Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Terms of Reference

The School of Earth, Environment and Society (SEES) Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee is made up of a diverse complement faculty (3), graduate students (2), undergraduate students (1), and staff members (1). Two of the faculty members are selected by the SEES Director to Co-Chair the committee. Numbers shown above are the minimum to form the committee. Invitations for additional members (especially those representing equity-deserving1 groups) are open each year to those who are interested in contributing to committee activities.

The mandate of the SEES EDI Committee includes efforts to:

• foster excellence in research, teaching and community engagement by promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (see Definitions at the end) across all SEES activities;
• cultivate a School culture in which conversations, education, and action around all forms of prejudice, discrimination and inequity are a priority;
• create a welcoming, accessible, and safe environment for all SEES members to learn, work, and conduct research in;
• lead SEES contributions towards the McMaster vision of inclusive excellence (see Definitions at the end), considering diverse needs and representation across students, staff, and faculty;
• respond to SEES community concerns and take action in implementing EDI principles and priorities within SEES, as well as advocating at Faculty and University levels; and,
• raise awareness and provide leadership in implementing the Guiding Principles for Best Practice and Strategic Action Plan outlined in the McMaster EDI Strategy in ways that are tailored to specific needs and contexts in SEES.

These guiding principles include:
o cultural relevance;
o critical analysis;
o community ownership;
o collective responsibility;
o coordinated de-centralization; and,
o continuous improvement.

Roles and responsibilities of SEES EDI Committee members include to:

• organize and attend regular SEES EDI Committee meetings (i.e. monthly meetings through Fall and Winter terms, and additional meetings as needed);
• bring EDI priorities to SEES Council meetings as part of a commitment to regular internal reporting and consultation (i.e. role of a Co-Chair);
• work with students, staff and faculty members across SEES to identify and advocate for EDI challenges/priorities with School and Faculty leadership;
• organize EDI-focused discussions, round-tables, seminars, and other activities and training opportunities related to SEES EDI priorities;
• work with other SEES committees (e.g. seminars, undergrad and grad programs, social/alumni events) to enhance considerations of EDI in all aspects of School activities;
• provide a conduit of EDI-related information between SEES and Faculty of Science EDI Committees; and,
• collect and share information on events, learning/training opportunities, and resources
pertaining to EDI in SEES, Faculty of Science, McMaster-wide, and broader society.

For committee reference, we work with the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion according to the definitions established by the McMaster Equity and Inclusion Office, which are:

• Equity may be considered both an approach and a process that recognizes the existence of systemic social inequalities and introduces actions to proactively reduce, if not remove, institutional structural and cultural barriers to equal opportunity and inclusion.
• Diversity is a state or condition that reflects the broad ‘mix’ and layers, of differences in any community. In the university setting, compositional diversity refers to the numeric and proportional representation of different peoples, across many intersecting dimensions of sociocultural group identities.
• Inclusion is a sense of belonging and dignity, as well as the experience of meaningful engagement, empowerment, and equality of opportunity in any community. A climate of inclusion is made possible through the intentional and ongoing development of community awareness, knowledge, and skills, and the application of these competencies to enhance personal and interpersonal capabilities, as well as institutional culture and climate.
• Inclusive excellence is a concept that recognizes the integral relationship between diversity and quality in research, teaching, service, and governance. It envisions diversity and quality as ‘two sides of the same coin’.
• (https://equity.mcmaster.ca/strategy/towards-inclusive-excellence/edi-definitions/)

The committee also specifically recognizes and considers Indigeneity in all activities, aligning with and supporting the goals of McMaster’s 2021 Indigenous Strategic Directions document, the Indigenous Science Council and the work of the Office of the Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity) in the Faculty of Science. This includes an emphasis on both Indigenizing and decolonizing research, teaching, and administration at McMaster, supporting Indigenous rights and self-determination, as well as working to address various calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

1 Equity Deserving Groups can refer to individuals who belong to one or more of the following communities: Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit); persons belonging to racialized communities; persons with disabilities; women; and members of marginalized sexual orientation and gender identities. For more information, please see McMaster’s 2021 Employment Census Report and McMaster’s Access Strategy.

Contact Co-Chairs:
Abel Chikanda (abel_chikanda@mcmaster.ca) and Rodrigo Narro Perez (narrora@mcmaster.ca)

Last updated: January 2025