University of Waterloo
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

In 2021, the University of Waterloo restructured its organization, establishing the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism (EDI-R). The Office of EDI-R aims to disrupt systemic oppression, lead transformative culture change, and embed equity and anti-racism in university policies, processes, environments, and experiences for students, staff, and faculty. The Office of EDI-R focuses on building equity and anti-racism competencies, redesigning systems to be more equitable, responding to concerns of discrimination, and fostering partnerships with community groups. It is comprised of three key units:

1. Equity and Anti-Racism: This unit addresses complaints of discrimination, including but not limited to: racism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, and antisemitism It provides support and resources to students, staff, and faculty who experience harm, conducts equity audits, and develops action plans for departments or areas experiencing concerns.
2. Education and Outreach: This unit enhances anti-racism and equity competencies across campus through educational workshops, resources, and training programs for students, staff, and faculty. It also builds and maintains relationships with various communities, both on and off-campus, including programs like Program Area Leads (PALs) and the EDI-R Community of Practice, which are critical for driving awareness and fostering collaboration in equity and anti-racism efforts.
3. Institutional Programs: This unit focuses on broader, systemic changes that impact the university's policies, procedures, and physical spaces. By developing and implementing initiatives at an institutional level, it ensures that policies and practices are redesigned to be more equitable and inclusive, promoting lasting cultural transformation. Recent initiatives include All-Gender Washrooms, and President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce (PART) project management.

The Office of EDI-R offers a comprehensive educational portfolio designed to build competencies and capacity in equity, anti-racism, and transformative justice across the University of Waterloo. This is achieved through a range of synchronous and asynchronous training modules, workshops, and resources aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of these critical areas. These key initiatives, which are open to students, staff, and faculty, include:

• Anti-Racism & Anti-Oppression Modules
• Equitable Faculty Recruitment & Selection
• Gender Equity Lecture Series
•  Amplify Podcast
•  Introduction to Equity
•  Confronting Anti-Black Racism e-Learning Course
• Bystander Intervention
• Pathways to Addressing Disclosures of Racism (with Care)
•  Developing an Anti-Oppressive Practice
• Accommodations for Racial Trauma
• 2SLGBTQIA+ Fundamentals
• Pronouns FAQ 
• Understanding Your Rights (AODA)
•  Understanding Allyship, Solidarity, and Advocacy Training
•  Menstrual Equity

The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) also embeds content regarding intersectionality and systems of oppression into their workshops regarding Responding to Disclosure (employees), Creating Consent Culture (students), student leader trainings and more.

In addition, Waterloo’s Organizational and Human Development department has created a Principles of Inclusivity certificate program to explore relevant themes and provide practical suggestions for practicing and promoting inclusivity, through seven half-day workshops.

The Office of Indigenous Relations provides the following training opportunities:

• Faculty-based Peer Mentorship Training: designed to ease the transition of Indigenous students into post-secondary education.
•   Resources and Allyship webpage: a curated, non-exhaustive list of resources for the Waterloo community that addresses Indigenous histories, cultures and lived realities.
• Educational Collaborations and Online Courses webpage: resources include materials from the National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) such as lesson plans and educational videos for Indigenous and settler educators.
•  Métis 101: a live and virtual series that addresses Métis history and culture.
• ‘You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know’: A three-part online workshop exploring First Nations, Inuit, and Métis relations with settlers. The workshop introduces the concept of "Miskasowin" (wholistic self-evaluation) and promotes further action, accountability, and responsibilities as a treaty person in Canada.
• Indigenous Research Guide: provides guidance on various training and learning opportunities for engaging in Indigenous research. It includes workshops, courses, and training modules such as "Building Research Relationships with Indigenous Communities,” “San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training,” and “The Fundamentals of OCAP®”