2017 EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ACTION PLAN for the CANADA RESEARCH CHAIRS PROGRAM at McGILL UNIVERSITY DECEMBER 15, 2017 OFFICE OF THE PROVOST AND VICE-PRINCIPAL (ACADEMIC)
Canada Research Chair (CRC) Requirements: 1) EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (EDI) OBJECTIVES AND MEASUREMENT STRATEGIES Impactful equity, diversity and inclusion objectives, indicators, and actions that will enable swift progress towards: addressing disadvantages currently experienced by individuals of the Federally Designated Groups (FDGs); and meeting the institution s equity targets and goals by December 2019 aggressive objectives must be set using this timeline based on the number of chair allocations that are (or will become) available in the institution within the next 18-to-24 months (the 18 months starts as of December 15, 2017, when the action plan is implemented). McGill Measures: 1) Commitment and consultation Equity and inclusiveness are among McGill University s core principles, and McGill is committed to the view that striving for diverse representation within our Canada Research Chair appointments, as well as our broader academic and research communities, is a matter of fairness that furthers excellence and the advancement of our academic mission. Employment equity objectives and operations are set by McGill s Employment Equity Policy. Pursuant to this Policy, the University commits to building an equitable, diverse and inclusive workforce. McGill University s Strategic Academic Plan 2017-2022 sets Expanding Diversity as one of its five objectives. A key strategy toward achieving this objective is through the establishment of targets for academic representation. The Plan makes the following commitment: We will deepen our commitment to excellence and diversity in faculty recruitment and career progression. To this end, McGill aims to increase the proportion of women at the rank of full professor to 25% [from the current 20.5%) in five years, and to increase the proportion of all tenured and tenure-track staff selfidentifying as members of all other equity groups [racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities] to 20% [from the current 12%]. McGill s senior leadership holds ultimate responsibility for hiring within their respective areas, and this group embraces equity, diversity and inclusion as guiding values; McGill s senior leadership will work with the Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) and the Associate Provost (Academic Priorities and Resource Allocation) to strengthen mechanisms for accountability to EDI measures within their respective areas, as well as to set area-specific ta rgets for recruitment of academic and non-academic staff from underrepresented groups; research chair appointments, including CRCs, endowed chairs, named professorships, and internal research awards will form an important subset of this targetsetting exercise. Effective January 2018, McGill will re-establish its Employment Equity Oversight Committee (including sub-committees for Academic staff, Administrative and Support staff, and Trades and Services staff), with a view to ensuring consultation and oversight from McGill employees and employee associations on the matter of equity in employment. These committees will be tasked with monitoring progress towards meeting employment equity goals, reviewing new or changing policies or procedures related to hiring, recruitment, and retention, and helping to identify, reduce, and remove barriers to the recruitment and retention of designated group members in their respective employee group(s). 2) Strategic initiatives McGill is currently meeting its CRC targets for women and racialized people/visible minorities but has underrepresentation with regards to Indigeneous persons and persons with disabilities. Strategic initiatives nevertheless must focus on all four FDGs in order to continue to meet, and surpass, these important goals. McGill University s Final Report of the Provost s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education (June 2017) lays out immediate and medium term commitments for the priority hiring of Indigenous tenure track and tenured faculty, including CRC positions. The report makes the following commitment: 1
Initiate a cluster hire led by the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) that seeks, over the next three years, to hire 10 new faculty members in the tenure stream who have lived experience and expertise in Indigenous knowledges, epistemologies, methodologies, histories, traditions, languages, or systems of laws and governance The Task Force further urges the allocation, within this cluster hire, of three Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) in the areas of Indigenous Sustainability Sciences, Indigenous Health Sciences and Indigenous Humanities. Via communications from Deans and Chairs/Directors as well as from the Office of the Provost & Vice-Principal (Academic), McGill will encourage women who hold associate professor positions to apply for promotion to the rank of full professor, and encourage all women faculty achieving high merit ratings to consider nominating themselves for awards, including CRCs. The communications will highlight the gender gaps at McGill and in academia more broadly, and will draw on research examining the gendered nature of self-promotion and self-advocacy in relation to career progression. McGill will seek to address the underrepresentation of CRC chair-holders who identify as persons with disabilities via the following measures: o Development and dissemination of communications material on the definition of federal designated group persons with disabilities, in order to help dispel common misconceptions that might contribute to underreporting of group membership; o Education designed to increase general knowledge and awareness about disability issues and rights across the University, foster disability pride, and lower stigma and fear around self-identification in this group; o Clear communications about McGill s commitments and duties with respect to maintaining confidentiality of reported information regarding