Dimensions Action Plan

Implementation

1. Academic units at the university submit expressions.
2. Faculty positions posted on the university’s website.
3. Faculty selected, advised by Laurier’s Indigenous Faculty Advisory Council and Black Faculty and Staff Caucus.
4. Annual reporting on Inclusive Excellence retention plans by faculties to the AVP EDI and AVP Indigenous Initiatives.

Accountability Lead

• Office of the Provost and VP Academic
• AVP EDI
• AVP Indigenous Initiatives
• Faculties

Timeline

• 2021-2023
• One time

Impact

• Address underrepresentation of Black and Indigenous faculty members at Wilfrid Laurier.
• University compared against the regional and national workforce as illustrated in employment equity reporting.
• Black and Indigenous students see themselves represented in the faculty.

Metrics

• 6 Tenure-track and tenured Indigenous faculty members hired by 2023. 6 tenure-track and tenured Black faculty hired by 2023.
• Annual retention rates of Black and Indigenous tenure-track faculty members.

Implementation

1. Assess the feasibility and need of an exit interview survey for faculty.
2. If valuable, design exit survey questions and process.
3. Capture survey trends in report shared with Academic Leadership.

Accountability Lead

• Human Resources
• Faculty Relations
• Office of the Provost and VP Academic

Timeline

• 2023

Impact

• Improved retention rates.
• Increased recruitment of faculty and staff from equity-deserving groups.
• Improve institutional understanding of the perceptions and experiences of full-time faculty from equity-deserving groups who leave Laurier to better understand why some individuals choose to leave the University.

Metrics

• Needs assessment outcomes for an exit survey process for faculty reviewed by Chief Human Resources and Equity Officer and Vice President Academic.
• Design and launch of an exit survey, if deemed useful.
• Communication of survey results and trends captured in annual report.
• Mobilization of survey findings to focus retention efforts for full-time faculty from equity-deserving groups.

Implementation

1. Review the Flexible Work Policy (pilot expired August 2022) and conduct University engagement/outreach activities to develop a further of understanding of the experiences of employees and university leadership with the policy.
2. Develop an ongoing Flexible Work Policy launched for September 2022; Human Resources leads implementation of policy and reviews annually.

Accountability Lead

• Human Resources

Timeline

• 2022-2024

Impact

• Improved recruitment and retention of employees with caregiving responsibilities and accessibility needs.

Metrics

• Establishment of revised Flexible Work Policy.
• Establishment of annual monitoring and impact mechanism on Flexible Work Policy.
• Uptake by employees.
• Impact on talent attraction and retention.

Implementation

1. Establish bilateral committee between the university and the Faculty Association to establish a framework to evaluate practices aimed at preventing and addressing pay equity issues, especially for those experienced by equity-deserving groups.
2. Conduct an intersectional pay equity analysis for faculty and a set of associated recommendations.

Accountability Lead

• Human Resources
• WLUFA

Timeline

• 2023-2026

Impact

• Address biases and inequities experienced by faculty from equity-deserving groups.
• Strengthening of progress made by 2017 gender pay equity review through further analysis into other possible systemic pay equity issues.

Success Criteria

• Establishment of bilateral committee.
• Development of a set of practices aimed at assessing, preventing, and addressing pay equity issues for equity-deserving faculty.
• Bilateral committee report on their findings submitted.
• University and the Faculty Union work on establishing a set of recommendations.

Implementation

1. Establish advisory group and Facilitate consultations related to the development of a new Accessibility Plan.
2. Design and implement Accessibility Plan.
3. Bi-annually report on Accessibility Plan publicly.
4. Ensure review of ongoing feedback of Accessibility Plan.

Accountability Lead

• Human Resources/Equity and Accessibility
• Accessible Learning Centre

Timeline

• 2023-2028

Impact

• Compliance with the Post-Secondary Education Standard (in accordance with expected legislation).
• Development of accessibility standards for on and off-campus researchers, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows.
• Centre accessibility needs and considerations within the research landscape and student experience.

Success Criteria

• Link self-identification data for students and employees with:
  • 1) data from the research community to assess if people with disabilities are represented in research roles vs. the Laurier community at large, and
  • 2) to assess experiences of people with disabilities in terms of equity and inclusion via surveys or interviews.

Implementation

1. Review policies, supports and processes related to employment accommodations, seeking input from those with lived experience.
2. Seek feedback from contract researchers (e.g. graduate researchers, research associates, post-doctoral fellows) to assess needs that may be unique to their employment relationship.
3. Develop recommendations to improve the employment accommodation policy and processes.

