Royal Military College of Canada Action Plan on Institutional Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

 Download pdf version

royal_military-college-of-canada-edi-action-plan.pdf

Land Acknowledgment

The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) is situated on the traditional territory of the Huron Wendat, the Anishinaabeg and the Haudenosaunee Peoples. We recognize their strength and wisdom; their stewardship of the land and water, the plants and animals and affirm our commitment and responsibility in improving our relationships. This action plan seeks to maintain and further RMC’s commitment to acknowledging this fact and fulfilling the attendant responsibilities. We recognize that present day efforts regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion necessarily involve engaging with longer histories. We acknowledge the significance of these lands to the Indigenous peoples who lived and who continue to live upon it, and we express our gratitude to be able to live and learn here. We recognise that knowledge and teaching in all traditions and all forms are essential to real education.

Statement from the Principal and the Commandant

The history of Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) dates back over 140 years, proudly standing not because of limestone walls and wood beams, but because of the energy, enthusiasm and dedication of our people, those from the past and those working here today. Ours is a diverse workforce, enriched through equity and by being inclusive. Founded in 1876, RMC has always served well producing leaders for Canada as a military unit and, in 1959, achieved university status through the Province of Ontario. In 1980, RMC took a historical and progressive step forward in support of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), opening its doors for the first time to female cadets. The mission for this inclusive military university is to educate, develop, and inspire bilingual, fit, and ethical leaders who serve the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada with distinction. By delivering quality education and fostering a culture of innovation, exploration and inclusion, RMC strives to build on our strengths to provide the skills and education to build a better tomorrow. We recognized the intricate and fundamental link between education and research and this is reflected well in RMC’s vision for an equitable, diverse and inclusive work and research environment. The RMC Strategic Plan 2023 is based on the values of respect, academic freedom, excellence, unity of purpose and integrity. This strong institutional base allows a multidisciplinary education for future officers to excel in a complex, fast changing and plural environment, where research needs to play a central role.

It is not enough, however, to chart out a plan; it is what we do with it that will make a difference. In our institutional EDI Action Plan, performance measures have been developed that hold us accountable so that we ensure the fair and respectful treatment of all people; we enrich our institution with the diversity represented in our society; and we create an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected and fully encouraged to contribute towards innovation and excellence. The principles supported in this EDI Action Plan are an integral part of RMC’s mission statement. We have every confidence that our efforts will enable us to realize our goal of leading in university education and research that is responsive to the evolving needs of the Defence and Security environment.

Statement from the Vice-Principal Research

The University Research endeavor brings RMC to the cutting edge of knowledge production. The creation of the new type of knowledge and innovation is also dependent on our ability to bring researchers with diverse backgrounds in an inclusive environment where their interactions and creativity will lead to the overall success of our institution. The Principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) developed in this Action Plan (AP) provide a roadmap for achieving our institutional goal of ensuring an equitable, diverse and inclusive workforce and productive research environment for everyone. The EDI vision 2030 is that RMC is a global leader and a hub for best practices and innovation in EDI policies and practices internally (RMC level) and externally (stakeholders in Canada and globally).

This AP provides a combination of institutional initiatives and benchmarks for measuring RMC’s success moving forward in the inclusion, advancement, and success of the four federally designated groups^{Footnote 1} (FGDs) and all other equity seeking groups^{Footnote 2}. Some of the latest measures to ensure a strong EDI framework include a creation of an institutional EDI Committee and a new position of EDI Officer under the Office of Research, clear guidelines for non-discriminatory hiring processes and training in awareness raising of unconscious bias and cultural competency.

This strong and sustainable AP will anchor RMC’s commitment to eliminate systemic barriers, reduce biases, and to provide equal opportunities as well as promote diversity of perspectives and lived experiences at every level of the institution and ensure that every member is valued and supported. This institutional commitment to EDI is a building block for a strong foundation in research, teaching and training excellence for the institution.

The Office of Research is motivated, committed and proud to present this institutional AP. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the EDI committee and the members of the RMC academic community for their invaluable contributions in the development of this foundational document.

Dr. Cecile Malardier-Jugroot
Vice-Principal Research
Office of Research
Royal Military College of Canada

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Executive Summary

Introduction

This Action Plan (AP) provides a combination of institutional initiatives and benchmarks for measuring Royal Military College’s (RMC) success in moving forward in its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) framework^{Footnote 4} to ensure that all equity seeking groups^{Footnote 5} regardless of their gender, age, abilities, religion, race or languages spoken can fully participate in all aspects of research and enrich a learning culture of RMC. RMC developed this AP in collaboration with individuals from each of the Federally Designated Groups (FDGs)^{Footnote 6}, other equity seeking groups^{Footnote 7}, chairholders, faculty, and administrators responsible for implementing the Canada Research Chairs (CRC)^{Footnote 8} program at RMC.

This AP aims to present an overview of current efforts in strengthening the EDI framework and to outline a vision for EDI by the year 2030 (Vision 2030). This vision is that RMC is a global leader and a hub for best practices and innovation in EDI policies and practices internally (RMC level) and externally (stakeholders in Canada and globally). This AP also identifies areas for improvement and provides a set of measurables objectives and accountability mechanisms with specific indicators that will measure RMC’s success in accomplishing its Vision 2030 in the short-, medium-, and long-term. 

Overall, this AP is developed by the members of the EDI Committee in consultation with relevant staff under the leadership of the Vice-Principal Research (VPR) based on:

• an employment systems review^{Footnote 9}
• a comparative review provided for all current chairholders^{Footnote 10}
• an environmental scan^{Footnote 11}
• an analysis of RMC’s unique opportunities and challenge^{Footnote 12}

Context

RMC strives to be an employer of choice within the Public Service of Canada. Equality of opportunity is enshrined within the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms^{Footnote 13}. As a federal institution, RMC is governed by all policies that apply to the Federal Public Service, including policies regarding equitable treatment of employees in every sphere of their professional lives^{Footnote 14} and those that aim to increase the diversity of the Public Service overall^{Footnote 15}. Furthermore, RMC is committed to meeting and exceeding targets related to EDI, as articulated by the Federal Government and its agencies, such as the CRC program^{Footnote 16}.

The undergraduate education at RMC is based on four pillars: academic, military, physical fitness, and bilingualism and the essential role of EDI has been recognized in the learning outcomes of the core curriculum^{Footnote 17} of the Naval and Officer Cadets including the following:

• Understanding the pluralistic nature of Canada, which includes: demonstrate an understanding of Canadian values, including multiculturalism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the role of these values in Canadian society and government;
• Understanding diverse national and international contexts, which includes: demonstrate broad cultural awareness, including the principles of EDI.

Therefore, it is very important to implement measures that are consistent between the academic and the military communities at RMC. 

In a university and research environment, every component of EDI is more than essential in recognizing the contribution of each researcher to nurture and develop creativity and promote innovation and excellence. RMC is dedicated to ensuring that inclusion and, advancement, and success of the four federally designated groups (FDGs) and other equity seeking traditionally disadvantaged groups within our university will continue to remain a priority.

Action Plan: Key Components

Compliance with Federal policies has had an important impact on the EDI framework of RMC. For instance, hiring practices already meet national standards of fairness, equity, and inclusion; communication policies already state that the institution prioritizes the diversity of our community; and existing policies support individuals who wish to pursue specific religious and cultural practices in the workplace. Federal policy compliance represents a minimum standard for EDI. While it is a basic principle to include the Federal policy frameworks to ensure that initial EDI concerns are well managed, RMC is strongly committed to surpassing this minimum by implementing the strategies summarized in sections below:

• Refining and adapting this institutional EDI AP to make it a living document through a series of ongoing consultations with decision makers, FDGs, all other equity seeking groups as well as all staff;
• Articulating short-, medium- and long-term goals in greater detail, including meaningful and regular consultations with all members of RMC community about their EDI focus and experiences;
• Assigning specific bodies to lead initiatives contained within this strategic AP. To this end, the Vice-Principal, Research (VPR) established the EDI Committee in October 2020 to enable ongoing responsiveness to EDI issues across RMC. This committee is composed of members who are diverse with respect to gender, first official languages, ethnicity, visible minority status, academic discipline, and rank/seniority. The EDI Committee recognizes that there are gaps even within this diverse group (particularly in terms of representation of Indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities). Thus, the EDI Committee is currently filling these gaps by ongoing consultations with representatives of equity seeking groups. 
• Defining mechanisms to ensure that EDI is embedded within the organizational culture of RMC and in its routine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) moving forward. These mechanisms are described in more detail in the SMART^{Footnote 18} goals of this AP. Each of the measures is connected to a corresponding target with a measurable objective, an indicator and a scheduled monitoring strategy to ensure timely and effective achievement of the goal. Having a monitoring and evaluation strategy in place for each of the objectives with the focus on utilization of the Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA +) tools and techniques^{Footnote 19} will allow for not only developing a roadmap for achieving the EDI targets but also for benchmarking and measuring success (or lack thereof) in the process of accomplishment of each of the SMART goals. 

The over-arching mandate of the EDI Officer and EDI Committee is to study, promote, and advise RMC and its senior management team about EDI definitions and principles as well as to ensure that EDI is incorporated at all levels of RMC research work, starting from the EDI data collection and analysis process to the translation of this data and information into RMC policies. The Principal, Vice-Principal, Research, and the EDIO are key players in the decision-making, implementation, reporting and accountability of the measures as detailed in the AP.  All key positions have crucial roles to play as leaders of EDI initiatives, as well as enablers and champions of EDI at RMC. 

Action plan: SMART Objectives

The following SMART Objectives aim to ensure RMC remains at the forefront of FDGs and other equity seeking groups’ participation in the CRC program. These SMART goals are composed of university-level objectives to ensure an equitable, diverse and inclusive work and research environment (Objectives 1-3) and CRC focused objectives to fully meet and exceed our EDI targets (Objectives 3-6) described below:

Objective 1:

Align RMC’s strategic plans, administrative processes (including hiring, nominations and career progression), and ongoing environmental reviews in a synergetic fashion to accomplish EDI goals.

Objective 2:

Raise awareness of EDI best practices and lessons learned both internally (RMC community) and externally (Canadian and global universities) – 2022-2023.

Objective 3:

Embed EDI considerations in the learning culture at RMC and broaden faculty and management’s awareness regarding EDI challenges and opportunities.

Objective 4:

Assess gaps in the FDGs representation in the CRC Chair holder group.

Objective 5:

Align hiring process for CRC positions with the current institutional FDG and other equity seeking groups targets.

Objective 6:

Achieve long-term sustainability of the EDI framework through the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of progress.

This CRC EDI Action Plan is written for RMC CRC program; however, many of the objectives, indicators and a measuring mechanism itself for each of the objectives will be applied to all civilian components of RMC processes and practices and will be explored as a basis to inform and improve processes and practices across all civilian components of RMC in partnership with other civilian and military training institutions in Canada. The Principal, Commandant, Vice-President, Research and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer in partnership with the EDI Committee will review this AP on an ongoing basis to ensure that it is a “living document” revised biannually.   

The next steps for RMC Senior Management and all actors engaged in further development and management of the EDI Vision 2030 will be to develop and implement a strategy based on objectives recommended in this AP. The expansion of RMC EDI framework to cover both all RMC components allows to build on the unique opportunities of the ethical transformations of CAF and a momentum of change that the DND is undergoing. This brings with it new opportunities for the long-term sustainability or the EDI vision, facilitating improved processes and practices across all faculties and units of RMC. 

Introduction and Statement of Commitment

The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) is dedicated to ensuring the inclusion, advancement and success of the four federally designated groups (FDGs)^{Footnote 20}, and other traditionally disadvantaged groups within our university. As members of the public service of Canada are subject to the guidance of the Federal Treasury Board, all employees are strongly encouraged to assist in achieving a diverse, inclusive workplace and learning environment. To that end, our policies and practices following the Treasury Board guidelines combined with higher aspirations as described in this Action Plan align well with the Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) program’s priorities for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Moreover, beyond the fundamentals required by the CRC Secretariat, RMC is positioning itself as an employer of choice through fostering a collegial and inclusive work and supportive learning environment as its strategic objectives.

RMC is strongly committed to meeting the challenges and fulfilling the obligations it has undertaken through its endorsement of the Dimensions Charter^{Footnote 21}. Recognition of the centrality of EDI to creative, impactful, and relevant research must be matched with action to ensure its fullest implementation. In addition, RMC is proud to endorse and aspires to continuously adopt the best practices outlined in Universities Canada “Inclusive Excellence Principles” and “Universities Canada principles on equity, diversity and inclusion”. RMC recognizes the important role of the AGORA LGBTQ+ support group, the ATHENA network and the Indigenous Knowledge and Learning group supporting and promoting an inclusive work and study environment for FDGs at RMC. Thus RMC is committed to nurturing and developing this support. The main Academic Complex at RMC, was part of a large renovation project, which included upgrades to the mechanical systems and structures, and an accessible entrance to the complex. RMC was quick to utilize this opportunity to establish gender - inclusive washrooms and change areas^{Footnote 22}. RMC plans to take this upgrade forward and will intentionally focus on the last building on the RMC campus requiring an accessible entrance.^{Footnote 23}

Moreover, RMC is committed to develop a plan for the Indigenization of the undergraduate curricula as a whole. To this end, a Curriculum Indigenization Working Group (CIWG) has been created to examine relevant background information e.g. Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports, conduct a review of Indigenization processes used at universities across Canada, and engage with Indigenous communities with historical ties to RMC grounds. As a result of this examination and series of consultations, RMC is in the process of developing specific recommendations on a plan for the Indigenization of curricula as a whole. In addition, RMC has developed strong links with the Indigenous Leadership Opportunity Year (ILOY), which provides students of Indigenous heritage a positive and productive academic year of educational and leadership experience at RMC. The ILOY program is a unique one-year program designed to provide individuals and groups with the cultural experiences that help build both leadership and life skills.

RMC is a Canadian Federal, bilingual, degree granting university, operating with a provincial charter and a federal mandate to educate primarily members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The RMC Mission states that “as a military university, the Royal Military College of Canada educates, develops, and inspires bilingual, fit, and ethical leaders who serve the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada”^{Footnote 24} Moreover, RMC’s Research Mission, Vision, and Values^{Footnote 25} aim to develop knowledge that fosters a better understanding of future internal and global challenge areas for Canada. As such, the institution (RMC) highly values the opportunity to respond to the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program’s call for an Institutional Equity, Diversity and an Inclusion Action Plan. 

RMC adheres to the fundamental principle that diversity is an enriching quality of any organization. The value of diversity emerges in the richness, depth, and breadth that intersectional perspectives^{Footnote 26} bring to decision-making and fulfillment of organizational mandates. RMC commits to cultivating a research and institutional culture that values diverse perspectives in research and practical work that springs from a community of researchers with diverse backgrounds. RMC aims to ensure  all research is fully compliant with the EDI principles in order to deepen its commitment to the educational excellence.

