Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Week 2022 set to begin Jan. 31

Universities represent a fresh start for students. They’re also a place for all of us to challenge ideas, to debate perspectives and to shape the future.

At the University of Calgary, we’re committed to fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive campus that is accessible to all. As part of this ongoing journey, we host Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Week each year to raise awareness about systemic inequities, bring together new perspectives on the big issues of today, as well as to recognize and celebrate achievements across campus that support our work as a community of change-makers.

Throughout the week of events, there are opportunities for members of the campus community to share their research, knowledge, and experiences on what it means to be part of an institution where equity and inclusion are foundational principles and core competencies.

“EDI Week is an important  opportunity for our university to engage in collective learning from local and world- renowned scholars, entrepreneurs, activists, artists and public intellectuals about how and why equity and social justice matter to our university and the wider community,” says Dr. Malinda Smith, vice-provost and associate vice- president research (equity, diversity and inclusion).

It’s also an opportunity to recognize the significant but, at times, unacknowledged contributions of members of socially and economically marginalized communities on campus, in the city, across Canada, and worldwide.

EDI Week will feature public events by Dr. Norman Ravvin, Dr. Anna Lopez, Dr. Kalwant Bhopal, Dr. Cindy Blackstock, Dr. Natasha Bakht, entrepreneur Kendal Netmaker, and award-winning filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, and many more. A highlight of the week is the EDI Awards Ceremony on Feb. 2.

Due to COVID protocols, the wide-ranging events this year will be held virtually, and will focus on how we move from commitment to action, with learning opportunities on the Holocaust, spatial equity and urban design, decolonial pedagogy, racism and unearned privilege, Indigenous worldviews and storytelling, experiences of niqab-wearing women, and intersectionality and mental health. It also includes timely skills-based workshops on equitable and inclusive hiring, and embedding EDI in research plans and the research ecosystem.

EDI Week Jan. 31 – Feb. 4

This year’s EDI Week runs from Monday, Jan. 31, to Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. The theme for this year is From Commitments to Action – Building Equitable Pathways and Futures in the University.

Events include:

Embedding and Sustaining Equity and Decolonial Praxis in Higher Education: Actualizing ProLovePedagogy
Presented by OEDI
Keynote speaker: Dr. Ann Lopez, PhD, University of Toronto

Time: Monday, Jan. 31, 12 - 1:30 p.m. (MT)
Register for this event

Dr. Lopez explores ways that educators in higher education, drawing on both personal and collective agency, can embed and sustain equity and decolonizing practices in their everyday work that will create lasting change. Drawing on her research and experience as an educator in public school and higher education, Lopez offers insights on navigating complexities faced by educators in implementing equity and decolonial practices in higher education, as well as strategies to embed and sustain the work over time. 

Indigenous Diversity Awareness and Education
Presented by Haskayne School of Business with co-host OEDI
Keynote speaker: Mr. Kendal Netmaker, Saskatoon

Time: Tuesday, Feb. 1, 12 - 1 p.m. (MT)
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In this powerful keynote, Mr. Netmaker takes you into Indigenous Peoples' worldview and shares his heartfelt stories of living and thriving in two different worlds. He explains the importance of understanding everyone’s stories, beliefs and way of life. Netmaker offering is to plant seeds of hope so we all are working, succeeding and prospering together. 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Awards
Presented by: OEDI
Hosts: President Ed McCauley, Provost Teri Balser and Vice-Provost, EDI Malinda Smith

Time: Wednesday, Feb. 2, 11 - 11:45 a.m. (MT)
Register for this event

The EDI Awards recognize outstanding achievement in practice, event, applied research, policy, program, or other activities that foster equitable, sustainable and measurable change for those who traditionally have been under-represented (women, visible/racialized minorities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and LGBTQ2S+) on campus. Join us in celebrating the changemakers within the UCalgary community on Feb. 2 in this online event.

Black and Minority Ethnic Experiences in Higher Education: Social Justice, Inclusion and White Privilege
Presented by OEDI
Keynote speaker: Dr. Kalwant Bhopal, PhD, University of Birmingham

Time: Wednesday, Feb. 2, 12 - 1:30 p.m. (MT)
Register for this event

This lecture will examine how Black and minority ethnic staff and students remain marginalized in higher education. It will provide statistical data on the inequalities experienced by staff and students, followed by empirical research on Black and minority ethnic academics in U.K. and U.S. higher education.

Find full list of events taking place during EDI Week here.
 

EDI Week at UCalgary

Launched in 2017, EDI Week has grown to become a major event on the university’s calendar. Workshops, lectures and other activities hosted by departments and faculties across UCalgary showcase a robust variety of EDI initiatives and accomplishments.

This week serves as a testament to a growing awakening and progress toward a more equitable and inclusive climate where all students, faculty and staff can thrive, regardless of their background, identity or socioeconomic status. In previous years, EDI Week events have brought attention to issues such as hiring equity, racial inequities, access to opportunities and identity-based disparities in the academic workforce, among many others.

A highlight of the week is the annual EDI Awards ceremony, the university community’s recognition of students, faculty and staff whose exemplary work advances a more accessible, equitable, diverse and inclusive university. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in a practice or event; applied research, policy or program; or other accomplishments that contribute to overcoming barriers faced by under-represented and historically marginalized identity groups through sustainable and measurable change on campus.

This year’s awards categories are: Faculty and Postdoctoral Scholars, Students, Staff, and Teams. Past recipients have demonstrated excellence in a variety of categories, including research, advocacy and eliminating barriers to opportunities for under-represented identity groups.

The 2022 EDI Awards competition attracted over 70 nominations. In reviewing the nominations, the EDI Awards adjudication committee had the difficult task of selecting winners from among the highly exceptional nominees. The breadth and quality of initiatives and accomplishments demonstrated by those nominated showcase the university community’s collective commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

While the awards are a communal celebration of the progress the university strives for, advancing inclusion on campus cannot hold an expiry date. “It is imperative that we continue our momentum in addressing inequities within and beyond our campus,” says Smith. “Meaningful change can only be brought by our ongoing and sustainable commitment to build an equitable, diverse and inclusive environment.” 

Find more information on EDI Week here.