Queen’s releases 2021-22 EDII report

23 per cent of new faculty hires identified as visible minorities 

Image by: Erik Magnusson
Queen’s is planning new initiatives to maintain workplace diversity.

Queen’s 2021-22 annual Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII) Report shows leaps for women while other equity-seeking group are still catching up.

Women comprised almost half of new faculty hires, 64 per cent of new staff hires, and 57 per cent of Queen’s students identified as women in 2021. 

At the Queen’s senior management level, over half of respondents identified as women, and a quarter identified as a member of an equity-seeking group.

“There is still work to be done but we are making progress,” Principal Patrick Deane wrote in the report. 

As an early adopter of Canada’s 50-30 challenge, which incentivizes businesses to meet 50 per cent gender parity for women and 30 per cent representation for equity-seeking groups at the senior management level, Queen’s is close to achieving its goal.

According to the report, 23 per cent of new faculty hires identified as racialized visible minorities and one per cent identified as Indigenous.

The diversity of Queen’s student population lags Canadian census data for equity deserving groups, according to the report.  

Three per cent of student respondents identified as Indigenous and seven per cent disclosed having a disability, meaning student representation at Queen’s is 50 per cent lower than the population for these equity-deserving groups. 

“Real and substantive change requires all of us to work together and to recognize that those commitments we have made must permeate all the work we do,” Deane said. 

The report follows the start of the university’s Black Studies program. The Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) hired seven new faculty members across disciplines to make Black Studies a potential minor for undergraduate students. 

“The program is a perfect fit for those who are changemakers, for activists, and those who want to broaden their sense of community,” FAS Vice-Dean Lynda Jessup said in a press release.

FAS plans to “build a Black faculty mentoring program” to support Black faculty at Queen’s, according to the report.

To support equity deserving students, many Queen’s faculties launched new awards and scholarships. At Smith School of Business, 16 new awards and scholarships were established to support Black students at the undergraduate and professional levels.

The Black Student Application Category launched in the Faculty of Law, outlining different considerations for Black applicants to increase Black representation in the legal profession.  

Changes made to Queen’s Degree Level Expectations to focus on EDII goals are also highlighted in the report. The additional expectations require Queen’s students to “describe limitations of methods they use, recognizing potential inequities, biases, or implicit assumptions” but do not outline how departments are changing curriculum to meet these goals.

“As Queen’s begins to realize its ambitious strategy for the future,” Deane said, “It must always be mindful of the impact on the people it supports.”

Tags

EDII, report, University

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