Calling all UVic campus leaders!
The Equity Action Plan (EAP) sets out 5 equity goals. There is work for each of us to support the university in achieving these goals. Making long-lasting, meaningful change will require action from the entire UVic community.
As UVic leaders, it is our responsibility to understand the goals of the EAP and build out actionable strategies and goals of our own.
This reflection and action guide will help you find an entry point to move from personal and team reflection to creating a set of actionable goals and strategies that support the momentum necessary for long-term, systemic change.
This reflection and action guide will help you find an entry point to move from personal reflection to action, while creating the momentum necessary for long-term, systemic change.
Thank you for your action, engagement and important work within the UVic community. This work benefits us all.
Reflection questions
The following questions show the many ways leaders can engage with the goals in the EAP. We encourage you to take the time to reflect on the main questions and to use the secondary questions as an opportunity to spark ideas for building an actionable set of strategies and goals.
What historical and systemic inequities intersect/influence your daily responsibilities and/or your role more generally?
For instance:
- in your decision-making process, do you consider outcomes/impacts across different populations (e.g., employees who identify as people of colour versus employees who identify as white)?
- do you work to acknowledge and confront inequitable power dynamics within your team/unit/faculty?
- do you lead by assessing issues, decisions and/or actions from a diversity of perspectives?
- have you reflected on the colonial history and foundation of UVic and its leadership structure?
- does that history and foundation impact your work and/or responsibilities today?
How can you encourage developing relationships across and beyond the university within your portfolio?
For instance:
- in what ways do you value lived experience(s) and different ways of knowing within your team/unit/faculty?
- do you create opportunities for different teams/units within your portfolio to collaboratively advance equity?
- is relationship building a valued part of your leadership structure?
- in what ways do you work to build relationships with communities beyond UVic?
How are you leading UVic’s efforts to cultivate a diverse campus environment?
For instance:
- what are you doing to recognize and celebrate the equity work being done within your portfolio by historically and systemically marginalized community members?
- do you use limited and preferential hiring strategies to increase the representation of historically and systemically marginalized populations across campus?
- what efforts do you make to provide mentorship within your portfolio?
- do you create opportunities for your employees to provide feedback related to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging?
How are accessibility and support structures built into your approach to leadership within your portfolio?
For instance:
- how do you work to proactively prevent discrimination, harassment and sexualized violence within your portfolio?
- do you seek the advice of Equity & Human Rights (EQHR) and follow university policy in your responses to discrimination, harassment, and sexualized violence?
- do you actively consider diverse needs when it comes to safety when leading/working in your designated work space (i.e., office, classroom, library or online environment)?
How will you incorporate the goals of the EAP within your portfolio?
For instance:- how will you ensure that actions taken to advance the EAP continue to centre community needs and perspectives?
- how will you ensure a transparent reporting process relating to the actions of the EAP?
- do you understand your responsibilities as they relate to the actions of the EAP within your portfolio?
- in what ways does your leadership include being an ally to systemically and historically marginalized groups?
What you can do right now
Having reflected on your role in advancing the EAP, work with your team/unit/faculty to build a set of actionable strategies and goals. This could be part of an existing planning process such as a strategic or service plan, or a stand-alone equity plan.
Consider the following list of suggested actions and/or resources:
- start implementing the EAP using the Implementation Framework and Toolkit
- learn about being an ally to Indigenous peoples with this toolkit
- review the Discrimination and Harassment Policy and the Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response Policy
- lead an Equity Review in your faculty, department or unit
- use UVic’s employment equity resources
- engage in diverse approaches to leadership that challenge dominant discourses and histories of colonization; start with the UnLeading Project resources
- watch this video on the importance of belonging and being valued, in becoming an inclusive leader
- read about an emerging Inclusive Leadership Framework in higher education
- visit the Disability Intersectionality Summit to discover ways to think more intentionally and expansively about accessibility
- conduct a disability justice audit within your faculty, department and/or unit
- check out the Leading for Equity Framework which assists leaders in developing purposeful action to address complex equity challenges
- watch Belonging, a critical piece of diversity, equity & inclusion to learn about 5 tenets to creating conditions for belonging