Accountability Lead

• Human Resources

Timeline

• 2022-2024

Impact

• Improve access to needed supports and accommodations for employees.
• Address unique challenges facing contract researchers related to obtaining accommodation or accessibility support during their employment terms.

Success Criteria

• Review and development of policies, supports, pertaining to accommodations and accessibility support for employees.
• Review of input from the research community on the provision of and access to accommodations and accessibility support when holding contract research positions.
• Development of recommendations to improve contract researchers’ access to accommodations.

Implementation

1. Develop a resource for researchers addressing violence, discrimination and harassment in a) field work, b) online, c) in graduate-supervisor relationships.
2. Design a supporting communications plan to effectively roll out the resources to the research audience.
3. Hold workshops for faculty and graduate researchers related to materials annually.

Accountability Lead

• Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management

Timeline

• 2022-2023

Impact

• Increase accountability among researchers and teams.
• Creating inclusive research conditions.
• Broaden understandings of and conceptualization of what gender-based violence is and how it is experienced by racialized and queer people in the Laurier community.

Success Criteria

• Fieldwork Researcher resource created.
• Online harassment resource created.
• Graduate-supervisor relationship resource created.
• Number of workshops facilitated annually on resources.
• Workshop attendance from faculty, staff, and students.
• Number of individuals who access the online resources.

Implementation

1. Through gaps identified in EDI Strategic Plan, facilitating student working group on development of resources/outreach activities to familiarize students with University Policy 6.1 and the practical processes behind the policy.
2. Develop and deliver recommended resources and outreach activities.
3. Conduct regular review of resources/outreach activities to engage the entire student population more greatly.

Accountability Lead

• Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management
• Dean of Students
• Centre for Student Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Timeline

• 2023-2024

Impact

• Improve student understanding of university policies, protocols and services related to harassment, discrimination and violence are low.
• Development of user-friendly resources (e.g. process map).

Success Criteria

• Creation of working group.
• Consultation with student communities regarding resource development/ outreach activities.
• Number of resources/outreach activities designed and outreach activities delivered.

Implementation

1. Develop Laurier Legacy project scope to examine/address University’s namesake and history.
2. Launch project and communicate information externally.
3. Hire two postdoctoral fellows and one visiting professor for a two-year term.
4. Scholarly and public education workshop in 2023.

Accountability Lead

• Provost and VP Academic
• AVP EDI
• AVP Indigenous Initiatives

Timeline

• 2022-2024

Impact

• Foster campus-wide literacy in the history of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, his legacy, and his history.
• Foster campus-wide literacy about the history of Wilfrid Laurier University and its precedents as an institution.

Success Criteria

• Hiring and onboarding of the postdoctoral fellows.
• Development and implementation of a communications plan related to the historical legacies of Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Wilfrid Laurier University as an institution.
• Internal and external engagement and attendance with public facing resources and events.
• Climate surveys examining campus culture over the course of the initiative.

Implementation

1. Advisory group composed on Inclusive Washroom Initiative.
2. Multi-user washrooms identified across all campuses.
3. Design and set-up appropriate signage.
4. Create a clear pathway for support for those who experience/witness harassment in a washroom.
5. Monitor initiative regularly.

Accountability Lead

• Human Resources
• Centre for Student Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Women and 2SLGBTQ+ Working Group
• Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management

Timeline

• 2022

Impact

• Reduce or eliminate fear of harm and harassment that some trans and gender diverse people face when accessing washrooms on campus due to gender monitoring.

Success Criteria

• Provide a short digital survey accessible by QR codes outside of washrooms surveying perceptions, attitudes, and impact of the inclusive washroom initiative.

Implementation

1. Reflect equity accountabilities in job descriptions and performance standards for leadership roles.
2. Require each university department/faculty to develop an action plan that identifies annual priorities related to EDI as reflected in the DEAP departmental self-assessment tool, the Dimensions EDI Action Plan and the EDI Strategic Plan, and that reports on achievements and barriers by the end of the year to Laurier’s EDI-SAT.

Accountability Lead

• AVP EDI
• Human Resources

Timeline

• 2023-2024

Impact

• Aids leaders in understanding their role in advancing the principles of EDI and supporting the implementation of the Strategic Plan for EDI.
• Holds leaders accountable to embed EDI goals and priorities into operational plans, financial planning, budget review, and management performance review.

