Equity Review of the Department of Chemistry

UVic’s Department of Chemistry is conducting an Equity Review. An Equity Review is a voluntary process that provides a systematic review of the unit’s successes, problems and gaps in addressing equity, diversity and inclusion.

We welcome the participation of all members of the Department of Chemistry, and any students who have taken courses in the Department since 2015.

Timeline

Fall 2020—Starting the process with a self-review of our equity processes

Fall 2020—The researcher working on the survey, interviews and review of materials

February 2021—Release executive summary of the work within the Department

 

Ways to participate (more details below)

 Thank you for your involvement in this important process. As a department, we are looking forward to hearing a full range of views from the diverse members of our department. Your time and openness will help us build a more inclusive unit.

Yours,

Katherine Elvira, Chair of Chem EDI

Neil Burford, Chair of Department of Chemistry

 

FAQs about the survey

How long will the survey take?

This survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. All questions are optional.

 

Do I have to give my name?

No. The survey is anonymous and we do not ask for your name.

 

Who organized the survey? Who is doing the work?

The survey is part of an Equity Review initiated by the Chemistry Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee (Chem EDI) and the Department of Chemistry at UVic. They are assessing how well they have succeeded in promoting a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment within their courses and department.

The review is coordinated by an External Reviewer who will review information provided by the Department of Chemistry and Equity and Human Rights at UVic, along with survey and interview responses.

 

What are the steps in an Equity Review?

This process, created at UVic, allows a unit to gain an objective view of its successes and challenges with advancing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

The process starts with the unit answering a series of questions about their equity work, representation, and challenges with EDI. An External Reviewer then reviews this information and conducts interviews with a wide range of people and groups within the unit. Finally, combined with the findings from this survey, the External Reviewer produces a report highlighting key elements of the current EDI status of the department, challenges with EDI, and opportunities to advance EDI.

Once the unit has reviewed this report they will address any questions or concerns it raises and consider what changes they will make going ahead.

Finally, a summary will be published for everyone in the department.

This is the first Equity Review in Chemistry. The Department plans to conduct these approximately every 5 years.

 

How will they use the survey data?

Chem EDI, in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry administration, will use the results to inform the EDI plan, including ideas for types of activities.

 

What does the survey ask?

The questions ask about your experience with equity, diversity and inclusion within chemistry courses and the Department of Chemistry at UVic. There are also a few demographic questions to help group responses for analysis.

 

Who will see the results?

The External Reviewer will be the only person to see all the results. Individual responses to the questionnaire will not be shared. Summaries of responses to each question will be shared with Chem EDI and the Department of Chemistry administration. Excerpts from the open-ended responses may be quoted in the final published summary report to illustrate common themes.

 

How will the data be analyzed?

Your responses will be combined with those of all other participants in the same category (e.g., undergraduate students with other undergraduate students) to help understand how people in different positions experience EDI in the Department.

 

How is my privacy protected?

This survey is anonymous. We do not collect any data that can be used to track you as an individual. We have turned off tracking of IP addresses on the survey so we can’t see what digital device is being used to answer the survey. If there are fewer than 5 respondents for any category, we will not report their responses as a separate category but will combine them with another group of respondents to preserve anonymity.

 

I’ve got more to say; how can I share it?

If you would like to be interviewed, please email the External Reviewer, Kamilla Milligan, at eqhrprojects@uvic.ca. Please note that because of resource limitations, we may not be able to interview everyone who contacts us.

Please note that this survey is not a way to report serious equity, diversity and inclusion concerns. If you have such concerns, please contact Chem EDI or EQHR.

 

How can I take the survey?

Just follow the link  on any digital device (mobile, laptop, tablet) and answer the questions.

 

Details about the interviews

Confidentiality: These interviews will be anonymized for confidentiality. I will combine observations and recommendations with those of other people in similar roles, or find other ways to generalize comments so that they do not lead back to individuals.

Time: The interview could take from 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much you would like to share.

Format: We can meet via Zoom or through a phone call. If neither of those is feasible for you, we can discuss an alternate method.

Challenging topics: You are welcome to share as much or as little of your experience and observations as you are comfortable doing. If you need support to deal with some of the things you are sharing, I will refer you to Chem EDI, UVic counselling or EQHR.

Reporting on incidents: This interview is not a venue for reporting concerning incidents. If you would like to get feedback on or raise a concern about someone or something that has happened, I will refer you to Chem EDI or EQHR, or possibly another office or person, depending on the nature of the concern. There are some topics which, if raised, will require me to report, including harassment by supervisors or situations in which people under age 18 have been harmed or are at risk.

Questions or concerns: If you have questions or concerns about the process, you are welcome to ask me or reach out to the following people: