University of Victoria
PA-5: Assessing Diversity and Equity

The university conducted an Employment Systems Review (ESR) involving extensive consultation with university employees. With the full support of the senior executive team, the university retained a team of two external consultants through a competitive procurement process to conduct the ESR. The ESR examined formal and informal employment policies, identified potential barriers to the full participation of all employees paying particular attention to designated groups and made a number of strategic and procedural recommendations to eliminate those barriers.

As a result, the Equity and Human Rights Office has been leading consultation with a wide range of campus groups stakeholders on the recommendations provided in the ESR.

Equity planning & reporting are well integrated into regular planning and reporting cycles. All unit leaders engage annually in equity planning & goal setting and report on the previous year’s goals through their vice-president. These reports are compiled and submitted to EQHR from each vice-president. Increasingly managers & supervisors are held accountable for equity through its incorporation into performance planning. All deans are evaluated in part on their implementation of equity strategies in their faculties. All management excluded staff position descriptions incorporate a section that outlines their responsibilities vis-à-vis broader equity objectives. The UVic staff and leadership competencies include competencies that relate to equity.

As a post-secondary institution our major customers are students and we are committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse group of exceptionally talented students. This is achieved through specific outreach activities like the Indigenous summer camp and International recruitment and programs/services specific to the needs of diverse groups of students like LE,NONET and the Resource Centre for Students with a Disability.

The following diversity measures are tracked at UVic:
- number of employees from diversity groups
- Recruiting from diversity groups
- Employee perceptions of discrimination and harassment
- Management and leadership behavior
- Benchmarking external best-practices
- Overall progress in creating an inclusive workplace

We track employees who are women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples or people with disabilities. We have some information on recruiting from diversity groups as our applicant tracking system, UVic Careers, permits applicants to voluntarily identify as a member of one or more diversity groups. Employee perceptions of discrimination and harassment are currently being considered as part of the employment systems review. See: See: http://web.uvic.ca/eqhr/statistics.htm

In terms of management and leadership behaviour on the academic side, all the deans submit an annual report to the Vice-President Academic and Provost (VPAC) which includes equity and diversity initiatives. We review the faculty data from the equity groups and discuss strategies on increasing those members as well as strategies for an inclusive climate such as increasing more opportunities for engagement in the academic units which includes recognition of achievement for faculty and staff, informal socials and get-togethers and other opportunities for networking.

There is a process in place in VPAC to ensure that there is accountability of fairness, consistency and effectiveness of recruitment, selection and hiring of faculty members that is working well. The annual report of exit interviews with faculty members and librarians who resign is a tool used to identity and address barriers in retention and to strength existing best practices.

On the administrative side, managers and supervisors submit annual accounts of equity plans and goals; however, tracking diversity measures is a difficult concept to measure but overall our efforts seem to be resulting in a greater integration of equity into all we do and a perception that it is a big part of what we are about. This is translating into overall progress on creating and maintaining inclusive workplaces.

New employees at UVic are given an opportunity to complete an Employment Equity Survey, the results of which are used to assist with internal employment equity planning and reporting. Equity reporting is done annually as part of the Federal Contractor's Program that requires the university to report membership of employees in four categories: 1) women 2) Aboriginal 3) persons with a disability and 4) members of a visible minority. See: http://www.uvic.ca/vpacademic/administrators/diversity/equity-reporting/index.php

The UVic Strategic Plan states in Objectives 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 demonstrate the university's commitment to recruiting and retaining a diverse group of outstanding students, faculty and staff. Equity Planning and Reporting is an integral part of ensuring these objectives are met. Each year,
A list of university policies related to equity, diversity and human rights can be found here: http://web.uvic.ca/eqhr/policies.htm.

The results of the Employment Systems Review (ESR) and the consultations guided a renewal of the university Employment Equity Plan 2015-2020. One improvement to the renewed Employment Equity Plan was to look beyond the four groups designated by the Federal Contractors Program and address the complex intersections of various identities that may disadvantage of advantage individuals and groups in employment. Thought has been given to approaching this from the perspective of looking at what anyone considers their contribution to equity, diversity or inclusion in the workplace. A particular focus of the new plan is the strengthening systems of accountability for equity practices and results.

New Employment Equity Plan – Largely consists of a chart which identifies all the major players in equity in each faculty at UVic and their responsibilities for leadership and accountability, messaging and communication, consulting and participating, training and education, policy, employment practices, accommodation, collaboration, support and sponsorship, planning, monitoring and reporting. Each faculty will submit annual plans and summaries created and will submit the results and plan in 2016 to the Director of Academic Leadership Initiatives and the Advisor to the Provost on Equity and Diversity.

The University’s Employment Equity Plan consists of three overarching goals. These goals have been reordered so that they move from the general to the more specific and shift the emphasis from numbers to practices first. They are:
1. To promote and implement employment practices which advance equity and access for all.
2. To ensure the principles of equity and fairness are incorporated into all aspects of employment, including recruitment and hiring, training and promotion, retention and accommodation in the workforce.
3. To improve the participation of members of designated groups in all jobs and at all levels where they are under- represented, and achieve and retain a workforce representative of the appropriate community.

UVic has an equal access policy, guaranteeing equal access to all services for everyone.
The university strives to ensure that all UVic websites are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. All top level UVic websites are required to follow the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) accessibility guidelines.

On UVic’s hiring website the following statement is made: ‘’Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application and hiring process, may contact Grace Wong Sneddon, Adviser to the Provost on Equity and Diversity at gwongsne@uvic.ca or call (250) 721-6143. Any personal information provided will be maintained in confidence”

Indigenous Plan - The IAP Planning Committee has been meeting to develop the framework for the Indigenous Plan, informed by the current status of Indigenous student enrolment and programming at UVic, the goals, aspirations and concerns of Indigenous student and faculty, and the wishes and needs of Indigenous community members. Framing documents include the university’s Strategic Plan, the Strategic Research Plan, the Truth and Reconciliation Report and Calls to Action, Universities Canada Principles of Indigenous Education, and other documents. The IAP Planning Committee held a retreat in October 2015 to develop pillars of a draft plan, and to begin discussing objectives and actions that would support the goals of the plan. UVic has consulted on the draft IAP with UVic’s Indigenous Academic Advisory Council, the Executive and Deans. We are undertaking additional consultations and seeking broad input as we move forward to complete the plan. See: https://www.uvic.ca/vpacademic/resources/indigenousplan/index.php

The results of the assessments and related research are shared in a number of areas within the University:

Equity and Human Rights, Employment Equity Plan 2015-2020: http://web.uvic.ca/eqhr/eep.htm

Equity reporting webpage: http://www.uvic.ca/vpacademic/administrators/diversity/equity-reporting/index.php

Diversity Research Forum – The 2017 January conference will explore our diverse and intersecting connections with each other while reflecting on the past ten years of the Diversity Research Forum and the impact it has had on the community, attendees and the University of Victoria. See: http://www.uvic.ca/diversityforum/index.php

Campus Update sessions: Campus Updates are a regular series of town hall meetings bringing university leaders to the podium to brief the campus community on major initiatives, opportunities and matters of institutional interest. The sessions are also an opportunity for campus leaders to hear from you in an open and respectful collegial environment. All UVic faculty and staff are invited to attend. See: https://www.uvic.ca/current-faculty-staff/home/updates/

Collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs to ensure students have access to reports and findings that address equity and diversity on campus. See: http://www.uvic.ca/studentaffairs/home/about/index.php