Success Criteria

• Establishment of the accountability and assessment framework.
• Percentage of management aware of the requirements.
• Equity accountabilities embedded in recruitment and performance assessment processes.

Implementation

1. Identify in-house training and resources available to Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and Board of Governors (BoG).
2. Establish list of required and optional EDI-related trainings for ELT and BoG.
3. Deliver and report on trainings annually.

Accountability Lead

• AVP EDI
• Human Resources
• Secretariat’s Office

Timeline

• 2023-2024

Impact

• The BoG and ELT will actively model best practices related to EDI while representing Wilfrid Laurier University and its Community.
• BoG will continuously develop their understanding of EDI (including inclusive leadership, human rights, EDI in recruitment, EDI in research and academics, etc.).

Success Criteria

• Number of BOG and ELT members who attended and completed annual EDI training.
• Annual public update by BoG and ELT on trainings completed.

Implementation

1. Design and develop EDI-informed criteria/process for the establishment of annual EDI research awards, specific to a faculty member, postdoc, staff member, undergraduate and graduate student.
2. Publish criteria and process and facilitate a nomination process.
3. Establish committee (and open voting mechanism) to select awardees based on established criteria and train members on EDI competencies.
4. Select awardees.
5. Present award to recipients at annual EDI Research Symposium.

Accountability Lead

• Office of Research Services
• AVP EDI

Timeline

• 2022-2023

Impact

• Faculty from equity deserving groups and faculty who embed EDI into their research process will be recognized for their efforts.
• Promote campus-wide culture that values EDI as an important facet of research excellence.

Success Criteria

• Establishment of awards, criteria and nomination process.
• Number of researchers awarded annually.
• Number of nominations annually.
• Demographic data of nominees.
• Demographic data on awardees.
• Qualitative feedback about the awards program from nominees.

Implementation

1. Examine and engage with the Faculty of Social Work that has an EDI and Decolonization component to Annual Report of Activities.
2. Development Annual Report of Activities – EDI Component Guidelines and Resource.
3. VP Academic and Faculties oriented to Guidelines and Resources.
4. Faculties integrate component and criteria into Faculty Annual Reports.

Accountability Lead

• Provost and VP Academic
• AVP EDI
• WLUFA

Timeline

• 2022-2024

Impact

• Embedding of EDI into tenure and review process.

Success Criteria

• Development of an EDI component within the Annual Report of Activities for all faculties.
• Development of guidelines and resources for how faculty should complete the EDI component of the annual report.
• Number of faculties piloting and permanently implementing an EDI component within the Annual Report of Activities.

Implementation

1. Pursue a mixed nomination/invitation process for member recruitment.
2. Establish a council composed of faculty, staff and students on a two-year term (representative of all EDI units and offices.
3. Conduct mid-term Dimensions EDI Action Plan Evaluation in 2024.
4. Submit Dimensions application in 2026.

Accountability Lead

• Office of Research Services
• Provost and VP Academic
• AVP EDI
• Human Resources

Timeline

• 2022-2027

Impact

• Establish a monitoring and evaluation body for the evaluation of EDI action plans and initiatives.
• Improved coordination between EDI Offices and units as well as individuals wishing to lead and pilot new EDI initiatives.

Success Criteria

• Establishment of the President’s EDI Council.
• Representation on the Council from various faculties, units, and support units representing from faculty, staff, and students.
• Key community leaders and implementation leads for the Strategic Plan for EDI, the EDII Action Plan, the CRC EDI Action Plan, and the Dimensions Action Plan are supported.
• Publication of updates by the Council on progress towards goals and recommendations outlined by Laurier’s various EDI Action plans and commitments.

Implementation

1. Put together an advisory group to review internal research grant criteria.
2. Review internal research grant criteria with an EDI lens and consider embedding EDI considerations into assessment criteria.
3. Share findings of review publicly with entire Laurier research community.
4. Put forth recommendations for integration of EDI lens/components in some/particular internal grants.

Accountability Lead

• Office of Research Services
• AVP EDI

Timeline

• 2023-2024

Impact

• Embedding EDI into internal research grant criteria.
• Embedding EDI into academic adjudication processes.
• Foster a culture that upholds both EDI and Research Excellence.

Success Criteria

• Number of grant adjudicators and grant applicants who complete course on EDI in Academic Adjudication.
• Development of online course on EDI in Academic Adjudication.
• Number of internal grants that contain EDI criteria.
• Number of grants awarded.
• Consultations with applicants and grant adjudicators to assess.

