Briefs and Reports

To address under-representation, institutions can target job postings to specific groups and engage in cluster hiring to better increase representation of a minority group and to increase likelihood of retention.

Ensuring a sense of belonging is key to retention, and the association can assist with culture change to support justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Student opinions of teaching There is growing evidence that student opinion surveys of teaching not only fail to measure teaching effectiveness, but are significantly biased against women, members of racialized groups, and academic staff teaching in a language other than their first language.

The below list contains promising practices around equity in appointments drawn from collective agreements, policies, and guides. Associations should assess collective agreement language, policies, and practices at their own institutions against this list and strive to make gains.

Diversity in the Academy Henry, F.,Dua, E., James, C.E., Kobayashi, A., Li, P., Ramos, H., and Smith, M.S., The Equity Myth, Racialization and Indigeneity at Canadian Universities, 2017: UBC Press | The Equity Myth

Definitions of key equity terms and concepts.

Examples of some of the most common misconceptions about equity and anti-discrimination.

Inequities amongst academic staff are deeply rooted in history, society, politics and the economy. Most equity work undertaken by academic staff associations focuses on advancing equity at the workplace.

Whether collective bargaining, grievance arbitration or political action, associations need strength to use these tools to tackle equity issues.

Of the various tools to advance equity available to the association, collective bargaining is one of the most important. The ability it provides to set the terms and conditions of employment can play a huge role in overcoming discriminatory practices in the workplace.