³Ô¹ÏÍø

SDG 10: Reduce Inequality

Reduce inequality within and among countries.

³Ô¹ÏÍø is committed to creating a culture of inclusion where our community feels accepted and can experience a powerful sense of belonging. To advance SDG 10, we strive to provide barrier-free, welcoming and affirming learning and working environments and engage in activities that enable all people to fully participate in every aspect of day-to-day life at the university and beyond.

Highlights of Progress

The work that ³Ô¹ÏÍø completed in 2024 to advance SDG 10.

³Ô¹ÏÍø faculty member awarded Canada Research Chair and Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity

Ciann Wilson, an associate professor of Psychology at ³Ô¹ÏÍø, has been named the Canada Research Chair in Community-Based Research, Ethics and Well-being in recognition of her impactful research with and alongside equity-deserving communities. The Canada Research Chair Program is also honouring Wilson with its prestigious Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity.

CIBC supports equity-deserving students, Milton students with $350,000 STEM-focused gift to ³Ô¹ÏÍø

CIBC is generously supporting the creation of two new student awards to help foster the success of equity-deserving students at ³Ô¹ÏÍø and help build the foundation for ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s new Milton campus, while also encouraging the study of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Sun Life Centre for Healthy Communities brings MLSE House of Hockey to Kitchener-Waterloo

The Sun Life Centre for Healthy Communities at ³Ô¹ÏÍø is delivering the MLSE House of Hockey ball hockey program to 40 Kitchener-Waterloo area youth as part of its summer programming, introducing the game to some for the very first time.

³Ô¹ÏÍø graduand aids prospective Indigenous students in journey toward postsecondary education

Sisters Delaney and Eliza Thomas mark ³Ô¹ÏÍø convocation milestones together

Earning a university degree is never easy, but thanks to hard work, encouragement from family members and support from ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Indigenous Student Services team sisters Eliza and Delaney Thomas will proudly cross the convocation stage at ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Brantford campus in June.

‘I’m gay’: ³Ô¹ÏÍø researcher analyzes real-life recordings of ‘coming out’ conversations

If your child approaches you with a grim look on their face and says in a low tone of voice, “Mom, I have something to tell you,” you might assume that they have cancer or committed a crime. You would likely prepare yourself for bad news. If the “something” turns out to be “I’m gay,” the ominous delivery would frame that disclosure in a negative light. After analyzing hours of real-life recordings of “coming out” conversations, ³Ô¹ÏÍø researcher Jeffrey Aguinaldo confirms that this is the prototypical approach. 

³Ô¹ÏÍø appoints associate vice-president: equity, diversity and inclusion

³Ô¹ÏÍø has appointed Andrea Davis as the new associate vice-president: equity, diversity and inclusion (AVP: EDI) for a five-year term beginning August 1. Davis joins ³Ô¹ÏÍø from York University, where she served as a distinguished faculty member and chair in the Department of Humanities. Leading a transformative vision of interdisciplinary teaching and research, she is the founder and program coordinator of the Black Canadian Studies Certificate and was the academic convenor of the 2023 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.

³Ô¹ÏÍø, Waterloo Region District School Board celebrate Black brilliance during youth conference

Live music, applause and cheers filled the air at ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Waterloo campus as more than 200 Black Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) students in Grades 5 through 8 celebrated their identities, heritage and futures during the Black Brilliance conference.

³Ô¹ÏÍø staff members lead new initiative to help Black and racialized students thrive

From mentorship programs and culturally relevant curriculum to dedicated support centres and student groups, postsecondary institutions across Canada are working to create equitable and inclusive environments for Black and racialized students.

Research Centres

³Ô¹ÏÍø research centres advancing SDG 10.

International Migration Research Centre

The  (IMRC) serves as a node of excellence in scholarship and research, social and cultural debate, and policy formulation pertaining to international migration. The IMRC's mission is to create platforms for debate, research, policy analysis, community engagement and proposal development related to international migration and mobility at global, national, regional and local scales.

³Ô¹ÏÍø Centre for Community Research, Learning and Action

The is an interdisciplinary research centre located in ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Faculty of Science. The centre's work is focused on developing community partnerships and producing research, learning and action that advances community well-being and social justice. CCRLA facilitates community-based research by brokering linkages between community partners and ³Ô¹ÏÍø student and faculty researchers. CCRLA provides an activity centre for social policy development and community action. The defining feature of the centre is its commitment to collaborative processes between university, community, industry and policy partners that honour the unique wisdom and skills of the non-academic community.

Initiatives

³Ô¹ÏÍø initiatives in 2023 that advanced SDG 10.

Tracking applications and admissions of underrepresented groups

³Ô¹ÏÍø tracks both applications and admissions of all applicant groups, including those who are underrepresented. Some indicators are publicly reported through and ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Registrar’s Reports.

³Ô¹ÏÍø is a thriving academic community where EDI and Indigeneity are part of our core values as a learning institution. ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Strategic Action Plan and Academic Plan include commitment to diversify its student body and increase representation of students historically underrepresented on campus. ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s EDI Strategic Plan highlights ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s use of an EDI Data Specialist to collect, analyze and track demographic student data, including data on student applicants. The EDI Data Specialist develops and implement plans to address differential outcomes identified through data analysis with a view to identifying and reducing barriers to student success and wellness, including funding, bursaries and scholarships for students and student-athletes from equity-deserving groups.

Actions to recruit students, staff and faculty from underrepresented groups

The ³Ô¹ÏÍø Strategy sets the mission for the institution that is guided by two distinct strategic themes: thriving community and future-readiness. As part of the thriving community theme, ³Ô¹ÏÍø recognizes the importance of creating an inclusive community. ³Ô¹ÏÍø excels at creating a culture of engagement that develops the whole person and builds reciprocal community relationships by fostering a highly personalized, equitable, diverse and inclusive community in which all members can experience the powerful sense of belonging that has distinguished ³Ô¹ÏÍø throughout its history. The institution also seeks to integrate Indigenous knowledge and practices across the university.

By embracing the values of EDI, ³Ô¹ÏÍø will be better equipped to attract, retain and advance the kind of talented staff, students and faculty who will move the university forward in new and exciting ways. To enhance the diversity of our community, ³Ô¹ÏÍø has developed the following initiatives:

• ³Ô¹ÏÍø has taken a step toward Indigenization, reconciliation and EDI by hiring six new Black faculty members and four new Indigenous faculty members through the Inclusive Excellence Initiative, with additional appointments of two Indigenous scholars in the coming years. These scholars will enhance research and teaching excellence at ³Ô¹ÏÍø and strengthen collaborative and interdisciplinary initiatives. The Inclusive Excellence initiative is part of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s broader Faculty Rejuvenation efforts to advance strategic academic and research goals, enhance academic excellence and student experience, and strengthen collaborative and interdisciplinary initiatives.
• As part of ³Ô¹ÏÍø's commitment to EDI, the Canada Research Chair (CRC) Program EDI Action Plan outlines how ³Ô¹ÏÍø intends to identify, prevent and remove barriers to inclusion for those who identify as women, having disabilities, racialized, Indigenous and part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in the CRC Program. As part of this program, ³Ô¹ÏÍø must recruit and retain individuals who identify as women, having disabilities, racialized, Indigenous and part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to meet established targets.
• ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Undergraduate Indigenous Admission Policy encourages recruitment of Indigenous students. If an Indigenous student’s admission average is below the minimum admission average required for a program (to a minimum of 70%), the student may be eligible for admission through ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Undergraduate Indigenous Admission Policy. To be considered for admission, they must provide a written personal statement outlining work experience, achievements, educational goals and why the student believes they will be successful in postsecondary studies.
• ³Ô¹ÏÍø understands that many refugees coming to Canada have unique situations and varied educational backgrounds. It may be be difficult for refugees residing in Canada to meet program requirements or have access to their required documents for admission, but they may still be eligible to complete studies at ³Ô¹ÏÍø. The institution is committed to working with refugee applicants to help determine the best program that suits their academic goals. ³Ô¹ÏÍø's Refugee Policy is a unique option for protected persons to receive the opportunity for direct admission, including entrance scholarships and transfer credits.
• ³Ô¹ÏÍø has partnered with World Education Services (WES) to offer the Gateway Program to displaced persons who do not have standard proof of their academic achievement due to adverse circumstances in their country of education. Through the Gateway Program, WES can reliably assess and validate the education of international applicants who have been displaced by political unrest, conflict or natural disasters, and who do not have complete, verified documents. As a partner with WES, ³Ô¹ÏÍø recognizes credential evaluation completed through the WES Gateway Program.
• For over 40 years, the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Student Refugee Program has combined resettlement with opportunities for higher education for student refugees. The WUSC program at ³Ô¹ÏÍø began in 1985, with the first refugee students arriving in 1991. Through the ³Ô¹ÏÍø WUSC Scholarship, refugee students receive support to cover tuition and living expenses for four years. The scholarship is funded by an $8 annual student levy, the Office of the President and the ³Ô¹ÏÍø Faculty Association. The WUSC student committee, which operates at ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Brantford and Waterloo campuses, provides peer support to help refugee students acclimate to their life and studies at ³Ô¹ÏÍø.
• is a student-led and student-funded humanitarian initiative at ³Ô¹ÏÍø. This program responds to war's devastating impacts by providing full scholarships to students from conflict areas. It also educates ³Ô¹ÏÍø students about the impacts of international conflicts by promoting intercultural learning and globally engaged citizenship.
• ³Ô¹ÏÍø is a member of the global . The Visiting Researcher - Scholars at Risk Program was established to support scholars who are facing threats to their life, liberty or academic career, and/or have been forced to leave their academic position because of such threats. The program is fully remote and will allow scholars to remotely re-engage with academia after being pushed outside the university environment. The Visiting Researcher - Scholars at Risk Program assists ³Ô¹ÏÍø faculty and students in creating and strengthening opportunities for research and collaborative engagement with scholars in areas of mutual interest. Scholars eligible for this program will have a Visiting Researcher appointment.
• ³Ô¹ÏÍø is a signatory on the . By signing the charter, ³Ô¹ÏÍø committed itself to compile baseline data to gauge levels of (under)representation and provide demographics on Black faculty, staff and students, and to foster inclusive teaching and research, community engagement, and representative and inclusive governance practices.
• ³Ô¹ÏÍø is committed to creating a culture of inclusion where all members feel accepted and can experience a powerful sense of belonging. The institution’s Human Resources Office engages in many actions to recruit staff and faculty from underrepresented groups. These include:
  • Partnership with the following groups:
    • Immigration Partnership
    • Coalition of Muslim Women
    • Nation Talk
    • Grand River Employment and Training (GREAT)
    • Six Nations and Mississaugas of the New Credit Employment Centre
    • Employment Ontario
    • The Working Centre
    • Lutherwood
    • YMCA Immigrant Service
• The University Employment Equity Advisory Committee (UEEAC) is an ongoing advisory team comprised of employees interested in working on employment equity-related initiatives. The group identifies barriers to employment equity and provides support and feedback to administration on resource development and initiative planning. UEEAC is comprised of four working groups including the Women and LGBTQ2S+ Working Group, Indigenous Persons Working Group, Persons with Disabilities Working Group and Racialized Persons Working Group.

