The College of Arts and Science Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee is chaired by Pamela Downe and 2024-5 members are: James Benson, Kyla Denton, Tasnim Jaisee, Tara Kahan, Jessica Klein, Martin Kohlberger, Veronique Mathieu, Rachel Loewen Walker, Camille Partin, and Sarah Poelzer

Spring 2024 Update

We hosted the second annual "College Conversation on EDI" event in November. Dean Brooke Milne delivered opening remarks and members of the EDI committee facilitated a global cafe activity based on the areas of the college's EDI action plan: operations and policy, student experience, staff experience, research, scholarly and artistic work, and teaching.

Working groups were later formed to work specifically on these theme areas, and were led by Andrea Wasylow, Romain Chareyron, Carla Orosz, Tara Kahan and Tara Hackl, and Mike Bradley, respectively. The EDI committee also advised on the college's Black History Month panel event in February.

The committee funded 6 project initiatives this year at $500 each, for a total of 16 projects over the past three years.

Resources

  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Initiatives Fund, The purpose of the College of Arts and Science EDI Initiatives Fund is to assist units, academic departments, student groups, and employee groups in undertaking EDI initiatives to benefit the college community and equity deserving groups. Equity deserving groups include persons with disabilities, those of Indigenous ancestry, visible minorities and/or women, members of the LGBTQ2IA+ community, or any other identified equity deserving group.

  • Access and Equity Services, formerly Disability Services for Students (DSS), is guided by Saskatchewan's Human Rights legislation and the duty to accommodate individuals requiring accommodations based on disability, religion, family status, and gender identity.

  • Diefenbaker Centre: Pride on the Prairies is an exhibit curated by Megan Gorsalitz that explores the activism that took place in Saskatchewan from the late 1960s through the summer of 2020. 

  • College of Education statement of values includes values that are championed, embraced, and demonstrated by the College.

  • The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) offers someone to talk to and resources to consult whenever and wherever you need them, including confidential counselling, financial information and resources, legal support and resources, work-life solutions, and wellness resources.

  • Global Water Futures EDI statment outlines their objective to develop an intersectional approach that considers how power structures influence people's opportunities and experiences when they hold multiple intersecting identities (e.g., age, race, class, gender identity, dis(ability), and more).

  • Library
    • Gender and Sexuality features links to digital projects which explore materials on LGBTQ issues and history, as well as materials related to Women's and Gender Studies.
    • Neil Richards Collection contains rare and/or fragile titles and collections dealing with sexual and gender diversity to complement the Library's extensive circulating collections on these subjects.
       
  • College of Medicine EDI statement aims to provide real equity of opportunity for all, deepen diversity across the College, and enhance inclusivity in places of work and study.

  • The Office of the Vice Provost Indigenous Engagement works within and outside the university to meet the unique needs of Indigenous students, staff, faculty and communities and uplift Indigenization by advancing initiatives and strategies that promotes Indigenous Knowledges and supports reconciliation and decolonization.

  • Office of the Vice-President Research: "Cutting-edge research requires investigators to consider issues of equity, diversity and inclusion in how research projects are structured, and also in how research itself, including research teams, are constructed."

  • Positive Space Workshops: Learn more about queer terminology, pronoun use and USask protocols during this 1.5-hour workshop. During this session, facilitators will break down queer terminology to help faculty and staff create a more positive teaching and working space.

  • Protective Services works closely with the campus community, Saskatoon Police Service and other agencies to maintain a safe campus.

  • Queer Housing was launched in 2019 with several apartments in a designated section of College Quarter. This program provides support for people who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ during their time at USask and provides another community for queer students in addition to the wider Residence community.

  • SEED Laboratory (Saskatchewan Equity, Equality, and Diversity) explores the impact of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination on members of marginalized social groups, specifically, sexual and gender minorities, women, and Indigenous peoples.

  • Strategies for Academic Success - Embracing Diversity features four learning objectives: defining diversity and explaining the benefits of a diverse campus, explaining why all students are more successful in a diverse environment, describing the valuable characteristics of non-traditional mature students, and explaining what students can do to take a stand against hate and discrimination.

  • Student Wellness Centre offers urgent and non-urgent physical and mental health care to University of Saskatchewan students and their dependents.

  • The USSU Women’s Centre takes a vibrant and proactive approach to educating and informing the campus community about issues affecting women. They strive to provide a safe and positive environment to promote equality while recognizing and celebrating differences within our diverse and dynamic community.

  • USSU Pride Centre is a welcoming, vivacious, and celebratory campus community. They seek to work with people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in an open and progressive environment that advocates, celebrates and affirms sexual and gender diversity.

  • WCVM DIVERSE is a new club for WCVM students that provides a safe space for Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) and allies to come together in solidarity to shine a much-needed light on racism, exclusion, and discrimination within the veterinary field.

  • International Women of Saskatoon provides support, programs and services that respond to the needs of newcomer, immigrant and refugee women and their families

  • OUTSaskatoon supports 2SLGBTQ people of all ages and backgrounds though peer support and counselling, queer-specific education and resources, outreach, social gatherings and events, community referrals and sexual health services.

  • Saskatchewan Human Rights Code promotes recognition of the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the province.

  • Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre protects, preserves, and promotes cultures and languages of the First Nations people of Saskatchewan.

  • Saskatoon Open Door Society assists newcomers to Canada to become participating members of an inclusive and diverse community and country.

  • TransSask Support Services is a province wide non-profit organization that supports and acts as a resource network for trans-identified, genderqueer, intersex and gender non-conforming individuals, their spouses, family, friends, and allies.

News and Outcomes

Contact

Pamela Downe

Professor, Department of Anthropology
Interim Vice-Dean Faculty Relations