Likewise, RMC views and values equity and inclusivity as the mechanism that permits diversity to fulfill its full potential. Equitable and inclusive policies and practices ensure that full engagement of a diverse workforce maximizes a potential of applying multiplicity of various skills to the full range of challenges present in the university environment. One of the most crucial aspects includes equitable participation of FDGs in institutional leadership and decision-making. In addition, inclusivity ensures the unbridled expression of innovation and creativity, allowing the organization to be agile, adaptable, and poised to bring its resources to bear in the face of challenges. Inclusivity also ensures that every individual can play a part in the overall success of the institution and is not restricted to tokenism within the organization; meaningful representation during the development of policies and practices is important. 

Context

RMC strives to be an employer of choice within the Public Service of Canada. Equality of opportunity is enshrined within the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms^{Footnote 27}. As a federal institution, we are governed by all policies that apply to the Federal Public Service, including policies touching upon equitable treatment of employees in every sphere of their professional lives^{Footnote 28} and policies that aim to increase the diversity of the Public Service overall^{Footnote 29}. Furthermore, RMC is committed to meeting and exceeding targets related to EDI, as articulated by the Federal Government and its agencies, such as the CRC program.

RMC currently has three CRC Chairs filled and two vacant positions. Historically, a large majority of our CRCs were women and members of an FDGs. Once our Equity and Diversity plan is accepted by the CRC Secretariat, RMC will undertake further planning and developing mechanisms to ensure that we meet and/or exceed our targets for FDGs while filling available Chairs’ positions. Moreover, we believe that being compliant is not sufficient enough to ensure an accommodating, productive, and inclusive work environment: hence, active measures will be enforced to ensure broader and deeper engagement with the goal of further developing a unique university that fully reflects the diversity of a Canadian society. This Action Plan will therefore also include LGBTQ2+ group^{Footnote 30} as well as elements of intersectionality between FDGs and RMC AGORA group^{Footnote 31} active at RMC and all other equity seeking groups^{Footnote 32}. For the purposes of this AP, we will refer to all groups highlighted above as FDGs and other equity seeking groups (please refer to additional definitions in Appendix1).

This proposed plan serves to further guide RMC’s efforts for sustaining participation of and/or addressing the underrepresentation of individuals from the FDGs among their Chair allocations. RMC developed this plan in collaboration with individuals from each of the FDGs and Chairholders as well as from the faculty and administrators responsible for implementing the CRC program at RMC. This Action Plan will outline both mechanisms and procedures that will advance RMC from the basic to the advanced level of compliance to the CRC’s national policies on ensuring appropriate representation among the FDGs required among RMC’s Canada Research Chair appointments.

Action Plan: Key Components

Compliance with Federal policies has an important impact on the EDI at RMC. For instance, hiring practices already meet national standards of fairness, equity, and inclusion; communication policies already state that the institution prioritizes the diversity of our community; and existing policies support individuals who wish to pursue specific religious and cultural practices in the workplace. Federal policy compliance represents a minimum standard for EDI. While it is a basic principle to include the Federal policy frameworks to ensure that initial EDI concerns are well managed, RMC is strongly committed to surpassing this minimum by implementing the strategies summarized in sections below:

• Refining and adapting an institutional EDI AP to make it not a rigid, but rather an evolving document through a series of ongoing consultations with decision makers, FDGs, all other equity seeking groups and all staff;
• Articulating short-, medium- and long-term goals in greater detail, including meaningful and regular consultations with all members of the RMC community about their EDI focus and experiences;
• Assigning specific bodies to lead initiatives contained within this strategic action plan. To this end, the Vice Principal, Research (VPR) has established an EDI committee (est. October 2020) to enable ongoing responsiveness to EDI issues across RMC. This committee is composed of members who are diverse with respect to gender, first official language, ethnicity/visible minority status, academic discipline, and rank/seniority. The EDI Committee recognizes that there are gaps even within this diverse group (particularly in terms of representation of Indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities). Thus, the EDI Committee is currently filling these gaps by ongoing consultations with representatives of currently under-represented groups. It is an intention of the EDI Committee to raise awareness of other diverse members of RMC community of the importance of their voices to be heard with  a hope additional members will volunteer for the EDI Committee.
• Proposing mechanisms to ensure that EDI is embedded within the organizational culture of RMC and in its routine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) moving forward. These mechanisms are described in more detail in the S.M.A.R.T. objectives below in this AP. Each of the measures is connected to a corresponding target with a measurable objective and a scheduled monitoring strategy to ensure  timely and effective achievement of the goal. Having a monitoring and evaluation strategy in place for each of the objectives with the focus on utilization of the Gender Based Analysis Plus tools and techniques^{Footnote 33} will also allow for not only developing a roadmap for achieving the EDI targets but also for benchmarking and measuring success (or lack of thereof) in the process of accomplishment of each of the SMART goals. 

The over-arching mandate of the EDI Officer and the EDI committee is to study, promote, and advise the institution and its leadership team about the EDI definitions and principles as well as to ensure that EDI is incorporated at all levels of RMC research work, starting from the EDI data collection and analysis process to the translation of this data and information into RMC policies. The Principal, Vice-Principal Research, and an EDI Officer are key players in the decision making, implementation, reporting and accountability of the measures as detailed in the AP.  All key positions have crucial roles to play as leaders of EDI initiatives, as well as enablers and champions of EDI at RMC. 

Institutional Equity and Diversity Targets and Gaps:

• Numbers of currently active Chairs: 1
• Number of available Chairs: 2
• Number of Chairs currently under peer review: 2
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Gaps: NIL

RMC currently meets its Equity and Diversity Targets - however, the objectives presented in the AP will be key in maintaining and surpassing this target. For example, objective 5 (see SMART objectives below) clearly states that one of the next CRC hiring should involve a targeted hire process.

1) EDI Objectives and Measurement Strategies

RMC is required to provide all mandatory undergraduate degree instruction in both official languages. Ensuring that RMC’s faculty, and particularly the CRC Chairs, reflect inclusion of Canada’s FDGs is an organizational priority. Historically, RMC’s CRC program has evidenced strong inclusion of the FDGs^{Footnote 34}. We have developed an internal model employing the CRC’s recommended target setting tool based on the national representation goals established by the CRCP. 

• RMC aims to meet or surpass the national standard not only for FDG inclusion, but also for all equity seeking groups defined in the Appendix to this report. There are currently two vacancies and RMC is awaiting approval of its Equity and Diversity Action Plan by the CRC Secretariat prior to filling them. All advertisement and communications regarding these potential positions will stress that preference for the positions will be given to Canada’s FDGs. To that end, the search will be external, if necessary.
• A mandatory training in GBA+ (already part of the RMC’s EDI Action Plan) and unconscious bias will be implemented for all RMC staff starting from members associated with selecting or renewing future CRC Chairs in order to ensure consideration and full inclusion of candidates from Canada’s FDGs. See Objective 3 of SMART objectives below.

In a university and research environment, every component of EDI is more than essential in recognizing the contribution of each researcher to nurture and develop creativity and promote innovation and excellence. RMC is dedicated to ensuring that inclusion and advancement of the FDGs and other equity seeking  within our university^{Footnote 35} will continue to remain a priority. A vision for success i.e. an equitable, diverse and inclusive work and research environment as well as a more detailed mechanism for measuring the success of FDGs’ advancement in research through evaluation and sharing best practices will be developed in a participatory process that will ensure a full buy in of not only FDG members themselves, but all senior management. As mentioned above, RMC continues refining its  EDI action plan to ensure a long-term sustainability.  Overall, this AP was developed by the members of the EDI Committee in consultation with relevant stakeholders under the leadership of the Vice-Principal Research based on:

• an employment systems review^{Footnote 36}
• a comparative review provided for all current chairholders^{Footnote 37}
• an environmental scan^{Footnote 38}
• the institution’s unique opportunities and challenges

Action plan: SMART objectives

The following SMART Goals aim to ensure RMC remains at the forefront of FDG and intersectional participation in the CRC program. These SMART goals are composed of University-level objectives to ensure an equitable, diverse and inclusive work and research environment (objectives 1-3) and CRC focused objectives to fully meet and exceed our EDI targets (objectives 3-6) described below: 

Objective 1: Align RMC’s strategic plans, administrative processes (including hiring, nominations and career progression), and ongoing environmental reviews in a synergetic fashion to accomplish EDI goals. 