Office in support of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The mandate of the  Office of the Associate Vice-President, EDI is to lead equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at ³Ô¹ÏÍø,  implementing ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Strategic Plan for EDI and engaging with equity-deserving groups, delivering strategic expertise to the multicampus academic and administrative units    The Office offers resources and training for faculty, staff and students on embedding EDI into research, teaching, service and professional practice. The office is led by  Associate Vice-President: EDI, Andrea Davis. Davis also directs the and to advance supports for ³Ô¹ÏÍø students and communities.

³Ô¹ÏÍø's works to cultivate a culture on campus that respects and promotes equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and social justice in all aspects of ³Ô¹ÏÍø – from classrooms to residence communities.³Ô¹ÏÍø prioritizes enhancing EDI through university-wide strategic initiatives and is actively working to increase the diversity of our students, staff and faculty.

Mentoring programs to support students, staff and faculty from underrepresented groups

³Ô¹ÏÍø is committed to ensuring the success of all member of our community, including historically underrepresented groups. A number of initiatives have been put in place, including:

• ³Ô¹ÏÍø's EDI faculty colleague brings recognized disciplinary knowledge and understanding of EDI, including expertise in related research, scholarly work and assessment practices in the field. Working closely with the AVP: EDI, the EDI faculty colleague:
  • Mentors and provides support to faculty and librarians from underrepresented groups experiencing barriers to inclusion;
  • Initiates activities to promote discussion and understanding of EDI;
  • Assists with institutional research to better understand the experiences of those from equity-seeking groups at ³Ô¹ÏÍø;
  • Participates as a member of ³Ô¹ÏÍø's EDI community-of-practice and the bilateral University-Association Employment Equity Advisory Committee (Article 22.5); and
  • Assists in developing and delivering EDI-related training initiatives.
• Women’s faculty colleagues provide support, information and events related to issues affecting female faculty members, and offer direct support and advice to female faculty around equity issues. Working closely with the AVP: EDI, women's faculty colleagues initiate activities within the university to promote discussion and understanding of issues affecting women-identified faculty.
• The works to cultivate a culture on campus that respects and promotes EDI and social justice in all aspects of ³Ô¹ÏÍø, from classrooms to residence communities. Students can find support and mentorship related to race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, spirituality, ability and culture through personal support, mentorship and education. Student services and groups offer safer spaces for students (and their allies) and various mentorship opportunities:

