Join the Equity Action Plan conversation

Join the conversation and have a say in what equity, inclusion and anti-racism look like on campus. The university Equity Action Plan (EAP) consultation and engagement process launched on Jan. 19, and will continue over the next four months. All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to participate.

“We are committed to developing an outcome that provides our university with a set of goals and strategies to advance and embed equity, inclusion and anti-racism on our campus,” says Cassbreea Dewis, executive director, Equity and Human Rights (EQHR). “The plan will only be as strong as our community’s input and that’s why we want to hear from you.” 

Since the outset of this project, a core strategy of creating the EAP has been to think and do things differently. The consultation and engagement process demonstrates a commitment to equity-centred design and follows the creation and work of the Reflection and Challenge Committee (RCC). The RCC is a diverse group of leaders (faculty, staff and researchers) and experience experts (people with lived/living experience of barriers to equity, inclusion and belonging). The RCC has been instrumental in the development of the EAP engagement plan as we begin to frame the challenges and opportunities for change at UVic. 

The consultation and engagement process provides an opportunity for the RCC to hear from the UVic community. “We, all together, are connected. We’re incredibly interdependent. All of our voices are important in this process,” says RCC member and UVic PhD candidate Chelsea Thomas. “I strongly believe this plan cannot be completed without community voices,” says Mami Schouten, RCC member and equity, diversity and inclusion research officer.

Since the launch of the first phase of engagement on Jan. 19, over 800 online survey responses have been received. In this phase, the UVic community was asked how they would like to be consulted. Phase 2 began on Feb. 8 and provides the opportunity for the development of collective goals by asking the university community what they want equity to look like at UVic. In phase 3, the focus of engagement will be on identifying barriers to equity, diversity and inclusion by consulting key stakeholders and providing opportunities for people to share their experiences and stories. Phase 4 will involve an opportunity for the campus community to give feedback on the plan’s goals and help identify the actions required to advance those goals.

Students, faculty, staff and other members of the UVic community are encouraged to take part in all phases of the engagement by participating in the conversation. Learn more about the consultation and engagement process and provide your feedback on the EAP website.  

The development of the EAP builds on the shared vision, values and actions of the UVic Strategic Framework and our commitment to addressing barriers to meaningful equity, diversity and inclusion.