Indicator: A minimum of two EDI best practices from partners advanced in EDI work are integrated into existing offerings, policies and procedures of RMC by the end of 2023.

Progress will be evaluated using gender and intersectionality disaggregated data, which will allow to measure the impact on hiring and promotion processes and monitor the accomplishment of our goals in terms of FDGs and other equity seeking groups at every level of the institutional structure (departmental staff, faculty members, heads of departments and senior management). 

Regular qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection (i.e. surveys, KIIs, FGDs, lived stories collection) will provide data and information about the effect of these changes on the institutional environment for the members of the FDGs (including intersectionality analysis) and on their perception of the transparency and accountability of policies and EDI processes. 

Systemic barriers identified in various EDI processes will be significantly reduced by December 2025 (mid-term).

Report on each measure described below will be submitted to the EDI Committee and Vice-Principal Research, the Principal and the Commandant detailing each of the barriers and an implementation strategy to eliminate/mitigate these barriers biannually. 

Measure 1.1: Create an EDI Officer (EDIO) position in the Office of Research

• Who: VPR, Principal and Commandant
• When: Position has been created in April 2021, hiring and specific training will follow. EDIO hiring is being finalized (April 2022)

Measure 1.2: Review strategic planning documents such as the institution strategic plan and the strategic research plan to ensure our EDI policies and goals are well articulated. 

• Who: Principal and Vice Principal, Research in consultation with EDIO and EDI committee
• When: Summer 2022
• Focus and impact: refine intuitional vision and ensure that our EDI commitment is well integrated to the Research Strategic plan. Through a series of consultations with key stakeholders (e.g. FDG members, EDI Committee, among others) ensure that the institution’s vision for an equitable, diverse and inclusive work and research environment has a buy in at all levels of the institution.

Measure 1.3: Examine all RMC policies and procedures through an EDI and intersectionality lens, highlighting any aspect determined as problematic. This review will specifically focus on the potential impact for individual faculty members as a function of their language group/profile. According to the analysis of the latest environmental scan (June 2021) data revealed significant gaps in the inclusion of bilingual faculty members in the decision making level (e.g. process management, etc.) and a lack of consideration for Francophone faculty members’ perspectives in various EDI processes.

• Who: EDIO and VPR
• When: Fall 2021-Fall 2022 (short term)
• Focus and impact: identify areas of improvement and propose implementation solutions for the improvement

Measure 1.4: Develop a Faculty Handbook detailing University Policies and Procedures while detailing work flows and processed to ensure regular updates which include the reduction of systemic barriers. 

• Who: Office of the Principal 
• When: Fall 2022-Fall 2023 (short term)
• Focus and impact: to improve transparency and inform researchers about various planned initiatives to ensure equitable process management and education of systemic barriers. 

Objective 2: Raise awareness of EDI best practices and lessons learned both internally (RMC community) and externally (Canadian and global universities) – 2022-2023 

Indicator: a significant percentage of RMC faculty and staff become aware of best practices and able to incorporate them in EDI framework of RMC to overcome language discrimination 

Development of training programs (both mandatory and optional) on unconscious bias, cultural competency and EDI best practices in hiring and customization of training to the unique needs of the RMC faculty and staff. The progress in the development of EDI training bilingual modules will be monitored by the EDI Officer and reported to the Vice-Principal Research. The degree of  accessibility of bilingual training resources on EDI education, aimed at providing support for the members of the FDGs and other relevant groups will be evaluated in the regular through mixed-methods (qualitative and quantitative) data collection, analysis, and  reporting.  

Measure 2.1: Develop a campaign promoting ongoing environmental scans and regular consultations with all relevant members of the RMC Community. 

• To encourage and ensure broad participation of staff and faculty in the  environmental scans, 
• To ensure that communication from senior officials encourages participation and sets a role model
• To ensure that results of environmental scan will be made available to RMC staff and the public 

Publicize links to publicly available reports on previous environmental scans, including measures developed as a result of previous environmental scans.

This above mentioned campaign will also include all relevant definitions (i.e. intersectionality, etc.) and a statement from the Principle encouraging participation of the members of the FDGs in the environmental scan. Participation of each FDG and other intersectional members will be evaluated based on the percent representation of each group in the institution workforce as reflected in our voluntary self-identification reports. 

Phase 1 – Faculty: focus on inclusivity in the context of research, service, and teaching

• Who: EDI committee and VPR
• When: February-March 2021 (extensive consultations every 2 years), completion of the environmental scan in June 2021
• Focus and impact: identify barriers, develop and implement a remediation strategy
   

Phase 2 – Support Personnel; focus on inclusion and opportunities to contribute to RMC’s EDI principles and ensure that voices of all staff are heard

• Who: EDI committee and VPR
• When: July-August 2022 (extensive consultation every 2 years)
• Focus and impact: identify barriers, develop and implement a remediation strategy
   

Phase 3 – Students (UG and PG); focus on ensuring that EDI principles are taken as a measure for participation in the life of RMC and ensuring diverse youth voices are heard 

• Who: EDI committee and VPR
• When: January-February 2023 (extensive consultation every 2 years)
• Focus and impact: identify barriers, develop and implement a remediation strategy to remove barriers and promote access to support groups

Measure 2.2: Encourage data collection (both qualitative and quantitative) at the Faculty level on FDGs and other equity seeking groups represented among RMC faculty members, support personnel, research assistants, and students

• Who: EDIO will coordinate with HR 
• When: June 2022 and during the application phase of each hiring process. 
  On-going: every year an e-mail will be sent at the Faculty level to encourage self-identification through the DND-HR self-identification page: "(http)://hrciv-rhciv.mil.ca/en/employment-equity-diversity-inclusion-self-id.page" (Note: access on Defence secure network only)
• Focus and impact: guide our hiring strategies and our institutional outreach initiatives to reach and maintain our EDI targets. 

Measure 2.3: Perform environmental scans of EDI activities at other universities in Canada and internationally

• Who: EDIO and EDI committee 
• When: May 2022-May 2023
• Focus and impact: develop a repository of bilingual resources for best practices in education, research, assessment, training in EDI and cultural competency. Create web-based repository for bilingual EDI resources.

Objective 3: Embed EDI considerations in the learning culture at RMC and broaden faculty and management’s awareness regarding EDI challenges and opportunities.

Indicator: Increased representation of members of the FDGs, other equity seeking groups, or members representing the interest of above groups at every organizational level (within committees, departments, faculties, heads of departments and management), meeting the CRC and government goals. 

Measure 3.1: Creation of a Standing EDI committee 

• Who: VP Research
• When: October 2020 
• Focus and impact: Make recommendations to the institution leadership team (VPR) regarding management of EDI concerns emerging from consultations

Measure 3.2: Training for Members of EDI committee 

• Who: Principal and VPR
• When: December 2020 on unconscious bias (recurring every two years, different focus or more often as needed)
• Focus and impact: ensuring cultural competency among members of the EDI committee and knowledge of best practices in terms of EDI. The training also includes an Intercultural Development Inventory assessment tool for cultural competence and inclusiveness within a team or organization in order to evaluate progress and measure in accordance with the indicators

Measure 3.3: Focused training for Members of Faculty Council 

• Who: Principal and VPR
• When: December 2020 on Unconscious Bias (recurring every two years with different focus). The December 2020 session also included members of the Faculty Association.
• Focus and impact: ensuring cultural competency among members of the EDI committee and knowledge of best practices in terms of EDI. The training also includes an Intercultural Development Inventory assessment toll for cultural competence and inclusiveness within a team or organization.