membership in any equity group; o Prominent and clear display on McGill s CRC webpage of process and policy related to accommodation of CRC candidates with disabilities, as well as to CRC chair-holders with disabilities (deadline Dec. 15 th, 2017). With respect to racialized persons, McGill will use information from its newly refined employment equity survey to analyze and address gaps in the representation of particular racialized communities within our tenure track and tenured academic staff. For example, we expect this data to reflect wellestablished patterns in the North American academe regarding the underrepresentation of Black professors, especially those among the tenure stream professoriate. Analyses at McGill will also consider the underrepresentation of racialized persons within senior academic and administrative leadership. Corrective Measures McGill s Employment Equity Policy, in line with Quebec legislation, requires that search committees use corrective measures in hiring in order to address gaps in the representation of designated equity groups. One important corrective measure calls for evaluating candidates by equivalency class rather than by individual ranking, such that where two candidates have equal merit, the candidate from the most underrepresented group shall be selected. The Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) will work with the Employment Equity Advisor to continue to guide and support McGill search committees in understanding and interpreting this guideline in order to address underrepresentation of designated groups within a reasonable timeframe. McGill will analyze the success and rejection rate of CRC applicants who are designated group members as compared to the rates of dominant group members; where differential nominating rates become evident, McGill will take steps to remedy this situation. Equal Opportunity All employment postings include the following statement: McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications for all qualified candidates including from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment 2
equity program and encourages members of equity-seeking groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, Professor Angela Campbell, Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies). All tenure-track academic search committees presently must: o receive equity and implicit bias training; o verify shortlists with the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) before an offer may be made, to ensure that the shortlist includes at least one member of an equity group; o include a Dean s representative responsible for ensuring that the search adheres to the University s employment equity policies and procedures. We will continue to deploy these measures, which were instituted in 2015-2016, to assess McGill s success in achieving diversity representation in its academic hiring, including in CRC nominations. Should we find that we are falling short of our objectives, we will explore additional measures that will further our progress. CRC Requirements: Objectives should be S.M.A.R.T.: specific, measurable, aligned with the wanted outcome, realistic and timely, and include a measurement strategy for monitoring, reporting on progress, and course correcting if necessary. McGill Measures: Targets set for academic hiring and CRC nominations in particular are S.M.A.R.T., as they are anchored to the ongoing analysis of McGill s employment equity data. This data is the subject of reporting biennially to McGill Senate as required by the University s Employment Equity Policy. Data will be assessed institutionally and by Faculty to ensure that recruitment and retention of tenure-track academics are in line with the goal of representation. Where barriers are identified, measures will be taken to dismantle these e.g., seeking qualitative information from those in the unit to understand these barriers, equity education for the unit concerned, and targeted recruitment and strategic retention efforts (such as: additional research support, protected time for research, mentoring). A review by gender, designated group, and field of research will be undertaken with respect to the level of institutional support (e.g., protected time for research, salary and benefits, CRC stipend, additional research funds, office space, mentoring, administrative suppor let, equipment, etc.) provided to all current chair-holders. We will continue to seek qualitative information about the workplace climate at McGill, similar to that conducted by the Ad Hoc Working Group on Systemic Discrimination, to gain a better understanding of the experiences of those employed by McGill and determine what steps need to be taken in order to establish a more equitable, diverse and inclusive work environment. As a multi-lingual, diverse metropolis that draws faculty, academic staff and students from around the world as well as locally, McGill faces unique opportunities and challenges vis-à-vis EDI. The promise of EDI, particularly in relation to race and ethnicity, should be readily realized at McGill because Montreal is so diverse, and because our community is highly internationalized. For example, Black Canadians represent the largest group of visible minorities in Montreal yet are still highly underrepresented at all levels of hiring within the University. Another challenge is that due to the fact that our faculty come 3
