Graphic by Anne McNeil and John Megahan.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
The Flynn group is committed to building equitable, diverse, and inclusive research and educational spaces and approaches. In the space below, you’ll see some of our progress, actions, and ways in which we still want to improve. We welcome your suggestions and comments.
Image © 2017, Saskatchewan Health Authority
“Image caption: three people of varying heights are trying to pick apples from a tree. If they all get a box to stand on, it’s equality but the two shorter individuals still cannot reach the tree. On the other hand, if each person gets the number of boxes to stand on that they need to reach the tree (whether it’s 1 for the tallest person or 3 for the shortest person), it’s equity.”
“Equity is defined as the removal of systemic barriers and biases enabling all individuals to have equal opportunity to access and benefit from the program.
Diversity is defined as differences in race, colour, place of origin, religion, immigrant and newcomer status, ethnic origin, ability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and age.
Inclusion is defined as the practice of ensuring that all individuals are valued and respected for their contributions and equally supported.” –SSHRC
WHAT are the issues?
Systemic biases have resulted in decreased diversity in academia that we see in the rest of the population. Opportunities are lower and barriers are higher for some groups than others. Explicit and implicit biases damage the university community and make spaces less positive and safe for some groups. We see these issues play out in many areas, including race, gender, sexuality, academics, and physical abilities.
Issues also arise specifically because of the current pandemic (lacking a printer, wifi, a calm place to work, free of distractions, a computer, health (their own, family members’), time (family responsibilities, business, different times zones, etc.).
What can and do we do?
Many communities are working on improving EDI in academia, which involves research, courses, and the broader higher education community. In research, Canada’s tri-council introduced a pilot program called Dimensions EDI, in which uOttawa is one of the first 15 signatories. Participation in that program involves collecting and analyzing data on an ongoing basis, and using the findings to make and enact a plan to improve EDI at the institution.
In the sections below, we list ideas for ways to learn, change, and act to improve EDI. While we have undertaken many of these steps ourselves, we know we still have much more to do.
News:
Students from CHM 2120 A (Organic Chemistry II) and Dr. Flynn recently wrote a letter to uOttawa President and Vice-Chancellor Jacques Frémont sharing our own efforts and asking for more communication and action from the University. The public version of the letter can be found here.
As individuals
As individuals, there are many ways in which we can take action to improve EDI. Here are just a few ideas.
Learn through reading and watching videos/films
Complete training in:
Unconscious Bias, such as through the Canada Research Chairs program
Training in what to do if someone discloses sexual violence
Mental health training, such as through More Feet on the Ground
As part of Dr. Flynn’s own professional activities, she has led changes to the Canadian Society for Chemistry’s Accreditation Guidelines, which now include a requirement for chemistry programs to describe their EDI efforts, including for Indigenous students. As a member of the Global Young Academy, she is part of the Women in Science, Open Science, and Science Advice (co-lead 2019) Working Groups; in all those roles, she has contributed to publications and discussions raising awareness of issues. She has also completed the training listed above.
In our research group
Useable products of research: Our group develops evidence-based, Open Education Resources in French and English, aimed to reduce barriers in higher education. Our Growth & Goals module is designed to empower learners to take greater control of their learning.
Research team: our diverse team is always learning, with recent workshops on Navigating tough conversations and Anti-racism. Group members are encouraged and supported in attending and giving presentations, workshops, and conferences related to EDI. Some recent examples have included: Leaders Overcoming Gender Inequality in Chemistry (LOGIC) retreat, anti-racism workshops, and mental health workshops.
EDI lenses in research: our research involves looking at education with an EDI lens, with dedicated research questions.
Resources
A great read for researchers and educators about the surprising ways that bias appears in seemingly non-gendered environments.
Right to be cold, by Sheila Watt-Cloutier
How to be an antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
Self-guided lessons plans
Diversity and Inclusion - uOttawa
We’d love to hear from you! Have a suggestion or want to share one of your actions? Please let us know.