Measure 3.4: Mandatory training in GBA+ (already part of the RMC EDI Action Plan) and unconscious bias will be implemented for all members of the following committees:

• Hiring committees
• CRC search committees and Research Advisory Committee
• Search/review committees for Department Heads, Deans, Vice Principals
• Promotion committees

• Who: EDIO
• When: Spring 2022 Ongoing (verified at time of appointment)
• Focus and impact: ensuring cultural competency and better understanding of gender and intersectionality among members of the EDI committee and knowledge of GBA + best practices as well as reaching the institutional goals for the representation of FDGs and intersectional staff at every academic and administrative level, including decision making level.

Measure 3.5: Promote engagement with existing EDI related training

• Encourage all members of the RMC community to complete GBA+ training (already mandatory on the CAF side)^{Footnote 65} and available EDI training (see measure 3.4.)
• Encourage all researchers (who engage with human participants) to complete the CORE tutorial 

• Who: EDIO in consultation with EDI committee and the Research Ethics Board
• When: January 2022 - Ongoing 
• Focus and impact: ensuring knowledge of best practices in terms of EDI and cultural competency. A report of EDI initiatives will be submitted on a yearly basis (December 15th) to the Vice-Principal Research by the EDI Officer with input from each Department and Faculty. The report will be publically available in a bilingual format.

Measure 3.6: Recognition and support for initiatives and individuals promoting an inclusive working environment. 

• Who: EDIO, VP Research Office in consultation with Public Affair Office
• When: June 2022 - On-going

Measure 3.7: RMC will initiate a mentoring program for new Faculty Members with a focus on Early Career Researchers. 

• Who: Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, Dean of Science and Dean of Engineering in consultation with individual departments.
• When: June 2023

Objective 4: Assess gaps in the FDGs representation in the CRC Chair holder group. 

Indicator: Evaluate percent and number of participants who complete the training and mentoring modules to mitigate gaps disaggregated by type of participant.

Measure 4.1: Review philosophy regarding EDI with senior management and faculty Deans before commencing further CRC searches. 

• Who: Vice Principal, Research
• When: June 2022 - ongoing

Measure 4.2: Adapt the hiring process to meet the institutional EDI targets in consultation with the EDIO, the EDI committee, senior management, and faculty deans

• Who: Vice Principal, Research
• When: ongoing

Objective 5: Align hiring process for CRC positions with the current institutional FDG and other equity seeking groups targets.

Indicator: at least one CRC self-identifying as FDGs^{Footnote 66} will be hired (external or internal)

Measure 5.1: specific advertisement to invite applicants identifying as members of the FDGs to apply for external hires. Advertisement posting for the position will be done in collaboration with our support groups^{Footnote 67} to ensure targeted posting and to reach the targeted audience. All advertising for Canada Research Chair vacancies and faculty positions, will include an equity statement in accordance with the government regulations. 

• Who: Research Advisory Committee, individual departments and an EDIO
• When: as soon as an approval is obtained for the institutional EDI Action Plan and ongoing

Measure 5.2: committees for CRC hiring processes will be specifically asked to follow the guidelines developed to respect the university’s CRCP EDI targets during the hiring and selection process 

• Who: Research Advisory Committee, individual departments coordinated by the EDIO
• When: as soon as an approval is obtained for the institutional EDI Action Plan and ongoing
   

Objective 6: Achieve long-term sustainability of the EDI framework through the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of progress. 

Indicators: 

• Progress report on the EDI action plan indicating full compliance with the CRC EDI institutional targets prepared annually. 
• Ongoing awareness raising of leadership and staff as well as ongoing monitoring and evaluation of awareness at the all levels of academic and leadership positions as indicated in annual report by the EDIO to the VPR. 
• Additional indicators to measure progress achieved will be developed by the EDIO in collaboration with the EDI committee to update the EDI AP and integrate new evidence-based measures proven effective in achieving the vision of the institution for an equitable, diverse and inclusive work and research environment.
• An independent summative evaluation of the progress will be performed in June 2025 aiming at measuring the progress and providing and ongoing feedback to the RMC’s EDI team. The report will include recommendations on the improvement, sustainability, and scalability of the EDI framework for both civilian and military sides of RMC for a long-term high impact reflected in the EDI action plan and to accomplish an EDI vision 2030. 

Measure 6.1: RMC will publicly report on an annual basis its progress in attaining its FDG and intersectionality objectives.

• Who: VPRO
• When: 15 Dec Annually

Measure 6.2: Pursue additional funding for EDI initiatives.

• Who: Research Grant Officer, EDIO and VPR with contributions from the EDI committee
• When: ongoing (CRC Program: EDI Stipend granted)

Measure 6.3: Review effectiveness of measures in place, monitor and evaluate progress on the ongoing basis. The review will include the evolution of the institution cultural competency as determined in the regular training and the results of the Intercultural Development Inventory assessment tool for cultural competence and inclusiveness within a team or organization (Objective 3, Measures 3.2 and 3.3), a review of the hiring reports, selection committee reports, EDI initiative reports, the self-identification reports and evolution of representation at every level of the institution.

• Who: EDIO and EDI committee
• When: March 2024

Measure 6.4: Independent evaluation of progress and compliance and identification of areas for improvement.

• Who: external review initiated by the Vice Principal, Research
• When: June 2025
   

2) Management of Canada Research Chair Allocations

RMC will manage current and future CRC Chair appointments based on research excellence and through active steps to ensure there are no gaps in our institutional inclusion targets.

