DRAFT COPY
Mandate and Strategic Alignment
The Implementation Team is tasked with advancing the following strategic priorities in the 2019 – 2022 EDI Action Plan:
Under Objective #3, to enhance inclusivity and opportunities for interdisciplinarity in teaching and research across Departments and Faculties, by
- Enhancing graduate teaching assistant EDI training and resources; and
- Exploring opportunities to enhance critical intercultural competencies among instructors and graduate supervisors.
Under Objective #6(ii), to enhance the recruitment and retention of equity-seeking students, by
- Assessing and enhancing (a) graduate and (b) international student experience and supports for success, notwithstanding intersectional experiences;
- Review admissions policies and practices using an EDI lens and improve, where appropriate, to support access and success of underrepresented learners in further graduate studies;
- Enhance and/or explore new mentorship programs for identified underrepresented graduate students and post doctoral fellows; and
- Conduct periodic student climate survey to better understand the experiences of (a) graduate and (b) international students in relation to access, inclusion, wellness, and success – notwithstanding intersectional experiences.
Responsibilities
The Team will:
- Develop a task list with timelines and assigned team members;
- Identify and review relevant resources and contextual information;
- Conduct environmental scan or comparative review of best practices as needed;
- Develop models of initiatives that could be enhanced or piloted if appropriate;
- Engage appropriate campus stakeholders for consultation; and
- Report activities and recommendations to the EDI Strategy Steering Committee.
Expandable List
To be determined (TBD)
Annually, community members will be invited to self-nominate by submitting a brief e-mail to the Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion (AVPEI), indicating which Team(s) they are interested in and the contributions they believe they can or would like to make to the work. The AVPEI will discuss nominees with Implementation Team Leads and determine to which Team(s) new members will be assigned for one or two-year terms depending on the availability and interest of individuals. Consideration will be given to establishing diverse Implementation Team membership.
There is no limit to the number of members on each Implementation Team. The Team Lead(s) may determine that addition members are required to support the work, in which case they may initiative a call for expressions of interest. If endorsed by the membership, the Team Lead(s) may target their invitation if a particular set of experiences or expertise is required.
To ensure that historically and contemporarily underrepresented, under-utilized, and under-served groups are consulted, meaningfully engaged, and part of the decision-making through the implementation process, the Team will include among its membership the voices of and seek input from the following community groups:
The Team lead(s) will:
- Obtain endorsement of the Terms of Reference from the Steering Committee;
- Establish the agendas for, convening, and facilitating meetings; and
- Submit a semi-annual brief of progress on tasks to the Steering Committee.
The Team will meet regularly on a schedule that is agreed by the membership. Formal minutes are not required. A semi-annual brief on progress will be submitted. A final report and any recommendations will be submitted to the Steering Committee upon completion of all tasked assigned for the 2019 – 2022 EDI Action Plan timeline.
Co-Lead(s):
- Andrea Cole, Coordinator, Recruitment, Retention and Diversity (SGS)
- Anna Moro, Associate Professor, Linguistics and Languages/Director, MELD
Members:
- Yufei Zheng, Coordinator, International Graduate Students (SGS)
- Stephanie Baschiera, Associate Registrar & Graduate Secretary (SGS)
- Shawn Hercules, President, Graduate Student Association
- Baraa Al-Khazraji (Assistant Professor, Kinesiology)
- Ana Pereira, International Undergraduate Program Coordinator (Student Affairs)
- International Affairs rep
- International student rep
- MSU student rep
Task definted as short, medium or long term
Timeline and Member’s assigned