Implementation

1. Compose small multi-discipline/role working group comprised of faculty.
2. Facilitate panel/resource development related to Dimensions Charter and DORA targeting Chairs/Deans.
3. Produce public-facing report on findings related to research excellence and recommendations related to the adoption of DORA.
4. Produce ongoing series (e.g. Research Excellence Across Disciplines) to facilitate ongoing conservations.

Accountability Lead

• Office of Research Services
• AVP EDI

Timeline

• 2023-2025

Impact

• Foster a better understanding of how Laurier defines research excellence among all researchers on campus.
• Demographics of the Research community at Laurier that more closely resembles the diversity of the Canadian workforce.
• More inclusive research culture on campus and within the scholarly communities that Laurier faculty engage with outside of Laurier.
• Development of understandings of how EDI and research excellence can be embedded within each faculty’s work.

Success Criteria

• Faculties and departments establish their respective definitions and criteria for excellent research and scholarly output.
• Composition of a working group on EDI and Research Excellence which will develop recommendations surrounding EDI and research excellence.
• Publish bi-annual reports which note progress towards the recommendations of the working group.
• Development of EDI in Academic Adjudication course and number of individuals who successfully complete the course.
• Creation of DORA/Dimensions Charter resource.

Implementation

1. Design mentorship program.
2. Develop communications and outreach plan to recruit faculty for the program.
3. Implement mentorship program.
4. Review and improve program annually.

Accountability Lead

• Office of Research Services

Timeline

• 2022-2023

Impact

• Improved retention rate for faculty from equity-deserving groups.
• Expansion of formal and informal networks of supports for faculty from equity-deserving groups.
• Broader awareness among faculty on how to support their colleagues from equity-deserving groups.

Success Criteria

• Development and launch of mentorship program.
• Number of faculty from equity-deserving groups who participate in the program.
• Feedback from faculty who participate in the program.
• Improved retention rate for faculty from equity-deserving groups.

Implementation

1. Conduct a census of faculty members whose scholarship reflects, or has the potential to reflect, EDI concerns.
2. VP Research, with support of EDI Data Specialist and AVP EDI, will build a publicly available database of EDI Scholarship that Faculty members may access to identify potential interdisciplinary research partners and pursue collaborative projects focused on EDI-related topics.
3. VP research will launch the public database.
4. Ensure delivery of internal and external communications activities/outreach to improve engagement with database.
5. Create ongoing feedback/suggested updates mechanism.
6. Review feedback and update publications annually.
7. Conduct a new census for publications every two years.

Accountability Lead

• Office of Research Services

Timeline

• 2023-2024

Impact

• Wider recognition and elevation of EDI-informed research led by Laurier scholars.
• Improved research culture that welcomes EDI informed research across disciplines.
• Wider engagement between EDI-informed research and the broader community beyond the university.

Success Criteria

• Development of an EDI category within the Laurier experts database.
• Development of EDI-informed expert alerts and their incorporation into EDI observance date communications throughout the year.
• Number of media engagements with Laurier EDI experts.
• Number of research partnerships with scholars listed in the EDI experts database.
• Number and size of grants awarded to Laurier scholars who carry out EDI-informed research.

Implementation

1. Track participation and completion rates for existing courses (“Inclusive Research” and “Appointments and Promotions Committees” EDI Trainings) and courses to be built in 2023.
2. Develop Course on EDI in Academic Adjudication.
3. Develop Course on Supports for Neurodivergent Scholars.
4. Collect and implement feedback on the courses from participants.

Accountability Lead

• VP Academic

Implementation Lead

• AVP EDI

Timeline

• 2022

Impact

• Campus-wide literacy about how to embed EDI into the research process, academic hiring, and research team recruitment.

Success Criteria

• Participation and completion rates of courses.
• Qualitative feedback from participants collected on an ongoing basis through Qualtrics Surveys embedded into the course landing pages.
• More representation among scholars and HQP from equity-deserving groups on Laurier labs and research teams.
• Retention rates for scholars and HQP from equity-deserving groups.
• Ongoing development of workshops that address challenges in embedding EDI into the research process.

Implementation

1. Identify budget for further development of EDI library resources across campuses.
2. Work with Library Services to continue building on existing resources.
3. Design and implement a communications plan to engage the broader Laurier community on the EDI focused holdings.
4. Monitor ongoing feedback.

Accountability Lead

• Provost and VP Academic
• AVP EDI
• Laurier Library

Timeline

• 2022

Impact

• Expand access to EDI resources and scholarship on campus.