• The institution will emphasize the need to meet and sustain its EDI targets before filling a Chair allocation and determine the appropriate strategy to achieve this target. The Vice-Principal research will consult the EDIO and EDI committee on the strategy to meet and sustain the targets, will consult with the Deans of each Faculty and with the Vice-Principal Academic before recommending or confirming the EDI strategy to the Principal for approval.
• Support for renewed Chairs will be overseen by the Principal on the recommendation of the VP Research. Each Chair holder eligible for renewal will obtain a list of criteria which will be used to determine whether a Chair will be nominated for renewal. The list will be provided at the beginning of the term as part of the document describing the institutional support package and at mid-point in the CRC holder’s term.
• There is a relatively diverse internal pool of potential CRC applicants in key research areas and an internal nomination may enhance our ability to retain that talent. Such a consideration will be weighed against the benefits of externally advertising future CRC Chair positions. Meeting our FDG target will be a weighted factor in determining the recommended appointment. Internal appointments will follow the procedure described in the employment system review section (pages 8-11). 
• In managing future Chair appointments (while seeking research excellence as well as ensuring we have no gaps in our institutional targets) RMC will take active steps to address unconscious bias which can influence hiring practices and the negotiation of terms of employment limiting overall success for individuals from the FDGs or other equity seeking groups. RMC will ensure that all those involved in the CRC nomination or hiring process will complete training in unconscious bias before commencing any process as described in Objective 3, measure 3.4 of this action plan.
• RMC is in the process of initiating the revision of its broad Institutional Strategic Research Plan and CRC Chairs will be filled according to its broad research priority areas. Specific work flows for complying with the EDI processes in this regard are being developed to ensure that RMC’s FDG targets are met.  The Chair description will be produced by the appropriate committee for review and modification by the VP Research (who will be in consultation with the RMC EDIO, and may make swift recommendation to the Principal towards achieving an institutional priority such as encouraging progress towards EDI goals).
• RMC policies and processes for recruiting Canada Research Chair holders: RMC has held national and international competitions and internal competitions for its CRC allocated Chairs since becoming eligible for the program. All future external and internal competitions will stress that priority may be given to FDGs. The EDIO will ensure compliance of the process with the EDI Action Plan. The internal and external competitions will follow the process described in employment system review section (pages 8-12) involving both the EDI Officer and the EDI Committee. Targeted advertisement will ensure a broad distribution to members of the FDGs for external and internal competitions. Open calls will be widely advertised. All Chair positions will be advertised on RMC’s public accountability web page for a minimum of 30 days prior to the closing of the competition and will follow the requirements as described in the requirements for recruiting and nominating Canada Research Chairs document^{Footnote 68}. Files are reviewed for completion within the office of the Vice-Principal, Research, and then passed to a committee composed of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) and the EDI Officer or a designated EDI committee member for ranking and recommendation. The RAC has equal representation from RMC’s faculties and includes members from Canada’s FDGs. The RAC and EDIO ranks the application and recommends the top three. The committee serves as the CRC Chair nominating committee recommending any internal candidate for such an appointment. Final selection is done by a committee of Deans and VPs who consider the recommendations and analyze the top candidate’s fit with RMC’s strategic research plan, teaching needs and EDI Action Plan and recommend to the Principal whom they judge the best fit for the institution. The candidate is then encouraged to complete the full application process. All these discussions and decisions are made in an open forum among the various committee members. A written record of decision is filed with the staffing file. A mid-point attestation form will be submitted to the CRC Program prior to a nomination decision.
• The present allocation of CRC Chairs has been managed by the Vice-Principal, Research, in consultation with the Principal and the Deans. Moving forward, the allocation of Chairs will be led by the Vice-Principal Research, through discussion and recommendation from the RAC and consultation with the EDIO, in light of RMC’s teaching and research priorities. Department Heads will identify gaps or opportunities to their Deans and the Deans will inform their representatives on the RAC as well as the Principal and Vice-Principal, Research. The RAC and the EDI Officer will recommend the wording for the opportunity to be advertised, considering broader fields of research to attract a more diverse pool of candidates and the process of staffing the advertisement will fall to the office of Vice-Principal Research.
• The decision to adjust or change the focus of a current Chair given the corridor of flexibility will come at the suggestion of the Vice-Principal, Research. The recommendation will be made in light of discussion of broader institutional needs with the Principal and the Vice-Principal, Academic. Their joint recommendation will go to the RAC and to the EDIO for comment and endorsement. Should the committee choose not to endorse their proposal, then a sub-committee of the university Senate will be struck to examine and recommend a proposal acceptable to the Senate. All flexible move will be submitted to TIPS for approval.
• Decisions to renew Chairs (CRC I or CRC II) will be led by the Vice-Principal Research. Renewal initiation timelines and decision cycles will be promulgated separately through the Vice-Principal’s office. The determination to renew will be made by a committee nominated by the Vice-Principal Research and will include representation from the RAC, several faculty members from a separate faculty and the EDIO or a designated member from the EDI committee. Clear criteria for the determination of the renewal will be communicated to the Chair Holder at the beginning and at the mid-point of their first term. The same criteria will be communicated to the committee and used for their recommendation to the Vice-Principal, Research.
• RMC may determine the need for a change from a Tier 2 Chair to a Tier 1 Chair or dividing a Tier 1 into two Tier 2 Chairs. This recommendation will only come at such a time as a current Chair is renewed or vacant. As transitioning from a Chair 2 to a Chair 1 may prejudice the total number of CRC chairs RMC enjoys, such a shift would only be made in extraordinary circumstances while ensuring that RMC meets its equity and diversity goals. The recommendation to transition a CRC II to a CRC I Chair, or vice versa, must come from the appropriate Dean and be endorsed by Senate. Senate will only approve such a recommendation once it has been examined and endorsed by the RAC and the EDI Officer who will weigh, not only the research potential, but the general impact of such a change and the specific impact on RMC meeting its goals.
• If RMC is slated to phase out a CRC Chair due to the CRC’s re-allocation process^{Footnote 69}, the determination of which Chair to eliminate will rest with the Principal, based on the recommendations of the RAC and the two Vice-Principals and support from the EDIO, who will consider the remaining years of service of the applicable incumbents, the impact of reduced funding on their graduate students, the priorities of RMC’s strategic research plan, and the impact on meeting RMC’s gender and larger EDI goals. Assessment will also be in accordance with the CRC guidelines on evaluations.
• The level of support provided to Chair-holders (e.g. protected time for research, teaching release, salary and benefits, additional research funds, office space, mentoring, administrative support, equipment, among others), is determined by the Vice-Principal, Research before endorsing the application to proceed. Applicants will be encouraged to discuss their requests with their respective Dean and Department Head, and the Dean will provide a list of recommended support measures to the EDIO and the Vice-Principal, Research for discussion with the applicants before they complete their formal application documents (as described in the comparative review, page 12). As a safeguard to ensure that individuals from the FDGs and other special groups are not disadvantaged in negotiations related to their level of institutional support, all applicants will be made aware of all forms and details of support provided to other CRC Chairs at RMC (i.e. there will be full disclosure of all institutional support). To ensure equity in the process, the candidates will also meet with the EDIO to discuss their specific needs and support from the institution. Recommendations from the EDIO will be communicated to the Vice Principal, Research for further consideration. 
• To ensure that individuals from the FDGs and other special groups are not disadvantaged when applying to a Chair position in cases where they have career gaps due to parental or health related leave or leave taken for the care and nurturing of family members, all internal communications and advertising materials that recognize such issues will not serve as an explicit or implicit reason for not advancing their candidacy in accordance with the CRC program’s priority efforts at ensuring the elimination of systemic impediments to participation by members of Canada’s FDG’s and other special groups. The selection and nomination process will follow the requirements for recruiting and nominating Canada Research Chairs document^{Footnote 70}.
• RMC offers annual training and development activities related to unconscious bias, equity, diversity and inclusion. All administrators and faculty involved in the recruitment and nomination processes for Chair positions are required to take such training. All RMC faculty and academic administrators will complete formal on-line or in person training in Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) to sensitize them to issues of implicit and explicit biases. Furthermore, all faculty and administrators involved with the CRC selection or renewal process will be required to complete the unconscious bias training module available through the CRC website as well as training listed in Objective 3, measure 3.4 of this AP.

3) Collection of Equity and Diversity Data

• The faculty of RMC are subject to Treasury Board Regulations and other regulations which govern the collection and disclosure of data regarding data on the FDGs (both applicants to Chair positions and successful candidates)
• As standard for the hiring of Federal Civil Servants all applicants are given the opportunity to self-identify. RMC’s hiring committees have access to these results from the EDI Officer and the Human Resources Officer responsible for the institution tracks and retains these materials for statistical purposes. Individuals are invited to self-identify when applying for a CRC Chair. The following statement will appear on all materials advertising CRC Chair opportunities at RMC: “The Royal Military College of Canada and Department of National Defence are committed to the government’s policies on non-discrimination and employment equity. Members of Federally designated disadvantaged groups ((women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and members of visible minorities) are encouraged to apply for this opportunity. The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to equity seeking groups (defined in Appendix 1) when you apply. Should you require a technical aid or an alternative method of assessment to ensure an equitable assessment of your qualifications, please indicate so in your application”.
• The EDI Officer will track and retain the results of the self-identification process (Objective 2 of the Action Plan) and coordinate with HR and public service to ensure a regular update of the material.