from varied sites around the globe, we are called upon to ensure that our community is familiar with the histories and contemporary realities of Indigenous peoples and communities in Canada and of their relationship with, and significant exclusion from, postsecondary institutions. Ensuring due understanding of these factors is a challenge that McGill is facing head-on, primarily through the implementation of the 2017 Provost s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education. McGill s physical infrastructure, while aesthetically unparalleled in many respects, often presents sizable challenges for persons with physical disabilities. The University s two campuses are separated by roughly 35 km. Our downtown campus, which is on a significant slope on the crest of Mont-Royal, is comprised of buildings whose dates of construction vary, and some of which are heritage properties that cannot be readily rendered universally accessible. McGill is committed to ensuring its campus is as accessible as possible. Through its Universal Access Capital Project Working Group, multiple projects are funded annually that dismantle physical barriers to our buildings and properties. An injection of additional funding into the UACP-WG in 2017-2018 will boost its capacity to initiate projects that enhance campus accessibility. CRC Requirement: Institutions will be required to report to the program and publicly on the progress made in meeting their objectives on a yearly basis. McGill Measures: McGill will continue to report annually to the CRC Secretariat on its progress with respect to meeting recruitment targets for both chair-holders and faculty members in the tenure stream. CRC Requirement: 2) MANAGEMENT OF CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR ALLOCATIONS Provide a description of: the institution s policies and processes for recruiting Canada Research chair-holders, and all safeguards that are in place to ensure that these practices are open and transparent; how the institution manages its allocation of chairs and who is involved in these decisions (e.g., committee(s), vice-president level administrators, deans / department heads); the institution s decision-making process for determining in which faculty, department, research area to allocate its chair positions, and who approves these decisions; the decision-making process for how the institution chooses to use the corridor of flexibility in managing its allocation of chairs, and who approves these decisions; the decision-making process and criteria for determining whether Tier 2 and Tier 1 chair-holders will be submitted for renewal and who is involved in these decisions; the process and criteria for deciding whether to advance individuals from a Tier 2 chair to a Tier 1 chair, and who is involved in these decisions; 4
the process and criteria for deciding which chair-holder(s) will be phased-out in the case where the institution loses a chair due to the re-allocation process, and who is involved in these decisions; the decision-making process for determining what level of support is provided to chair-holders (e.g., protected time for research, salary and benefits, additional research funds, office space, mentoring, administrative support, equipment, etc.), and who within the institution is involved in these decisions; safeguards taken to ensure that individuals from the FDGs are not disadvantaged in negotiations related to the level of institutional support provided to them (e.g., protected time for research, salary and benefits, additional research funds, office space, mentoring, administrative support, equipment, etc.); measures to ensure that individuals from the FDGs are not disadvantaged when applying to a chair position in cases where they have career gaps due to parental or health related leaves or for the care and nurturing of family members; and training and development activities related to unconscious bias, equity, diversity and inclusion for administrators and faculty involved in the recruitment and nomination processes for chair positions (acknowledging that research has shown unconscious bias can have adverse, unintended and negative impacts on the overall success/career of individuals, especially those from the FDGs). McGill Measures: Canada Research Chairs representing the CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC research areas are allocated to the University based on its performance in research funding from these federal tri-council agencies relative to other universities. The Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) reallocates the fixed pool of Chairs among the Universities every two years, with adjustments made according to each university s priorities. Each allocated CRC is defined by a disciplinary expertise (CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC) and by level (Tier 1 or Tier 2). As of 1 November 2017 McGill University has 160 allocated chairs: 81 CIHR, 54 NSERC and 25 SSHRC. Nomination of New CRC Chairs As of the October 2017 round, the CRC has implemented new regulations with regard to how new CRC chair-holders are nominated: 1. Twice a year, in December and June, the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) (OPVPA) notifies the Faculties of the number of vacant chairs to be applied for in the upcoming round in the three broad research disciplines, and issues a call for nominations to enter an open competition; 2. All CRC positions are publicly advertised and internal candidates are also invited to apply; 3. Faculties select their nominees based on the same internal selection procedure used for external recruitments. Faculty selection committees are also encouraged to consider the CFI John R. Evans Leaders Fund commitments and similar strategic research objectives in planning use of any CRC vacancies; 4. Nominations received by the OPVPA from Faculty Deans are reviewed by the Standing Internal Review Committee; 5. Both Faculty selection committees and Standing Internal Review Committee members receive training on the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion within the program, on the potential negative impact of unconscious bias on the career paths of individuals from the FDG (Federally Designated Groups), and on how to ensure that career gaps due to family care or disability-related leaves do not negatively impact applicant review; and 6. The Standing Internal Review Committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to the PVPA for the final applications to go forward to Ottawa. University Standing Internal Review Committee for CRCs 5
