Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office Initiatives
The Dean’s Action Table on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DAT-EDI) has a mandate to study, promote and advise on efforts to create and sustain a more equitable, diverse, inclusive, accessible, and culturally safe community for students, staff and faculty in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS). In doing so, the DAT-EDI will provide a means to identify and coordinate EDI activities and initiatives across the faculty
Working groups have been tasked with conducting an environmental scan to develop recommendations and metrics that will be used in the development of an EDI Strategic Plan for the FHS. The seven (7) Working groups are designated for each of the following themes:
- Outreach and Summer Programs
- EDI for Admissions
- EDI Curriculum across the FHS
- Recruitment, Retention and Mentorship
- Professional Development
- Research and EDI
- Culture and Community
https://healthsci.queensu.ca/academics/edi
Senior Advisor, EDI - Create and deliver long-term strategies to foster a welcoming and inclusive learning and working environment by (1) developing and implementing strategies leading to cultural renewal and (2) taking a lead role in the recruitment and retention of Black Learners.
EDI Program Manager - Provides analytical, research, administrative and project management support to facilitate strategic decision-making and advance EDI initiatives throughout the Faculty.
Elder-in-Residence - Provides ceremonies and guidance to the FHS as required and supports decolonization and indigenization from an Indigenous lens. They assist the FHS in responding to the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action by furthering Indigenous knowledge on campus. Provides office hours to learners across FHS.
Indigenous Access and Recruitment Coordinator - Helping Indigenous students find their way into health sciences programs, navigate the university once they’ve arrived and ultimately thrive in their time here at Queen’s
EDI Faculty Leads - Each of the three schools (School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Rehabilitation Therapy) has a lead faculty member guiding and consulting on the EDI work of FHS
https://givetoqueens.ca/fhsedi
Set up to launch and develop governance, policies, and programming that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in five distinct areas in the Faculty of Health Sciences that require an examination from an EDI lens — students, curriculum, research, professional development, and culture.
Projects:
- A donor catalog is available to potential donors highlighting prospective EDI initiatives
- FHS EDI Fund Campaign to raise funds amongst staff, faculty, alumni, and potential donors
A Diversity Mentorship Program will be piloted in the School of Medicine in 2021 and will be rolled out to the School of Nursing and School of Rehabilitation Therapy in 2022.
Program will include:
- Black Medical Student Mentorship Program
- LGBTQ+ Medical Student Mentorship Program
- Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program
- Mentorship for Underrepresented Medical Students
https://meds.queensu.ca/academics/quarms
- Training for faculty and staff to support incoming students
- Mentorship opportunities to match with physicians/alumni
- Orientation opportunities (i.e. weekend retreat with Elder-in-Residence)
- The EDI Office is assisting Black and Indigenous Learners, Staff and Faculty to form networks and meet with the Dean to establish support systems
Indigenous Access and Recruitment Coordinator offers MMI preparation sessions for prospective Indigenous and Black learners.
The FHS EDI Style Guide is to be used by FHS learners, staff, and faculty to make communication with diverse audiences more equitable and inclusive. The guide provides advice on how to engage with issues concerning race, gender, and sexual orientation, among other intersecting identities.
Equity assessment of staff and faculty across FHS to assist with EDI strategic planning
EDI Office and the Department of Family Medicine are collaborating to create an issue that focuses on the lived experiences of BIPOC learners, staff and faculty in FHS.
https://healthsci.queensu.ca/administration/equity-feedback-form
FHS has developed a feedback form to understand the understand the current context and how to move forward with this work. The EDI office has collected personal experiences in FHS.
https://healthsci.queensu.ca/academics/edi/training-sessions
The EDI Office is working with the Queen’s Human Rights and Equity Office to offer a series of training opportunities for FHS students, staff and faculty. The training sessions include:
- Unconscious Bias in Admissions processes
- Anti-Oppression in Healthcare
- Responding to Grievances/Complaints
- Sexual Violence Policy
https://healthsci.queensu.ca/academics/edi/prospective-indigenous-students
Offers Indigenous candidate an additional and alternative pathway for admission to programs in FHS.
https://healthsci.queensu.ca/academics/edi/prospective-black-students
Targeted recruitment of Black students into FHS Programs
Faculty Health Sciences EDI Initiatives
The Office of Professional Development and Educational Scholarship has a created six online modules to introduce concepts of equity, diversity and inclusion in teaching and learning. The Modules include:
- Dismantling Anti-Black Racism: A Toolkit for Health Professionals
- Power, Privilege and Bias
- Conversations on Decolonization
- Navigating Difficult Conversations
- Inclusive and Responsive Teaching
- Universal Design for Learning
https://healthsci.queensu.ca/faculty-staff/opdes/pandemic-response-health-equity-disparities
Global Health Faculty addressing the impact of COVID-19 on health equity and disparities in our community and internationally.
The working group is seeking to advance Indigenous Health Education across all programs in FHS
School of Medicine EDI Initiatives
https://deptmed.queensu.ca/deptmed/admin/women-in-medicine
Members of the Women in Medicine Committee are dedicated female faculty who work collaboratively to support one another throughout their career in Medicine
https://meds.queensu.ca/academics/undergraduate/policies-committees/diversity-equity-statement
Mala Joneja taking a leadership role in School of Medicine EDI Initiatives
https://meds.queensu.ca/academics/undergraduate/black-medical-students-queens-university
Established in 2019, the Medicine Admission Award for Black Canadians is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need and academic achievement to Black Canadian students entering first year in the School of Medicine.
https://meds.queensu.ca/academics/undergraduate/black-medical-students-queens-university
Activities include:
- Personal letters of apology to family members of individuals who were impacted by the ban (implemented)
- Curricular changes with respect to inclusivity and diversity (implemented September 2019)
- Exhibit in the School of Medicine atrium (postponed due to COVID-19)
- Symposium on Black medical students at Queen’s in 2020 (postponed due to COVID-19)
- Communications that tell the stories of Black medical students, alumni and faculty members
- Admissions award for Black medical students (implemented September 2019)
- Mentorship program for Black students (implemented March 2019)
- Installation of a plinth to acknowledge and remember the Black students who were unjustly expelled or denied admittance between 1918 and 1968 (postponed due to COVID-19)
School of Rehabilitation Therapy EDI Initiatives
https://rehab.queensu.ca/icacbr
An organization committed to mainstreaming disability and advancing the concept of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) practice in partnership with women and men with disabilities and their communities around the world. All of ICACBR's activities are directed towards achieving international excellence in CBR education, policy, service delivery and research.
The ICACBR administers the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, which advances inclusive higher education for young people with disabilities, develop new occupational therapy programs and advance research for inclusive education and community-based rehabilitation in Africa.