4) Retention and Inclusivity:

As a Federal institution subject to both Treasury Board and Department of Defence administrative instructions, RMC has numerous procedures, policies and supports in place that enable the retention of individuals from the FDGs. Broadly conceived, these policies aim at upholding RMC as an employer of choice. 
RMC’s EDI AP for the CRCP is governed through the office of the Vice-Principal Research, who oversees policies approved by Faculty Council, which represents all faculty and academic staff, and reports to the university’s Principal and Senate.
The Vice-Principal, Research is the officer responsible for implementing RMC’s action plan agenda and can respond to questions or concerns related to equity or diversity regarding the CRC program specifically and RMC’s research enterprise in general. All other means for questioning practices and activities within the Federal public service may also be used.
The institution offers information sessions for all faculty members as well as specific information sessions for new hires to understand and navigate the different processes specific to their development as new faculty members. RMC is committed to providing a welcoming and supportive environment.
The institution is committed to reinforce the linkages and synergy among existing support groups that are already in place at RMC (AGORA (LGBTQ+), ATHENA (Women), IKL (Indigenous Knowledge and Learning)), support the development of new platforms and promote interaction with different platforms at local institutions to ensure support and expanded opportunities for the members of the FDGs.

5) Reporting and management of complaints related to equity at RMC

Any concern on EDI by members of the academic community should be reported either to the EDIO (contact to be added after completion of the hiring process) or to a member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The concern will be reported to the Vice-Principal Research^{Footnote 71} with input from both the EDI officer and the Chair of the EDI committee on options for addressing the concern. The Vice-Principal Research will address the concern in accordance with the University Policies and Procedures. The Office of the Vice-Principal Research will inform the member of the decision and actions implemented to address the concern within 30 calendar days of the report of the concern unless under exceptional circumstances.

The reporting of the concern can be done anonymously, in this case the decision and actions implemented will be communicated to EDI Officer or member of the EDI committee who reported the concern. Confidential issues may be raised by faculty members through the Faculty Association or through the Institution Human Resources Officer. Members of the faculty have also access to a workplace complaint advisor, conflict resolution resources from the Federal Government as well as access to the conflict resolution center. Issues of Health and Safety may also be raised through various workplace advisors or the Complaint and Conflict Management Services^{Footnote 72} or the Employee Assistance Program 1-800-268-7708.

Appendix

Appendix 1: Main Definitions

Anti-Racism approach

is a process, a systematic method of analysis, and a proactive course of action rooted in the recognition of the existence of racism, including systemic racism. Anti-Racism actively seeks to identify, remove, prevent, and mitigate racially inequitable outcomes and power imbalances between groups and change the structures that sustain inequities.^{Footnote 73}

Disaggregated data

refers to large data sets that are broken down into smaller units. In this study, disaggregated data refers to data that is broken down and examined by sociodemographic groups such as Indigenous communities, gender identities, racialized groups, and neighbourhoods.

Discrimination

is treatment on the basis of personal characteristics such as race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed (religion), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, same-sex partnership status, family status, or disability that results in disadvantages in the provision of housing, health care, employment, and access to goods, services, and facilities.^{Footnote 74}

Equity-seeking groups

are communities that face significant collective challenges in participating in society. This marginalization could be created by attitudinal, historic, social and environmental barriers based on age, ethnicity, disability, economic status, gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation and transgender status, etc. Equity-seeking groups are those that identify barriers to equal access, opportunities and resources due to disadvantage and discrimination and actively seek social justice and reparation.^{Footnote 75}

Federally Designated Groups

according to The Employment Equity Act (the Act) are identified as:

• women
• Indigenous peoples
• persons with disabilities
• members of visible minorities

Gender

refers to the roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society may construct or consider appropriate for the categories of “men” and “women” or “genderdiverse” persons.^{Footnote 76}

Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+)

is an analytical process that provides a rigorous method for the assessment of systemic inequalities, as well as a means to assess how diverse groups of women, men, and gender diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA+ acknowledges that GBA+ is not just about differences between biological (sexes) and socio-cultural (genders). We all have multiple characteristics that intersect and contribute to who we are. GBA+ considers many other identity factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability, and how the interaction between these factors influences the way we might experience government policies and initiatives.^{Footnote 77}

Gender Identity

is an internal and deeply felt sense of being a man or woman, both or neither. This identity may or may not align with the gender typically associated with their sex. Transgender and non-binary people are often overlooked in societal conceptions of gender.^{Footnote 78}

Intersectionality

- the idea that, in individuals, multiple identities (for example, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability) intersect to create a whole that is different from the component identities.^{Footnote 79}

Language-related grounds of discrimination:

ancestry, ethnic origin, place of origin, race.^{Footnote 80}

Population-based data

describes people’s socio-demographic characteristics such as age, race, gender, disability, among others. Place-based data identifies places people live, such as neighborhoods.^{Footnote 81}

Race is a "social construct."

This means that society forms ideas of race based on geographic, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors, as well as physical traits, even though none of these can legitimately be used to classify groups of people.^{Footnote 82}

Racialization

is a process through which groups come to be socially constructed as races, based on characteristics such as ethnicity, language, economics, religion, culture, politics.^{Footnote 83}

Systemic or institutional racism

consists of patterns of behaviour, policies or practices that are part of the social or administrative structures of an organization, and which create or perpetuate a position of relative disadvantage for racialized persons. These appear neutral on the surface but, nevertheless, have an exclusionary impact on racialized persons.^{Footnote 84}

Appendix 2: Survey for Environmental Scan

Sample Questions:

Relative to others in your department, how would you characterize the opportunities and resources available to you in the following areas? For each item, please select the answer that best corresponds to your experience. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, so please answer them as honestly as possible.

Available responses to the the questions that follow:

• More than others
• About the same as others
• Fewer/Less than others
• Not Applicable
• Prefer not to answer

Questions

To what degree do you have access/opportunities in terms of:

• Research
  • Access to research funding
  • Access to funds for research-related travel, including conferences
  • Invitations to participate on specific research projects
  • Access to space to carry out research (e.g. lab space)
  • Access to shared research tools (e.g., nuclear reactor, observatory, library resources)
  • Opportunities for informal consultation with colleagues about research projects
  • Access to publication support (e.g., editing services, translation)
  • Access to technical support (e.g., lab techs, assistance with building customized equipment)
  • Access to IT resources (e.g., hardware, software, troubleshooting)
  • Ability to develop your own research programme
• Professional Development
  • Opportunities to receive career advice (e.g., mentoring)
  • Opportunities to provide career advice (e.g., be a mentor)
  • Access to administrative support (e.g., RAs, clerical support)
  • Opportunities for personal development (e.g., language training, leadership skills training)
  • Opportunities to demonstrate collegial administrative skills (e.g., leadership of research teams, appointment as committee chair)
  • Access to clear guidance about RMC duties and performance expectations.
• Teaching
  • Chances to supervise graduate students
  • Chances to supervise undergraduate students
  • Chances to supervise personnel (e.g., RAs, TAs)
  • Access to library resources (e.g., journal subscriptions, important books)
  • Choice of which courses to teach
  • Choice of course resources and materials to be used (e.g., choice of texts)
  • Opportunities to propose new courses
  • Access to feedback from colleagues about teaching
  • Access to feedback from students about teaching
  • Opportunity to make independent pedagogical choices
  • Choice of language of instruction
  • Accommodation of personal needs (e.g., to request a particular teaching schedule)
• Service
  • Opportunities to sit on departmental committees (e.g., hiring committees)
  • Opportunities to sit on faculty-level or college-wide committees (e.g., syllabus committee)
  • Choice of committee work assignments
  • Opportunities to apply for secondments (e.g., to chair programmes, such as War Studies)

The next set of questions focuses on your experiences as a member of RMC faculty. Please remember that your responses will be treated as confidential information, no individual will be singled out in our analysis, and complete information will enable us to draw more accurate conclusions. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers to these questions, so please answer them as honestly as possible.