Each candidate s file is reviewed by the Standing Internal Review Committee (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) matched to the broad content expertise of the candidate as delineated by the respective domains of the three federal granting agencies. The Standing Internal Review Committee consists of the Associate Provost (APRA), the VP Research and Innovation (VP-RI) or a delegate, and six tenured professors of the University chosen jointly by the Associate Provost and the Deans, so as to ensure appropriate representation of Faculties and academic disciplines. Members are assigned staggered terms of two years each starting September 1st or January 1st. Review committees are formed with attention to diversity, and McGill strives for both gender balance as well as representation from other designated groups. In order to ensure openness and transparency, membership of Review Committees is posted on McGill s CRC website. Internal Procedure for CRC Renewals Renewal of a CRC is contingent upon an internal university review of the chair-holder s performance to assess whether continued institutional support is warranted. This review also includes an analysis of the degree to which the chair-holder s research addresses the University priority research areas. A necessary part of this decision is a process that provides a thorough evaluation of the record of the chair-holder during the term of the Chair with a recommendation to the Provost & Vice-Principal (Academic), who adjudicates whether to support the application for renewal. The criteria for renewal for the two levels of Chairs differ as per CRC guidelines in terms of international recognition and leadership; however, the same procedures apply for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 renewals. Renewal criteria for the CRC can be found on the CRC website. The internal review for CRC renewal is identical to that of new CRC nominations, as described above. POLICIES AND PROCESSES FOR CRC RECRUITMENT: EQUITY TRAINING: All McGill tenure-track academic search committees and all advisory committees established for executive and senior leadership searches at McGill receive implicit bias and equity training. McGill s Employment Equity Advisor participates in all meetings at which decisions about CRC appointments and renewals are made. McGill CRC committees will all receive annual implicit bias and EDI training as of 2018. 3) COLLECTION OF EQUITY AND DIVERSITY DATA CRC Requirement: Provide a description of: the institution s processes and strategies for collecting and protecting data on the FDGs (both applicants to chair positions and successful candidates); the institution s strategies for encouraging individuals to self-identify as a member of the FDGs; and 6
McGill Measures: an example of the institution s self-identification form as an appendix. McGill s processes and strategies for collecting and protecting equity data on CRC applicants and chair-holders are integrated into the University s overarching employment equity data collection strategy. McGill has been collecting employment equity data on its workforce since 2007, and launched a new employment equity survey for faculty and staff in September 2017 in order to collect more refined data for better analysis of progress (survey appended). An ongoing communication strategy has been deployed in order to encourage an elevated response rate, as well as to engage the McGill community in discussions about the benefits and importance of equity, diversity and inclusion. The strategy features regular messages to the University community from the leadership team, a new website focused on employment equity, and the promotion of the survey via existing communications vehicles, including internal media and employee association listservs and social media sites. A 90% response rate is set as the target for survey response from tenure and tenure track faculty by May 2019. McGill has been collecting applicant equity data related to CRCs since 2000, and for all academic searches since 2012. Applicants are encouraged to complete an equity survey related to their search on the Academic Personnel Office website. Results are then compiled by McGill s Employment Equity Advisor, and forwarded to the Chair of the search upon request. The Chair is reminded of the confidentiality of the data, and is encouraged to use the data throughout the course of the search, particularly to: 1) evaluate the diversity of the pool - where the pool is insufficiently diverse, a unit or faculty may decide to extend the application period or reset the search; 2) verify the composition of the shortlist - all shortlists must contain at least one member of a designated group, and must be submitted to the Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) to ensure compliance; and 3) select their candidate where candidates do not differ in merit, search committees are instructed to select the candidate from the group that is most underrepresented in their area. At the selection stage, the Chair may share equity data about short listed candidates with the rest of the search committee, in order to facilitate compliance with equity guidelines. Pursuant to its Employment Equity Policy, McGill reports on its employment equity data and progress biennially to its Senate. These reports are publicly available. McGill s most recent Report on Employment Equity was delivered in May 2017. Data collected from applicants and employees, including those applying to or holding CRCs, are treated with the strict confidentiality. It is used only by the Provost's office and by search committees for statistical purposes and to ensure adherence to McGill's Employment Equity Policy. 4) RETENTION AND INCLUSIVITY CRC Requirement: Provide a description of: how the institution provides a supportive and inclusive workplace for all chair-holders (including those from the FDGs) and how this is monitored (e.g., survey of chair-holders, monitoring why chair-holders leave the institution); the procedures, policies and supports in place that enable the retention of individuals from the FDGs; 7
