Terms of Reference
Mandate
The Committee’s mandate includes the following:
- Proactively exploring issues around equity and diversity in the undergraduate and graduate programs and recommending appropriate strategies to address them;
- Identifying and responding to equity concerns among undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff;
- To track departmental progress toward common EDI-related goals
- Sharing best practices for removing barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion;
- Assisting in the design of education, curriculum, communication and promotional programs and materials related to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the department; and,
- Monitoring the university's diversity and equity policies and initiatives, and ensuring that they are enacted in the department (and advising the university on improving these policies where appropriate).
Committee Membership, Roles, and Responsibilities
The Committee’s Membership comprises:
- 4-5 faculty members (one of whom serves as Committee Chair);
- 1-2 representatives of GGAPSS who are affiliated with the University of Toronto Mississauga;
- 1-2 representatives from SAGE; and
- 1 staff representative.
Faculty and staff members are appointed by the Chair; other members will be nominated by their respective cohorts. Committee members will reflect the diversity of the department in so far as possible. The period of service is one year.
The Committee Chair’s responsibilities are to:
- facilitate Committee meetings, encouraging participation from all Committee members;
- set the agenda for Committee meetings, based on input from all Committee members;
- invite special guests to attend meetings, when appropriate; and
- facilitate the work of the committee outside of meetings (e.g., coordinate the activities of research assistants and other staff in developing materials).
The Committee Members’ responsibilities are to:
- gather information and views regarding equity and diversity from their respective constituencies;
- participate in discussion on issues and make recommendations to the department; and
- assist with the work of the Committee outside of meetings (on a volunteer basis).