Actions Implemented in Year 1
Below is a summary of activities and initiatives undertaken in Year 1 of the university's Employment Equity Plan. The list includes activities within each of the seven priorities of the Plan. You can also view the full Employment Equity Plan Progress Report (2022-2023) [PDF].
Priority 1: Communication and Awareness
- The Faculty of Computer Science created an Employment Equity Action Plan Group to oversee, track, and ensure the implementation of the Plan.
- The Faculty of Health’s 2023 Strategic Plan calls for Embedding Equity and Inclusion in Everything We Do, and identifies Championing Health Equity as their core value and area of focus. The Faculty, in collaboration with Academic Staff Relations, provides an annual orientation to all new Faculty of Health academic search committee members, Directors and Administrative Managers on the Employment Equity Policy.
- Financial Services managers and supervisors attended the supervisory development program which focuses on EDIA, recruitment, assessment, and selection using an EDIA lens.
- The Faculty of Medicine developed a communication plan to enhance awareness of the Dalhousie census. It is also working with Planning and Analytics to modify the census to enhance the participation of Clinical Faculty which will allow for greater accuracy in gap analysis.
Priority 2: Representation
- The Dalhousie Art Gallery implemented actions to increase diversity of representation within the gallery.
- Dal Libraries created an Indigenous Services Librarian position to increase representation for Indigenous persons at Dal Libraries.
- The Office of Research and Innovation created a number of positions focused on EDIA including an Indigenous Research Facilitator. The recruitment process is underway with the hiring manager and committee working to ensure they are using culturally accepted approaches that respect Indigenous knowledge, lived experiences, and transferrable skills.
- The Faculty of Science reviewed the Federal Contractor Program data and is working to close the gaps in the instructors and professors’ streams for equity deserving groups who identify as racialized (78%, -10), and women (91%, -8). The Faculty also participated in the Inclusive Excellence Cluster hire of Black scholars. They attended the virtual career fair organized by the Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN) which resulted in a larger number of applicants. Some candidates were referred to other positions within Dal including Canada Research Chairs positions.
- Facilities Management (FM) cultivated relationships with community groups serving equity-deserving candidates such as Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) and reachAbility. FM also attended job fairs on and off campus to attract a wider range of candidates and held information sessions at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), the Apprenticeship Board, and ISANS highlighting opportunities within the unit.
Priority 3: Recruitment
- The Accessible Employment unit in HR developed language to encourage candidates to seek accommodation, as required, in the recruitment and hiring processes and continued to enhance awareness among hiring committees about ways to reduce the stigma associated with self-identification for equity-deserving groups in the recruitment processes.
- HR staff recruitment units worked to draft guidelines for consistent consideration of lived experience/transferable skills in recruitment processes (screening of lived experience/ transferable skills).
- The Faculty of Medicine has readily available data for various categories of searches, highlighting existing gaps in representation.
- The Faculty of Graduate Studies worked with the Job Design team in Human Resources and hiring managers to redesign job postings to make them more accessible and inviting.
Priority 4: Benefits and Supports
- The Employee Benefits unit within HR engaged external consultants to assess our benefit offerings with respect to EDIA. The unit also continually reviews the product offering and the service provided by Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provider to assess whether they are utilizing culturally competent/sensitive methods and hiring more counselors from diverse backgrounds.
- The HR Data Analysis and Systems Management (DASM) unit ensures correct names and pronouns are documented with accuracy in HR systems.
- The Accessible Employment unit provides comprehensive case management for sick leave and LTD files to identify gaps in the public medical service (wait-times) and identifies barriers for intersectional identities and supports in accommodations that reflect the protection of prohibited grounds.
- Dal Libraries started pay equity analysis and will follow up with total compensation to complete the required pay equity processes identified in DFA collective agreement.
Priority 5: Development and Advancement
- The Employment Equity unit in HR pulled together the Aspiring Leaders working group to enhance content in current leadership development offerings and ensure they are inclusive of diverse perspectives, definitions, and methods of leadership. The unit is also working on strategies to ensure offerings are promoted to equity-deserving employees and support is provided for employees to enroll and attend.
- The Executive Recruitment unit in HR developed a transparent and equitable process for appointing acting leaders at the senior level, which is currently being piloted. The unit also pulled equity data on acting appointments at the senior administrative level for the past 10 years.
- The Faculty of Computer Science developed and launched a new faculty mentorship program. The program aims to enhance the professional well-being of faculty members, especially new faculty members and those from equity-deserving groups.
- The Faculty of Medicine developed a mentorship program and is reviewing existing promotion criteria for clinical faculty to ensure it is equitable and inclusive.
Priority 6: Education
- The Faculty of Science developed an Equity Champion program to train, support, and coordinate faculty members and staff hiring managers who will facilitate the advancement of Faculty/Departmental inclusive excellence priorities and goals, including the development and implementation of employment equity plans as outlined in Dalhousie’s Employment Equity Plan.
- The Office of Research and Innovation provided managers with OCAPTM training (First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession of data).
- The Faculty of Graduate Studies staff attended workshops on identifying bias in processes and policy as well as the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation course and the Rethinking Gender course.
- Financial Services encourages all managers to attend EDIA training through the Faculty of Open Learning so that they can get their Equity Diversity and Inclusion certificate. The unit also includes aspects of EDIA in weekly communication emails along with training opportunities. The office is also making active efforts to identify and address educational gaps and come up with ideas for how the office can be more inclusive.
Priority 7: Recognition
- The Faculty of Management provides overload payment to their Inclusion Committee chair to compensate for work that is usually unpaid.
- The Faculty of Computer Science is investigating providing stipends to the Culture of Respect in Computer Science Committee.
- The Faculty of Health provides overload pay for those equity deserving faculty who have a heavy administrative load due to committee work associated with EI initiatives.
- Dal Libraries following up on feedback about structural racism and workload, including participation on equity related staff and faculty caucuses.