Success Criteria

• Number of individuals who access the library.
• Number of resources added to the collection annually.
• Qualitative feedback from users on the impact of the library on their academic work.

Implementation

1. Develop workshop series program.
2. Roll-out workshop series with communications/outreach plan.
3. Facilitate workshops, receiving ongoing feedback.
4. Facilitate annual review and improvement of EDI-related workshop series for researchers.

Accountability Lead

• Office of Research Services
• AVP EDI
• Faculties

Timeline

• 2022-2023

Impact

• Increase capacity for systematic ongoing training that helps researchers embed EDI into the research process.
• Improve campus-wide literacy about the relationship between EDI and Research excellence.

Success Criteria

• Number of workshop participants.
• Number of volunteer presenters from different disciplines and faculties.
• Qualitative feedback about workshops.
• Improvement in understandings about the relationship between EDI and research excellence in the Office of Research Services’ Research Culture Survey.

Implementation

1. Research Services design survey (including a supporting engagement/communications plan and share with respective implementing partners.
2. Research Services facilitates surveys and produces a publicly accessible report every two years.
3. VP Research/Research Services hosts a corresponding knowledge mobilization activity (e.g., panel, forum, etc.).

Accountability Lead

• Office of Research Services
• AVP EDI

Timeline

• 2022-2023

Impact

• Development of a data collection infrastructure on research culture.
• Ability to track change in research culture over time.

Success Criteria

• Survey participation rate among faculty, staff, and librarians at Laurier.
• Having the Research Culture Survey data impact policy, programming, and training that address challenges identified in survey findings.
• Improvement in retention rates for researchers from equity-deserving groups.
• Regular publication of Research Culture Survey results.

Implementation

1. Hire an EDI Data Specialist.
2. Create an EDI data governance strategy advisory group.
3. Create Laurier’s EDI Data Governance Strategy and supporting resources.
4. Develop a supporting communications/ outreach plan to share new strategy with university community.
5. Work with key university offices/partners that have an interest in EDI data collection, on applying the strategy.

Accountability Lead

• Provost and VP Academic
• AVP EDI
• Office of Research Services

Timeline

• 2022-2023

Impact

• Development of an EDI Data Strategy.
• Development of EDI Data Governance infrastructure.
• Ability to lead data-informed EDI initiatives.
• Ability to track and address EDI challenges.
• Ability to track the impact of EDI initiatives.

Success Criteria

• Establishment of EDI Data Governance Advisory Group.
• Establishment of EDI Data Governance Strategy.
• Number of unique visits to the EDI Data Governance web page and dashboard.
• Number of public engagement and outreach activities delivered annually to advance the EDI Governance Strategy institutionally.
• Mobilization of data to inform policy changes, procedures, training, and support services on campus.

Implementation

1. Draft, launch and annually report on findings from Laurier’s Student Self-Identification Form with a focus on equity in the student experience.
2. Publish annual reports focused on equity demographic data of student researchers.

Accountability Lead

• Provost and VP Academic
• AVP EDI

Timeline

• 2022-2024

Impact

• Provide a picture of student demographics at the institution.
• Understand gaps in representation between student body at Laurier compared to the Canadian population.
• Ability to accurately track impact of EDI initiatives.

Success Criteria

• Ongoing student participation in the Student Self-Identification Form.
• Increased participation rates in all demographic data collection projects at Laurier.
• Mobilization of demographic data to inform developments in university policy, campus supports, and available training.
• Ongoing review and incorporation of survey participant feedback into survey administration.

Implementation

1. Situate the EDI dashboard.
2. Provide conceptual scaffolding.
3. Determine appropriate metrics.
4. Document metadata.
5. Develop dashboard.
6. Communication and rollout.

Accountability Lead

• Human Resources
• AVP EDI
• Institutional Research and Planning

Timeline

• 2022-2024

Impact

• Accountability with the Laurier community and the wider public.
• Transparency about Laurier’s progress towards its EDI goals.
• Presentation of aggregate data on representation of equity-deserving groups across the university in a visual format.
• Improved understanding of areas of underrepresentation at the university.

Success Criteria

• Development and publication of the EDI Data Dashboard on Laurier’s public-facing website that adheres to confidentiality agreements made with survey participants.
• Number of individuals who access the dashboard annually.
• Number of events and participation rate at events that share the purpose of the EDI dashboard.
• Mobilization of data towards improving campus supports in a targeted manner.