Accessible facilities

³Ô¹ÏÍø is building a more accessible built environment by embedding accessibility into our foundational plans. This includes the Accessibility Plan, Capital Plan, Campus Master Plan, Landscape Master Plan, Signage Guidelines and Parking Plan. Through the Accessibility Certification, ³Ô¹ÏÍø employees have been trained to be Accessibility Assessors and audit the current built environment. Notable highlights on some ways ³Ô¹ÏÍø is building a more accessible built environment include:

Accessible parking spaces

³Ô¹ÏÍø's campuses offer designated accessible parking spots in most of our visitor and permit lots. These spaces are clearly identified by the Ministry of Transportation symbol on a posted sign and/or marked pavement.

• ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Kitchener location includes accessible spots located in the parking lot behind the building. The adjacent door has an automatic door operator and easy access to the elevator.

Service animals on campus

³Ô¹ÏÍø welcomes persons with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal on our campuses as per our 7.2 Animals on Campus policy.

Campus waste and recycling units

As part of her research and pilot project, ³Ô¹ÏÍø student Hilary Scanlon created a series of rubber floor signs to help people with vision loss decipher between recycling, garbage or compost bins on the Waterloo campus.

Safety for all

) works together with management, employees, students, and the equity and accessibility officer to provide individualized emergency response plans and accessible formats of emergency and fire safety procedures. Specific building fire evacuation plans – including the use of strobe lights attached to the fire alarm system – have detailed instructions for persons who are unable to evacuate, which may include persons with disabilities.

Capital Plan

³Ô¹ÏÍø is in the process of completing its first Capital Plan, which lays out constructing history and existing conditions. It also provides a list of significant future capital projects. The Capital Plan provides a list of existing conditions as they relate to accessibility and the need for improvements.

Campus Master Plan

Both the Waterloo and Brantford campus master plans highlight areas where accessibility needs to be addressed in future development. This includes the design of corridors, paths of travel, building entrances and connection between buildings. In developing the new Waterloo Campus Master Plan, stakeholder engagement meetings included the perspective of persons with disabilities and best practices in accessible built environments.

Landscape Master Plan

To develop the Landscape Master Plan, stakeholder engagement meetings were conducted, which included the perspective of persons with disabilities. Accessibility, Indigenization and equity are key principles in the vision of the plan.

Signage guidelines

Developed in 2017, ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s signage guidelines take into consideration best practices in accessibility and compliance with the updated building code regulations. Products which allow for accessible signage have been sourced and are available, and emphasis on improved directional and wayfinding signage is a priority of the plan.

Upskilling

To support internal knowledge and competency in building accessible built environments, ³Ô¹ÏÍø has supported three employees on the Facilities team to complete the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification to become Accessibility Assessors. There are plans to train more employees in the future.

Supports for students with disabilities

³Ô¹ÏÍø is committed to creating an accessible and barrier-free environment for our students. ³Ô¹ÏÍø offers various accessibility services, mentorship programs and other initiatives to support disabled students, including:

Student Advocates for Accessibility

is a student service creating a more accessible and inclusive campus for all. The collective was founded on continuous experiences of inaccessibility and ableism that are inherent within institutions and systems everywhere. While members all have intersecting identities, they strive to uplift the experiences of those within disabled and chronically ill communities by engaging in conversations about personal experiences and concepts learned from other disability justice advocates, and by creating programming for the ³Ô¹ÏÍø community. SAFA strives to be a safe(r) space and provide peer mentorship, advocacy and education.

Accessible learning services

The  provides students with temporary or permanent disabilities access to accommodations that remove barriers and allow opportunities for equal participation. Support is provided in a way that aids students in completing the essential requirements of their courses and program without jeopardizing academic integrity.

Accessibility on campus

³Ô¹ÏÍø is committed to creating a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities, as well as promoting .

Funding opportunities

Students with disabilities at ³Ô¹ÏÍø may be eligible for funding to help with disability related costs they incur because they are attending university.

OSAP is a government-funded program that helps eligible students pay for their post-secondary education through grants and loans. Students can identify as having a disability by having their health-care provider complete the . Visit for more information.

The helps eligible students pay for disability related services and equipment they require to participate in university studies.

Students not eligible for OSAP or the BSWD may qualify for the Accessible Learning Accommodation Bursary or the Accessible Learning Accommodation Bursary – Graduate Students.

³Ô¹ÏÍø, supported through donors, endowments and student contributions, established these bursaries to help students with disabilities cover some of their disability related costs incurred while pursuing university studies.

Other Scholarships and Awards