Expanded Employee Equity Census to support an equitable, diverse, and inclusive campus community

This month, UCalgary’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI) will launch an expanded Employment Equity Census to collect data on the composition of our workforce. The aim is to determine if UCalgary’s workforce reflects the external community and, in doing so, identify trends and patterns that will inform future decision-making.

“We live and work in a diverse society, and our university community should represent this. It is critical that we collect information on university workforce composition so we can remove any barriers to participation, period,” says Provost Dr. Teri Balser. “I want to thank Dr. Malinda Smith, vice-provost and associate vice-president research (EDI) and the other teams on campus who have been working hard on this initiative and also providing a path for us to do better.”

The responses from members of our community will be analysed to support evidence-based decision-making by enabling us to identify patterns and trends in recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion, and to address any employment barriers that may impede the success of any member of our community. Knowledge from the data will assist the OEDI in measuring progress and in developing EDI programs, policies, processes and a strategic plan to achieve the university’s commitment to building an equitable, diverse, and inclusive campus community.

“This survey is important. The results provide us with a snapshot of our university community’s composition. The disaggregated data will provide a baseline to help us better understand ourselves – who’s here, who’s missing, and potential barriers that impede equitable pathways to our campus,” says Smith, PhD. “We need this information to be able to make evidence-based decisions that will help us do better in managing our people processes as well as benchmarking and monitoring our progress. The data will also help us create better policies, supports and services to fulfill our commitment to an equitable and inclusive campus in which all members can flourish.”

Employees are asked to complete the Census by Dec 31, 2021. UCalgary is committed to EDI data transparency. Annually, the new data will be included on the EDI dashboard, and in the annual EDI Report to the Community. Responses are aggregated for anonymity with personal identifiers such as UCID numbers removed.

For more information on the Employment Equity Census, contact equity@ucalgary.ca.