To what degree do you agree/disagree with the following statements?

Available responses to the the questions that follow:

• Strongly Agree
• Agree
• Neutral
• Disagree
• Strongly Disagree
• Not Applicable
• Prefer not to answer

Questions:

• My opinion is considered when I share it in a group
• My opinion is solicited before decisions are made by groups to which I belong
• I feel like a valued member of my department
• I feel like a valued member of my research group/team
• I have full access to resources I need to carry out my research
• I have full access to resources I need to carry out my teaching
• I have full access to resources I need to carry out my service (to the college) obligations
• I have full access to resources I need to carry out my service (to my discipline) obligations
• I feel pushed into taking on administrative tasks in which I am not interested.
• I feel pressured to take on work that is not part of my job duties (e.g., translation).
• I feel excluded from decisions that affect me (e.g., setting departmental policies).
• I have the job stability necessary to pursue long and short term research goals.
• I believe the metrics used to measure research productivity at RMC are fair.
• I feel valued by my colleagues.
• I have been intimidated or threatened by one or more students.
• I have been intimidated or threatened by one or more colleagues.
• I have been treated disrespectfully by one or more students.
• I have been treated disrespectfully by one or more colleagues.
• I feel comfortable expressing an unpopular opinion in my department.
• I think about problems differently than many of my colleagues.
• I feel comfortable asking for help from senior administration if needed.
• I feel awkward admitting when I don’t know what to do about a problem.
• I feel I can trust my colleagues.
• Sometimes I feel like others struggle to understand me when I speak.
• My concerns are dismissed when I raise them with my Department Head or more senior management.
• Generally, others treat me with respect at the College.
• I feel isolated because there are few others on campus who share my identity.
• My suggestions are taken seriously by my colleagues.
• In general, College practices (e.g., rules, policies, traditions) suit me – I feel like they fit well with my own expectations and preferences.
• I would not hesitate to ask for accommodation if I became physically ill.
• I would not hesitate to ask for accommodation if I became mentally ill.
• The College has accommodated my needs well over the course of my career thus far.
• Asking for accommodation makes me feel uncomfortable.
• I feel like I fit in at RMC.
• I wish RMC were a more diverse workplace.
• I feel I am able to meaningfully contribute to decision making within my research group.
• I feel I am able to meaningfully contribute to decision making within my department.
• I feel I am able to meaningfully contribute to decision making at RMC.
• I believe some people are treated differently than others in unfair/inequitable ways at RMC.
• I have experienced unfairness/inequity in my RMC career.
• It is difficult to progress at RMC unless you have a champion on your side.
• My research is valued by RMC.
• My teaching is valued by RMC.
• My service is valued by RMC.
• I believe that members of designated groups (women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples) get special treatment at RMC.
• I believe that it is harder to advance at RMC if you are a member of one or more designated groups (women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples).
• I regularly feel pressured to work more hours than my job description includes (i.e., >37.5h/week).
• I find RMC to be a physically accessible workplace.
• I feel pressured to take on additional teaching (in excess of the typical teaching load in my department).
• The behaviour of my colleagues during meetings makes me feel uncomfortable.
• I know where to obtain up-to-date information related to my career (e.g., the Career Progression Framework; the procedure for requesting accommodations; procedures for grieving inequitable treatment)
• I feel supported by the policies and procedures currently in place at RMC as they pertain to diversity.
• RMC generally communicates important information to all faculty members effectively.
• I feel that rules and procedures are followed consistently across the college (e.g., transparency of contract terms and language, promotion criteria).

It is difficult to fully explain some issues using items and scales. In order to capture nuances not reflected in the structured survey items you have completed, we would like to ask you some less-structured questions. Below are six open-ended questions – please provide as much detail as you are able to ensure that we understand your perspective accurately. (these will each have a text box for responses)

• When you were recruited by RMC, did you feel there were obstacles you had to confront that others may not have had to deal with? Please provide as much detail as possible about your experience.
• During your career at RMC, have you had any experiences that left you feeling singled out (negatively) or treated inequitably? Please provide as much detail as possible about your experience.
• If you are or have been employed at RMC on a contract-by-contract basis (e.g., as a sessional or term, as an RA) have you had any experiences at the institution that made you feel excluded or marginalized? Conversely, has RMC made efforts to make you feel included in the life and work of the College? Please provide as much detail as possible about your experience.
• Have you had any difficulty obtaining a sabbatical when you were eligible for one? Please provide as much detail as possible about your experience.
• Did you feel that your promotion application was evaluated fairly/equitably during your most recent promotion experience? Please provide as much detail as possible about your experience.
• Are there any other experiences or circumstances related to equity, diversity, and the degree of inclusivity you have experienced at the college that you would like to share? Please provide as much detail as possible about your experience.

In order to understand the impact of many factors on different groups at RMC, it is important that we understand the composition of the community. Please remember that your answers will be kept confidential, and no individual will be identified or singled out in our analysis and reporting of any of the information you provide on this survey. Please answer the following demographic questions to enable us to analyze the responses to this survey sensitively. While you are free to skip any question(s) you would prefer not to answer, the more complete the information we have to work with, the better we will be able to understand how the issues covered by questions earlier in the survey impact upon individuals with a variety of characteristics and circumstances.

• What is your gender? Please use the label you prefer (e.g., man, two-spirit, transgender)
• What year were you born?
• What year were you first hired at RMC?
• What is your sexual orientation? Please use the label you prefer (e.g., heterosexual, lesbian)
• Are you an indeterminate employee? [ Yes / I will be, but am still “on probation” / No (please explain)]
• What is your current “rank”? [ UT1 (lecturer), UT2 (assistant professor), UT3 (associate professor), UT4 (full professor), Professor emerita/us, Other (please specify)]
• Regardless of previous experiences, which descriptor most accurately describes you today? [ Civilian faculty, Military faculty]
• What is the highest degree you have earned? [ PhD, MA/MSc, Other (please specify)]

For the purposes of employment equity, members of racialized groups/visible minorities means persons, other than Indigenous peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour. Please note that this question does not refer to the country in which you were born, your citizenship, or your religion.

• Do you self-identify as a member of a racialized group/visible minority? [ Yes, No ]
• If yes, please specify the group with which you most self-identify (e.g., Black, Southeast Asian):
• What is your Indigenous identity? [Nonindigenous, Métis, First Nations, Inuit, Other (please specify)]
• Canada has two official languages (French and English). Which is your preferred official language generally? [ French, English, I’m fully bilingual (no consistent preference)]
• In which Canadian official language do you prefer to teach? [ French, English, I enjoy teaching in both languages (no consistent preference)]
• In which Canadian official language do you most frequently publish your research? [ French, English]
• Do you speak any other language fluently, or have a mother tongue other than English or French? If yes, please specify. [ Yes (please specify), No]
• Which faculty are you most closely affiliated with? [ Humanities & Social Sciences, Engineering, Science, Other (please specify)]
• Do you identify as a person with a visible disability? [Y/N]
• Do you identify as a person with an invisible disability? [Y/N]
• Do you support (e.g., have a care-taking role vis-à-vis) family members such as dependent children, elderly parents, or family members with a disability? [ Yes, No]