1. Introduction

1.1 Our Commitment to Equity

Diversity makes good sense. It increases our skills, competencies and knowledge, enhances our competitiveness for research funding, improves our morale, broadens our curriculum, and makes us far mor attractive to an increasingly broad pool of students. Wilfrid Laurier University formally recognized these benefits when it adopted the Employment Equity Policy in 1989 and since then, has clearly demonstrated the university's desire to develop and support a diverse faculty, staff and student body by committing to the Federal Contractors Program. Organizations, including universities, that are able to understand and embrace the different cultures and customs that define and enrich our community will be the ones that succeed in increasingly competitive national and global economy.

1.2 The Federal Contractors Program

In late September of 1997, the President, Dr. Robert Rosehart, signed a commitment to the Federal Contractors Program (FCP), under Bill C-64, An Act Respecting Employment Equity. The FCP requires that all contractors receiving contracts that exceed $200,000 develop and maintain an Employment Equity Plan. Compliance with the Federal Contractors Program ensures the university's continued eligibility to apply for and receive additional government contracts; failure to comply puts any future contracts at risk.

The federally required plan has a number of components. We are required to develop ways to increase diversity awareness, and to provide supports in the working environment for the four groups designated by the legislation -- that is, women, persons with a disability, Aboriginal people, and persons in a visible minority. Moreover, we must establish reasonable goals for each of the four designated groups, to achieve equity with the availability of members of those groups in the employment pools from which we select our employees. Historically, designated group members in our society have been seriously disadvantaged in employment opportunities. The plan must also include procedures by which we monitor change in our workforce, for the FCP commits us to make measurable progress toward achieving employment equity.

There are a number of ways we can achieve increases in the number of designated group members within our workforce. We must be able to attract a wider variety of people to apply for our jobs. To do this we maintain our Employment Equity Plan that allows us to:

• analyze the past and present representation of designated groups within the institution and establish ways to hire, promote and retain those members until the workforce matches the appropriate availability pool
• identify and suggest ways of removing the systemic barriers that may exist in the policies and procedures of the university that may have caused under-representation in the designated groups. The plan should set goals for increasing designated group membership in employee categories where under-representation occurs, and the goals should be achievable in the period of time identified.
• establish positive and supportive measures that will improve the climate of the workplace for designated group members, as well as for all employees, and
• monitor the effectiveness of the measures taken and review and adjust the plan to align it with the goals and objectives of the university.

While implementing the Employment Equity Plan we must also focus on the strategy for development of the University as outlined in the document, Laurier of the Future and the updates thereafter. It is within this planning framework that we can identify areas that provide the opportunities to increase the number of people belonging to the designated groups within our workforce, and diversify our culture. The FCP requires us to develop short-term (3 year), mid-term (6 year), and long term (9 year) strategies to achieve equity.

2.0 The Current University Status

The status of designated group members at Wilfrid Laurier University is outlined in Table 1 and Table 2. The data are presented in terms of the breakdown of the Laurier workforce by Abella groups, using National Occupational Classification codes, as required by the Federal Contractors Program.

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) system allows each position in an organization to be assessed and assigned a NOC four-digit code, based on the level of skill and knowledge required to perform the duties of the position. These codes are then grouped into fourteen broader categories, called Abella groups, which are used by all organizations affected by the Federal Employment Equity Act, allowing comparisons to be made across different types of organizations. For example, Abella group 01, Upper Level Managers, would include the President (or Chief Executive Officer) and Vice-Presidents of an organization. At a university, the professional category (Abella group 03), includes all faculty members, as well as those non-teaching staff who hold a position where the level of training, skill and knowledge to do the job would classify them as professional. Abella group “Skilled Crafts & Trades” (group 09) includes such skilled tradespersons as electricians and plumbers.

More detailed numerical analysis of data is available upon request from the Employment Equity Office. We do not fully review the analysis here; rather, we highlight the areas that drive the recommendations of this Employment Equity Plan. It is important to realize that the data currently available for purposes of comparisons are from the 1996 Census, Employment Equity Data Report released by Human Resources Development Canada, 1996.

2.1 Gender

As of 2003, employees of the university are 39.6% male; half of the men (51.2%) are employed as faculty, and relatively few are in clerical positions (6.0%). By contrast, 22.9% of women working at Laurier fill faculty positions, while 38.8% are employed in positions that are clerical in nature. Since last year, a 1.5% increase is seen amongst female faculty and an increase of 3.1% is seen since 2001; whereas, male faculty has only increased by 0.7% since 2001. However, according to the VP: Academic report 2002/2003, which is based on the 1994-1998 Statistics Canada data, under-representation by gender exists in Psychology, Chemistry and Business. As we wait for up to date statistics from Statistics Canada, departments that are close to the lower bound could find themselves deemed under-represented when more current data is available. Areas of under-representation for staff remain at the senior management level, skilled crafts and trades and other manual workers.

