The Equity Office

1. The Equity Office

2. The Equity Office • Mandate • To work with Officers of the University, the Senate Education Equity Committee and the Council on Employment Equity to ensure that equity is achieved throughout the University in accordance with the Report on Principles and Priorities adopted by the Queen's Senate in 1996.

3. Queen’s Equity Statement • Queen’s University is committed to developing a climate of educational equity that includes acknowledging and elimination direct, indirect and systemic discrimination. • A culture of educational equity recognizes and respects the equal dignity and worth of all who seek to participate in the life, work, and mission of the University. • Such a culture is created and maintained by developing a university-wide commitment to educational equity, supported by policies, programs, curricula, practices, and traditions that facilitate individual’s free, safe, and full participation.

4. COUNCIL ON EMPLOYMENT EQUITY • The employment equity Council is made up of individuals from all employee groups • It’s mandate is derived from the requirements of the Federal Contractors Program to consult with employee groups when making policy decisions which necessarily must take into account employment equity • It approves the employment equity reports and plans that are submitted to the federal government • The Council reports to the Principal through Vice Principals

5. I Count Queen’s Equity Census • The participation of every employee is important in helping to: • Achieve an accurate profile of who we are and how representative we are of the Canadian workforce; • Identify areas where changes in policies, practices and systems are likely to be most effective in achieving fairness in equity and employment; • Pinpoint where we need to eliminate barriers that limit or exclude designated groups (Aboriginal Peoples, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and women) from opportunities that should be open to all employees.

6. Training – Employment Equity • The Equity Office offers training tailored for members sitting on Appointments and RTPC Committees as per the QUFA Collective Agreement • All members of appointments and promotion committees for faculty, department head, archivist and librarians must receive this training before sitting on such committees • Each committee must have an employment equity representative who receives additional training and is responsible for specific reporting on compliance and employment equity measures

7. Accessibility @ Queen’s • In recognition of the important contributions that persons with disabilities make towards achieving our mission and vision, Queen's University is committed to achieving a fully accessible university community.  • To achieve this commitment, all members of the Queen's community is to share in the responsibility for advancing accessibility. Faculty members, supervisors, colleagues, service providers, student leaders and university administration all play unique and important roles in removing and preventing barriers to participation. 

8. Training – Customer Service Standard • AODA Overview • The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) became law in 2005 • Under the AODA, several standards are being developed • Customer Service (came into effect January 2010) • Information and Communications • Built Environment • Employment • Transportation

9. Training – Customer Service Standard • AODA Overview • To ensure that the University achieves regulatory compliance with the AODA, everyone who interacts on its behalf with the public must be trained in accessible customer service • This training requirement applies to all faculty, staff, student leaders, managers, department heads and senior administrators

10. To access the online training, please go to:https://www.queensu.ca/equity/AccessibleCS_Training.php

11. SENATE EDUCATIONAL EQUITY COMMITTEE • Educational Equity is a broad concept that encompasses all aspects of the educational institution’s activities and their effect on the ability for students and scholars to thrive within a diverse environment • It’s mandate is to examine the systems that affect educational equity at Queen’s and make recommendations for changes or improvements to ensure that the full diversity of the Canadian and global community is able to access Queen’s and thrive as students/scholars

12. JOURNAL OF CRITICAL RACE INQUIRY • Founded in 2009, the CRI is a peer-reviewed, bi-annual, open-access electronic journal • “This is one of the first peer-reviewed journals of its sort in Canada. Its mandate is to foster the dissemination of scholarship on critical perspectives on the study of “race” in myriad theoretical methodological and empirical contexts. This journal also welcomes work that explores themes and topics in Indigeneity, and how they simultaneously challenge, enrich and shape the works of critical race scholars.” (Barrington Walker, Queen’s U., Co-Ed.)

13. The Equity Office • If you require more information, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our contact details are: • The Equity OfficeB513 Mackintosh-Corry HallQueen's UniversityKingston, ON K7L 3N6 • Phone: (613) 533-2563 Fax: (613) 533-2031 • E-mail: equity@queensu.ca

14. QUEEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE • The Equity Office works on systemic issues of access for the diversity of community members • The Human Rights Office works on resolving individual cases where concerns have arisen about a person’s (or group’s) situation • The HRO also offers information and educational sessions on human rights, compliance with legal obligations, anti-oppression…

15. HRO CONTACT • The HRO can be reached at: • Telephone: 533-6886 • TDD/TTY: 533-2755 • Email: hrights@queensu.ca • Web: www.queensu.ca/humanrights • Location: A320 Mackintosh-Corry