Universities reaffirm commitment to Inclusive Excellence, advance action plan
OTTAWA – One year after Canada’s university leaders adopted seven Inclusive Excellence Principles to advance equity, diversity and inclusion and an accompanying action plan, Universities Canada members will reaffirm their commitment to both at the association’s fall membership meeting in Ottawa this week.
The association is continuing its work in implementing the action plan with several activities and events this week, including the launch of a new online tool today to share university best practices and policies in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion.
Universities Canada will also bring university leaders, parliamentarians and university students together to discuss the need for a culture shift to ensure equality in leadership opportunities. The Oct. 23 roundtable discussion is co-sponsored by the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus and Universities Canada’s Women’s Leadership Network.
In addition, Universities Canada is celebrating the 15 winners of the national Innovative Design for Accessibility (IDeA) competition for 2018 at an event in Toronto today. The IDeA program, managed by Universities Canada in partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada, challenges university students to use creative design thinking to help make the world more accessible for people with disabilities.
As implementation of the inclusive excellence action plan continues, Universities Canada will launch a survey this fall to measure and benchmark universities’ progress in advancing equality of opportunity for all students, faculty and staff in our university communities.
“I’m pleased with the significant work that has taken place over the past year to lay the foundation for our five-year action plan,” said Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada. “The high level of commitment and involvement from all levels of the university community gives us confidence that we can indeed make a difference in improving equality of opportunity on university campuses over the coming years.”
About Universities Canada
Universities Canada is the voice of Canada’s universities at home and abroad, advancing higher education, research and innovation for the benefit of all Canadians.
Media contact:
Lisa Wallace
Assistant Director, Communications
Universities Canada
[email protected]
Tagged: Strong and inclusive communities, Universities Canada news
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