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Equity Action Plan

Goal 5: Institutional accountability

Conduct ongoing, transparent evaluations of this action plan with continued opportunities for meaningful engagement and feedback with/from the community.

Why?

Like other post-secondary institutions, UVic has been criticized for inconsistent follow-through and reporting on institutional plan outcomes. During the creation of this plan, we heard a lack of trust from community members and a concern that an Equity Action Plan won’t lead to meaningful action. In response, community members relayed the importance of clear responsibilities for action and transparent evaluations of this plan.

  • The hierarchical and complex nature of the power structures at UVic make true accountability difficult to achieve, especially the advancement of equity initiatives.
  • Past evaluations of equity initiatives are perceived as performative and insincere. As a result, there is a lack of trust from across the community, especially within systemically and historically marginalized populations. 
  • The collection, management and use of equity data (e.g., data on racialization, ability, gender or sexual orientation) lacks organization and consistency. As a result, the data is not being used effectively.
  • The lack of clarity and transparency when it comes to the outcomes of complaint procedures (e.g., reporting instances of discrimination) erodes trust in existing accountability systems. 
  • If accountability to implement, evaluate and report on the Equity Action Plan is controlled by a single unit, a conflict of interest around responsibility, transparency and accountability could exist.

Committed actions

Community-wide impact

  1. Widely communicate the shared responsibility of implementing and reporting on the EAP. Lead: Executive Council

  2. Leverage the data collected through the Better Data Project to support institutional decision-making and resourcing of support services for students, staff, and faculty. Lead: Executive Council (Better Data Steering Committee)

  3. Use centralized equity tools (i.e. Equity Reviews, Equity Lens ABCs) when updating and creating institutional and unit-level strategic plans and policies and ensure alignment with the EAP goals. Lead: All portfolios

  4. Respond to identified unit level equity gaps, including implementing recommendations of Equity Review processes, environmental assessments, and program reviews as appropriate. Lead: All portfolios

  5. Ensure annual performance reviews of members of Executive Council report on their contributions to advancing UVic's mission and institutional priorities, including how they have championed the EAP in support of these goals. Lead: President

  6. Develop tools and strategies to support the UVic community in addressing resistance to the change required to achieve the goals the EAP. Lead: University Secretary (Equity & Human Rights)

Actions Completion notes

Review and revise dispute resolution policies and procedures, including disciplinary measures and protections against retaliation. Revisions should improve responsiveness to redress racism and oppression and promote inclusion and belonging. Leads: VP Academic & Provost, VP Finance & Operations, University Secretary

 The Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response Policy (2025) and the Discrimination and Harassment Prevention and Response Policy (2024) have been reviewed and updated. Significant changes include more clarity regarding retaliation as well as the addition of systemic discrimination and microaggressions as prohibited conduct.
Carry out the Better Data Project to establish clear guidelines and governance concerning the collection of self-identification data to evaluate and inform the actions associated with the EAP. Leads: VP Academic & Provost, VP Finance & Operations, University Secretary (Equity & Human Rights) The Better Data Project questionnaire was launched in 2024 and public dashboards are now available to view collected demographic data.
Conduct an equity review of UVic graduate student experiences. Lead: VP Academic & Provost An equity review was completed over the 2024-2025 academic year by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Design an ongoing reporting mechanism for the campus community that involves sharing progress on the EAP, consulting on reprioritization and emerging issues, and communicating actions from across the university. Lead: University Secretary (Equity & Human Rights)

Snapshot 2025 is the first institutional report to share progress on the EAP. It has been launched alongside a new round of community engagement to update the EAP.

 

Updated October 2026

What's next

Ready to take action?

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