creating an Inclusive Excellence in the Academy, a symposium that raised awareness about equity, diversity, and mentoring in the academy. UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA INTERNATIONAL http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/uai University of Alberta International (UAI) works on the front line and behind the scenes to support the creation of an internationally vibrant learning and research environment. UAI provides a broad suite of services to assist students, faculty, staff and the city’s communities in virtually every aspect of internationalization and international engagement. Among their programs is the International Centre (IC) which helps international students adjust to life both within UAlberta and Canada.

All supports for underrepresented groups for staff are identical as those for faculty. Please see above for details on those programs.

Responsible Party Information ABORIGINAL STUDENT SERVICES CENTRE Name: Suzanne Butler Department: Aboriginal Student Services Centre Position: Transition Year Program Coordinator INSTITUTE FOR SEXUAL MINORITY STUDIES AND SERVICES Name: Andre Grace Department: Educational Policy Studies Position: Director WOMEN IN SCHOLARSHIP, ENGINEERING, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Name: Denise Hemmings Department: WISEST Position: Chair Name: Grace Ennis Department: WISEST Position:Coordinator COUNCIL ON ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS Name: Tracy Bear Department: Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Position:Special Advisor to the Provost on Aboriginal Initiatives COMPREHENSIVE INSTITUTIONAL PLAN http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/BoardofGovernors/Board/BoardofGovernorsApprovedMotion/~/media /University%20of%20Alberta/Administration/Office%20of%20the%20Vice-Provost/Governance/Documents /GO03/BOA/10-11/MR-18/Action/Final-Approved-Motions.pdf The University of Alberta’s Comprehensive Institutional Plan (CIP), a document that outlines the university’s short- and long-term plans, goals, and resource needs, includes a section entitled Access, that designates groups that the university seeks to support including international students (p. 37), rural students (p. 38), students with disabilities (p. 40), individuals exhibiting at risk behaviour (p. 41), Aboriginal students (p. 41), and students at academic risk (p. 48). INSTITUTE FOR SEXUAL MINORITY STUDIES AND SERVICES (ISMSS) http://www.ismss.ualberta.ca Housed in the Faculty of Education, ISMSS is an interdisciplinary hub for scholarly and community work in sexual-minority studies. The institute’s mission is to help enhance possibilities for groundbreaking research, policy development, education, community outreach, and service provision focused on sexual minorities and their issues and concerns. Sexual minorities are those persons who have minority status due to differences in their sexual or gender identities. A unique and holistic Canadian model, ISMSS places sexual-minority inclusive studies and services in a dynamic, interdependent relationship. Bringing research, teaching, institutional service, and community outreach together under one umbrella enables ISMSS to intersect its studies and services functions to create opportunity for innovative intellectual work and sustained outreach.