the process by which the institution manages complaints from its chair-holders/faculty related to equity within the program; the contact information of an individual or individuals at the institution responsible for addressing any equity concerns/complaints regarding the management of the institution s chair allocations; and a mechanism for how concerns/complaints are monitored and addressed, and reported to senior management. McGill Measures: a) EDUCATION AND RESPONSE McGill is constantly working to build and maintain an environment marked by equity, respect, diversity and inclusion for all of its employees, including academic employees who hold CRCs. Equity work is overseen at McGill through three offices that operate in close collaboration with one another: Employment Equity Advisor: reports into the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), and collaborates closely with McGill Human Resources. responsible for development of equitable recruitment, hiring and retention strategies across McGill campuses, including the development and delivery of implicit bias and equity training to all recruitment/hiring committees; custodian of employment equity data at the institution, and charged with monitoring the University s progress in achieving equitable representation for designated groups recognized at McGill (which include FDGs); responsible for ensuring compliance with statutory requirements as regards to employment equity. Social Equity & Diversity Education (SEDE) Office: reports into the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) and collaborates closely with Faculties and administrative units across McGill s campuses; responsible for developing and delivering equity education across McGill campuses and works to foster a climate of respect and inclusion; focus is on awareness-raising and prevention of discrimination, including through education about how direct, adverse effect and systemic discrimination differ and their impacts at both the individual and institutional levels. Senior Equity & Inclusion Officer: oversees the operation of McGill s Policy on Harassment, Sexual Harassment & Discrimination Prohibited by Law ( Harassment Policy ); develops training that raises campus awareness in regard to the Harassment Policy and the necessary elements of a respectful, inclusive workplace; provides consultations to University community members (students, faculty and staff) who seek information about, and/or wish to initiate a complaint under, the Harassment Policy. The SEIO also provides information about other campus offices that may provide support or may initiate investigations related to harassment, sexual harassment or prohibited-ground discrimination (e.g., Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education, Campus Security, the Dean of Students or Faculty Dean). is a professionally trained and accredited mediator who will mediate, with a view to achieving an informal resolution to, conflict that may be anchored to concerns or complaints about harassment, sexual harassment or prohibited-ground discrimination, provided that the parties in conflict have provided their informed consent to participate in mediation. 8
Complaints that proceed to formal investigations lodged under the Harassment Policy are investigated by a member of a team of Assessors appointed by McGill s Senate. Assessors are duly trained to carry out investigations pertaining to harassment, sexual harassment, or discrimination prohibited by law. Once an investigation is complete, the Assessor s report, which includes findings and recommendations, is submitted to the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) for final decision, which may include disciplinary measures where harassment, sexual harassment and/or discrimination is found. Data pertaining to inquiries, complaints and investigations under the Policy are reported annually to McGill s Senate, and these reports are public. A chair-holder with equity-related concerns or complaints would be encouraged to raise these with the SEIO, or directly with the Associate Provost (Equity & Academic Policies). b) ENGAGEMENT WITH AND CELEBRATION OF EQUITY WORK McGill annually recognizes members of its community who have demonstrated outstanding efforts and contribution to equity through its Award for Equity and Community Building. All members of the McGill community are invited to engage with and contribute to equity efforts on campus via the Joint Board-Senate Committee on Equity (JBSCE) or one of its six subcommittees (for: racialized and ethnic persons, Indigenous persons, women, persons with disabilities, queer persons, and persons with family care responsibilities). In February 2018, the JBSCE will be recognizing students by organizing and sponsoring a panel and exhibit on student-led equity and inclusion initiatives at the University. In 2017, a motion was passed through the McGill Senate to institutionalize the annual celebration Black History Month at the University. As a result, the University has committed to identifying resources and a coordinated approach for future annual recognition and celebration as well as identifying strategic priorities for expanding Black community outreach, access, support, and educational programming across McGill. c) ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT WITHIN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT McGill University conducts a survey every two years to assess faculty members sense of their own work and how well it is supported. Special attention is given to workload, atmosphere in faculty departments, mentoring, promotion and tenure processes, and retention. Information from this survey informs ongoing work on policies and procedures related to faculty affairs, and can be especially useful in identifying and confronting the unique challenges that women and members of different marginalized groups encounter within their roles as faculty. In 2017, McGill initiated a project focused on identifying the mentorship needs of junior faculty. A survey of junior faculty (hired within the last four years at McGill) indicates that most young faculty have a mentor (formal or informal) but would benefit from a range of mentorship figures to ensure their sense of belonging and their capacity for success at McGill. More women than men responded to this questionnaire. This survey will inform a pilot mentorship program that will launch at McGill in 2018-2019. In November 2017, McGill s annual joint Board-Senate meeting was dedicated to the topic of mentorship. 9