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Equity, Diversity, Inclusion

BCIT champions a diversity of experiences, ideas, cultures, and perspectives, fostering a community permeated with equality and inclusivity. To that end, BCIT is committed to:

  • Ensuring all employees receive training on diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism.
  • Actively working to ensure employees come from diverse groups and represent the communities within which we live and work by creating equitable hiring practices to remove systemic barriers and unconscious bias.
  • Acknowledging that BCIT is located on the unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nations. And recognizing that the relationship with Indigenous peoples in Canada has been troubled and must be reconciled.
  • Providing platforms and training to staff and students to address issues of racism, diversity, unconscious bias, and allyship.
  • Supporting BCIT Indigenous Initiatives, the Respect, Diversity, and Inclusion (RDI) Department, Diversity Circles, and other community groups and ensuring these critical services continue to respond to racist behaviour.
  • Continuing to provide a complaint mechanism for anyone who is subjected to such behaviour within the BCIT learning or working environment through various channels, including the RDI Department.

How to write successful EDI statements for grant applications

Dr. Lisa Willis from the University of Alberta gave a presentation to BCIT researchers on “How to write successful EDI statements for grant applications” on Nov 30, 2022. See the slides and video of the presentation.

NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research

The NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research provides the research communities served by NSERC with information to help include EDI considerations in their research. The guide also includes a list of relevant resources, references and a glossary.

BCIT receives CRC award to address systemic barriers to accessibility and inclusion

BCIT’s Respect, Diversity, & Inclusion (RDI) Office has been awarded $50,000 by Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) to address systemic barriers to accessibility and inclusion. This award, combined with BCIT’s institutional commitment of $12,500, will help BCIT respond to the Accessible British Columbia Act (ABCA) and allow the RDI Office to hire an EDI consultant to lead the development of an accessibility plan.

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Canada Research Chairs (CRCP) Public Accountability and Transparency Requirements:

  1. In accordance with the mandate from the Federal Government of Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) offers the following commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion: BCIT is committed to employment equity, diversity and inclusion, which is embedded in the BCIT 2019-2024 Strategic Plan. BCIT champions a diversity of experiences, ideas, cultures, and perspectives, fostering a community permeated with equality and inclusivity. As noted in BCIT’s Applied Research Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025, our excellence in applied research, applied problem-solving, and applied education is well known. Building on a solid foundation, we aim to facilitate and bolster faculty and student research, and to use our campuses as living labs. In developing this plan, we identified several key findings that shape the way forward for applied research and drive our commitments:
    • Awareness, including actively increasing the presence of equity-deserving groups in our published media;
    • Increased participation, with proactive efforts to include diverse voices;
    • Ongoing student training and education.

    BCIT recognizes that each CRC posting requires an individualized approach to address systemic barriers that impact historically disadvantaged groups, and strives to put in place the right conditions for each applicant to reach their full potential in our research environment and beyond. BCIT seeks to immediately identify, address and rectify areas of deficiencies within our CRC process in order to eliminate inequitable and colonial practices. We are proud to have consistently exceeded the minimum diversity targets set by the CRC Program for BCIT, as we recognize the value of diverse expertise and experiences in our chosen areas of research and activity.

    In addition to taking a proactive approach to attract diverse talent with relation to CRC candidates, BCIT regularly assesses its overall hiring practices to strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion beyond the research environment.

    BCIT aspires and commits to creating a learning and working environment that is actively engaged in the elimination of racism and discrimination.  BCIT’s newly-developed Anti-Racism Framework formalizes our commitment to addressing priority areas identified within the Institute.

  2. BCIT’s strategy to raise awareness of its commitment to equity within the institution and the benefits of equity, diversity, and inclusion with the CRC Program include:
    • Embedding the values of EDI into all facets of our work and learning environment.  This is demonstrated through our Strategic Plan – one of BCIT’s core values is championing a diversity of experiences, ideas, cultures, and perspectives, and fostering a community permeated with equality and inclusivity.
    • Ensuring the Director of Respect, Diversity, and Inclusion (RDI) is involved in the CRC process. The RDI Director or a representative sits on BCIT’s CRC Selection Committees and participates in the recruitment, nomination, and hiring process.
    • Encouraging diversity, when possible, in the makeup of the CRC selection committee.
    • Training all CRC selection Committee members on Unconscious Bias. Training will be conducted by the Director of Respect, Diversity, and Inclusion.
  3. CRCP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Requirements and Practices
  4. 2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Settlement Agreement
  5. Program representation statistics and population based Institutional Equity Targets 2021-2029.
  6. 2021 – 2022 EDI Progress Report
  7. Questions or concerns related to equity and diversity, or requests for accommodations can be directed to:
  8. BCIT is committed to creating a working and learning environment permeated with respect, equity, and inclusion. To that end BCIT has a number of mechanisms in place to address EDI related concerns. The Respect, Diversity, and Inclusion (RDI) Office at BCIT works to foster a respectful and inclusive working and learning environment by creating awareness and belonging through education, events, and training. The Director of the RDI Office reports directly to the President of BCIT and also provides bi-annual reports to the Human Resources Committee. The RDI team provides assistance and support including confidential consultations to individuals with EDI related concerns and strives to help people resolve conflicts. The RDI Office also accepts complaints of discrimination or harassment related to prohibited grounds, personal harassment or bullying, or sexual harassment under the Harassment and Discrimination Policy and the related Harassment and Discrimination Procedure.  Complaints can be addressed through either a voluntary resolution process or an investigation.  Any employee, including chairholders, with concerns related to EDI are encouraged to contact the RDI office to discuss their options:

    The Office of Safety, Security, and Emergency Management (SSEM) responds to complaints under the Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy and the Response to Sexual Violence and Misconduct Procedure. All individuals are encouraged to contact SSEM immediately with any concerns related to sexual assault or misconduct:

    BCIT recognizes the importance of being proactive with respect to creating a respectful, accessible, and inclusive work and learning environment. The RDI Office has also undertaken a number of initiatives to further these goals, including releasing BCIT’s first Anti-Racism Framework in May 2021. An equity and diversity assessment of staff and students was done in the 2021-22 school year and included surveys and focus groups to collect quantitative and qualitative data relating to EDI issues.

  9. BCIT equity targets and gaps for the four designated groups:
    RESULTS Target Occupancy Gap Gap(# of Chairs)
    Women 51% withheld withheld withheld
    Visible minorities 22% withheld withheld withheld
    Persons with disabilities 8% withheld withheld withheld
    Indigenous Peoples 5% withheld withheld withheld
    To protect the privacy of chairholders, numbers less than five and associated percentages have been omitted, in alignment with the Privacy Act.
  10. Canada Research Chair positions at BCIT are governed by the same policies, procedures and employee agreements as for other positions at the Institute.
  11. BCIT CRCP utilization spreadsheet
  12. CRCP Requirements for Recruiting and Nominating Canada Research Chairs
  13. Canada Research Chairs Job Postings (publicly available for at least 3 years)
    Internal:

    External:

  14. Transparency statements for Tier 1 third-term nominations or emergency retention statement nominations – BCIT has had neither type of nomination.