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EDI Action Plan

Our EDI Action Plan identifies initiatives aimed at increasing the number of students, staff and faculty who identify as members of underrepresented genders and groups, including Indigenous Peoples. The plan also lists initiatives designed to improve the faculty’s culture and environment.

Developed as a "living" document, this plan was created by the faculty’s EDI Advisory Committee, which meets monthly and includes representation from students, faculty and staff. The committee is currently chaired by Dr. Rishi Gupta, special advisor to the dean on EDI.

Plan initiatives

1. Increase the number of undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty who identify as underrepresented genders. We will do this by:

• having a targeted student outreach and recruitment strategy
• tracking the gender identities of all qualified undergraduate and graduate applicants*
• collecting gender data and reporting annually (to acuity council)
• using targeted hiring of faculty identifying as belonging to underrepresented genders

2. Increase the number of Indigenous undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty. We will do this by:

• expanding our student outreach and recruitment strategy
• using objective criteria to avoid implicit bias in assessing applicants
• using targeted hiring of Indigenous faculty and staff

3. Improve the faculty’s culture and atmosphere. We will do this by having all faculty members:

• trained to use inclusive language in communication and documents
• complete a UVic course on avoiding bias in hiring
• complete the Indigenous Cultural Acumen (ICAT) training 
• complete the Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response training
• complete Professional and Cultural Safety training

4. Continuously improve the faculty’s EDI Action Plan to better address equity, diversity and inclusion concerns across the faculty.

*Note: during each admission cycle, we will review qualified applicants who self-identify as members of underrepresented genders and groups for consideration of suitable offers.

In addition to initiative #4, this Action Plan will undergo a full review every 5 years.

UVic’s commitment to EDI

Equity, diversity and inclusion are core values at UVic and are central to our Strategic Framework and university plans, including our Strategic Enrolment Management Plan and Indigenous Plan.

UVic is also developing a new Equity Action Plan, which will give the university a set of universal goals and objectives to advance equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism.

The Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science shares UVic’s EDI values and objectives.