Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Writing the EDI Strategy

This document shares our unique collective writing process, the EDI principles and frameworks we embraced, and special acknowledgements.  This document is undergoing formatting. It will be uploaded here once it is completed.

EDI Strategy Terminology

This document shares the terminology and theoretical frameworks used in our EDI Strategy. This document is undergoing formatting. It will be uploaded here once it is completed.

Bishop’s University EDI Strategy

This document shares our collectively written EDI Aspiration, Values, and our EDI Strategy, including our EDI Benchmarks and Action Items. This document is undergoing formatting. It will be uploaded here once it is completed.

Background

The Joint Board and Senate Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) presented its final report to the Board of Governors at the April 29, 2022 Board meeting. One of the Task Force’s recommendations was to establish a new Joint Board and Senate Standing Committee on EDI (italics added).

The overall report was positively received by the Governors. However, based on questions concerning the structure and composition of the proposed Joint Board and Senate Standing Committee on EDI, the Chair of the Board asked the Governance and Ethics Committee to reflect further on the details and practical implementation of this recommendation.

At its meeting on May 4, 2022, the Governance and Ethics Committee discussed different options for a joint Board and Senate collaboration on EDI matters. The Chair of the Governance and Ethics Committee proposed to work with representatives of Senate and the Board of Governors on a committee mandate, structure and composition.

The recommendation to establish a Joint Board-Senate Standing Committee on EDI was presented to Senate on May 20, 2022. At that meeting, it was decided that the Senate Nominating Committee would name two Senate representatives to work with representatives of the Board to propose a mandate, structure and composition of a Joint Board and Senate Committee.

Dr. Abel Bosum and Denise Lauzière represented the Board of Governors and Senate appointed Senators Ms. Victoria Perak, Vice-President, Academic, SRC and Dr. Michael Teed and Ms Amy Abe, Special Advisor, EDI to the Working Group.

After benchmarking other university practices through consultation via the university secretaries listserve and the Canadian Association for the Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment in Higher Education, the Working Group proposed that a joint board and senate working group be constituted rather than a task force or a standing committee.

A task force infers a time-limited focus whereas a standing committee, which would necessitate changing the Statutes, infers permanence. The Working Group recommends a joint Board and Senate group that would work towards EDI being a component of each strategic priority, each department and each action we undertake.

Mandate

The EDI Working Group has a dual, intersecting mandate: oversight, and, counsel and education. Members contributing to oversight will have lived, professional, or scholarly experience and knowledge of university and administrative policies, processes, laws, statutes, etc. Members contributing to counsel and education will have lived, professional, or scholarly knowledge and experience related to EDI and/or equity-deserving groups.

The Task Force’s mandate was to make recommendations in the following areas:

1. Hiring, promotion and retention objectives and practices for faculty, research chairs, staff, librarians and management
2. Training for faculty, research chairs, librarians, staff, managers, students and governors
3. Governance
4. The academic curriculum including research programs and activities
5. The University’s policies, procedures and guidelines.

The Task Force was also charged with making recommendations as to what data should be collected, how it should be collected and communicated and what metrics should be used to measure the University’s progress.

2021 Report and Recommendations (December 2021)
Message to the Community from the Principal – Sent on July 22, 2020 (PDF)
Members photos (PDF)
Report of the Task Force (PDF)
Appendices (PDF)
Statement from BIPOC members of the Joint Board and Senate Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (March 22, 2021)

In 2022, Career and Transition Services (CATS) and the Office of EDI collaborated to curate specialized career resources that would support equity-deserving students attending Bishop’s University. Specialized resources were gathered for Black, Indigenous, international, and 2SLGBTQIA+ students. Four Bishop’s University students were hired to research and curate these resources to share with the rest of the BU community.

If there is a resource you’d like to share with the Bishop’s University community, please contact us at edi@ubishops.ca with the details!