Memorial’s Employment Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee is pleased to announce that the university’s Employment Equity and Diversity plan was approved by Vice-Presidents Council (VPC).

VPC approved the plan  in November 2018; it came into effect on Jan. 1, 2019.

The plan covers the period from 2019-21. It will be monitored annually and updated every three years.

The committee is co-chaired by Stephen Dodge, director, Department of Human Resources, and Ian McKinnon, associate director (acting), Office of Faculty Relations.

Action items

According to Mr. Dodge, the plan’s action items will be rolled out over the next three years.

“This university-wide plan includes 38 action items designed to eliminate barriers, promote diversity and reach numerical hiring goals to address under representation of certain designated groups,” he said.

“The committee has developed a roll-out schedule for the plan, with progress beginning on a number of the action items this winter.”

The core components of the plan include promoting a culture of respect in the workplace; identifying leadership responsibilities; developing programs that are responsive to Memorial’s needs and address under-representation; removing barriers to employment and advancement; and monitoring and accountability.

Plan development

In developing the plan, committee members reviewed employment equity plans from other Canadian universities and held consultation sessions with faculty, staff and community partners.

According to Mr. McKinnon, feedback from the consultation sessions informed the development of the plan.

“The consultation sessions provided valuable feedback that was used in developing the plan and identifying equity goals and objectives,” he said.

“On behalf of the committee, I would like to say thank you to everyone who participated in the consultation sessions.”

Available online

Members of the university community are encouraged to read the plan, which is available online.

The requirement to create an Employment Equity and Diversity Plan was included in the university’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Employment policy, which was updated in 2016.

The Employment Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee is a 14-member committee with representatives from Memorial’s St. John’s, Grenfell and Marine Institute campuses. The committee was established by VPC in 2017 to provide advice on matters relating to diversity, equity and inclusion in employment. The committee submitted a project plan to VPC in October 2017 and had one year to develop the final plan.