For the second year in a row, the Department of Biochemistry‘s Wellness, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (WIDE) committee and Let’s Talk Science hosted Biochemistry Day, an outreach event that aims to teach high school students what exactly biochemistry is and what it’s like to study biochemistry and work in related fields.

Doubling attendance to 50 participants this year, the virtual event welcomed students from low-income neighbourhoods in Toronto. It included a question-and-answer session with current U of T Biochemistry students, a faculty member, and an industry professional; short research talks from graduate students; and two experiments that participants conducted at home, thanks to supplies shipped to them by event organizer.

Recognizing the growing importance of understanding diverse ways of doing business in today’s global economy, Rotman Commerce launched its new Managing in Diverse Economies focus in Fall 2022. This new focus aims to enhance students’ adaptability and resilience as well as build awareness and cultural sensitivity within a business framework. This is a unique opportunity for students to complete a degree with insights into what different management styles look like across the globe, with an emphasis on those in emerging economies.

University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) has expanded the TALint Internship Program, which provides paid internship opportunities to students in the Master of Information program in partnership with the Faculty of Information. As of this year, three vacancies are dedicated specifically to Black and/or Indigenous students. These three students will also receive $5,000 scholarships from the Faculty of Information.

To learn more about how we are increasing access for current and prospective community members, please download the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Report 2022.

As part of the ongoing Indigenous Swim Initiative — a program for improving access to swim lessons for Indigenous U of T students—incoming aquatics staff Sport & Rec completed the Office of Indigenous Initiatives training session “Speaking Our Truths: The Journey Towards Reconciliation.” Sport & Rec is also working to remove barriers to employment through Launch to Leadership, a reimbursement program that covers the partial or full cost of health and fitness certifications for U of T students who are underrepresented in sport spaces.

The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education created a new process to support the accessibility and accommodation needs of students, staff, and community members within U of T’s sport and recreation facilities. Requests and support are now coordinated by a full‐time Customer Experience Representative, who provides a more robust and continued avenue of communication for clients with accommodation needs and supports a central hub for addressing issues and building solutions. Further, this practice allows full‐time and student staff to experience EDI principles in action, gaining knowledge and expertise they can transfer to future workplaces and use throughout their lives.

As our community transitioned to more in-person teaching, learning, and working this year, the Family Care Office (FCO) supported students, faculty, librarians, and staff in addressing family caregiving challenges. The team managed 288 cases, provided information about childcare options, caregiver leave options, and alternative work arrangements, and liaised with departments and HR where necessary. The FCO also offered a range of webinars and workshops, including “Parenting a Child with a Learning Disability.” Through this programming, the Office recognized and supported members of the U of T community at different life stages and with diverse caregiving responsibilities.

In cooperation with UTM’s academic departments and units, Communications Office, Vice‐Principal Academic and Dean, the EDIO launched a virtual equity hub in April 2022. This online repository is a destination for equity‐based resources, initiatives, and activities happening across the UTM campus. The hub provides a central place for students, faculty, librarians, and staff to access information on key equity resources, communities, and networks, including information about accommodations. This includes departmental EDI statements; details on equity and anti‐racism committees; sample equity statements included in syllabi; equity‐based recruitment information, including unconscious bias training; and additional EDI initiatives.

This fall, visitors to Hart House were greeted by a visually stunning mixed media mural by Anishinaabe artist Quinn Hopkins. “Intertribal, 2022” depicts the Na-Me-Res Traditional Pow Wow at Toronto’s Fort York as seen against the city’s skyline and incorporates a light feature, light sculpture, and augmented reality component. The latest example of Hart House’s commitment to expanding Indigenous education programming, the installation is in a student-focused location that provides ample opportunities for engagement.

The Centre for Learning, Leadership, & Culture (LLC) worked with partners to raise awareness and remove barriers to entry for Black, racialized, and Indigenous staff to the various mentor programs available through the LLC. Based on consultations with all Conversations & Connections chapters, the LLC added profiles of diverse mentee alumni and mentors, significantly modified the language used in communications, and added an EDI component to mentor orientation. As a result, representation of almost all equity-deserving groups participating in the Rose Patten Mentor Program exceeds the University‐wide representation.

To learn more about how we are promoting a greater sense of belonging for current members of our community, please download the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Report 2022.

A pitch competition held during Rotman’s Future Black Business Leaders Conference invited Black entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas for a chance to win their share of more than $20,000 in prize money. This competition, which was introduced in 2021 in recognition of the disproportionate effects COVID-19 had on Black businesses, is designed to support Black-led startups.

Launched as a pilot program in Summer 2022, Field Research in Ecology and Evolution Diversified (FREED) provides an opportunity for Indigenous, Black, and racialized undergraduate students to gain crucial experience for future research positions. The week-long field research opportunity at the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station is hosted by the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, which also covers associated costs, such as travel and accommodation. The program was designed to reduce barriers due to the historical and ongoing marginalization of Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals in science, and the financial constraints associated with field work specifically and obtaining research experience more broadly.

To learn more about how we are supporting the future success of our students and alumni, please download the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Report 2022.

The University Advancement Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force presented its Final Report, Advancing Inclusive Excellence, in March 2022. Developed through an extensive consultation process with individuals across the University, the Report is structured around four key themes: Access and Belonging, Accountability and Openness, Capacity Building and Empowerment, and Engagement and Partnership. These themes underscore the need for a whole-systems approach, as the Advancement team works to embed EDI practices across all its functions. The Advancement EDI Steering Committee accepted all 79 recommendations, similarly endorsed by the U of T Principals and Deans Advancement Advisory Group.

The “Black at Temerty Medicine: Addressing Anti-Black Racism at Temerty Medicine” Accountability Report, published in February 2022, provides a summary of actions taken, underway, or planned to address and dismantle anti-Black racism in medical education at the University. Grounded in the recommendations of members of the Black medical education community, the Report explores actions and potential next steps in the areas of data collection and evaluation, outreach programming, admission and selection, financial support, curriculum, learning environment, faculty and administrative staff, with a particular focus on the MD Program and Postgraduate Medical Education. An interactive event in March 2022 followed the Report’s release and invited members of the Temerty Medicine Black medical education community and other partners to discuss and provide feedback.

To learn more about strategic planning and consultation currently underway at U of T, please download the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Report 2022.