2.2 Persons in a Visible Minority

Overall, the university is slowly increasing its hires of persons belonging to a visible minority. Professional teaching positions are well over the accessibility pool and 29.1% of all new hires in faculty in 2002 and 2003 identified as being a visible minority. However, areas of under-representation is significant in middle management (gap of -4) and other sales/service (gap of -2). Semi-professionals and skilled crafts and trades occupations are also underrepresented. 67.0% of persons belonging to a visible minority are faculty members.

2.3 Aboriginal Persons

Aboriginal representation in the university labour force has increased from .5% in 2001 to 1% in 2002 and 1.4% in 2003. Prior to 2002, the University was under-represented in almost all occupational categories. Since 2001, we have hired twelve Aboriginal people in the areas of professional teaching/non-teaching, clerical and sales/service occupational groups. Although the university as a whole is presently in good standing in terms of reflecting the overall availability pool for Aboriginal people, the University is under-represented in middle management and skilled crafts and trades.

2.4 Persons with Disablities

The number of employees who experience a disability in 2000 was 2.8% and it continued to decrease annually: 2.4% in 2001, 2.2% in 2002 and has remained at 2.2% for 2003. In 2002, 21% of employees with disabilities left the university while only 5% of the employees with a disability were new hires. This year, we were fortunate to hire three times more persons with disabilities than were terminated. Although we are making small improvements, the university is severely under-represented and would need to hire 36 persons with a disability in order to equally represent the labour force. The most severe under-representation is in the professional teaching employment category. It is hoped that conducting a census in the fall of this year will present us with more accurate data on the present status of our employees as it relates to disabilities.

2.5 Numerical Analysis

A complete census, based on self-identification, for all employees of the university, was carried out in November of 1993. Since then, all new full-time employees of the university have been given the opportunity to complete a census form. As of December 31, 2003, 90.8% of current full-time employees have completed the census (CCT). A more detailed analysis of the data is available from the Equity Office. We present here a summary of the current composition (Tables 1 and 2 ) of the WLU workforce and a comparison to the available labour force accessibility pool (AP).

Tables:

1: 2003 Workforce Analysis Gap

2: Two Year Workforce Comparison

3.0 The University Employment Equity Plan

The WLU Employment Equity Plan was first developed in December of 1998. Review of the recommendations has been ongoing for the past year in order to provide the University with an updated plan. It contains five sections. The first section (3.1) is based on recommendations stemming from an examination of the University Plan (Laurier of the Future). The second section (3.2) and third (3.3) parts contain recommendations arising from the review of the 1998 Employment Equity Plan. Part 3.4 contains positive measures and special programs intended to increase our complement of designated group members; Part 3.5 contains supportive measures designed to benefit all employees of the University. These recommendations arise from the work done by members of the University/ Association Employment Equity Advisory Committee, and the Joint University/ Association Employment Equity Advisory Committee (Appendix A).

3.1 Laurier of the Future: The University Plan 1998-2003

In May 1998, the Board of Governors approved a comprehensive plan focusing on the themes of academic programs, organization and structure, information technology, governance, the physical campus, and resources and accountability. In June 2002 and September 2003, the Board of Governors adopted Plan Updates. A new long range strategic plan will be developed upon the hiring of a new VP: Academic next year. Many of the initiatives will have direct implications for employment equity and the ability of the university to comply with the requirements of the Federal Contractors Program.

3.1.1 The Brantford Campus

The University has established a satellite facility in Brantford. The Brantford initiative offers a unique opportunity to develop short-term and long-term strategies to increase our employee base in at least two of the designated groups, Aboriginal people and persons with a disability. Brantford is easily accessible for residents of the nearby Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Brantford is also the home of a renowned facility for visually impaired students, The W. Ross Macdonald School. The Brantford campus continues to grow, requiring new staff and faculty.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• Continuation of the bridging program at Grand River Polytechnic, with particular encouragement given to the First Nation students to continue their education at a Laurier Campus
• Continued development of an inclusive curriculum, attractive to a broad range of students, including the ongoing development of the Indigenous Studies program that is appropriate to Aboriginal cultures and more; the aim is to encourage Aboriginal people to complete a degree
• Continued development of a scholarship fund for Aboriginal students, to offset the costs of degree completion at WLU
• Development of Aboriginal student support services. This may include an on-site Elder and a designated faculty/staff member available to students.
• Continued outreach efforts for employment positions

Mid-Term Recommendations:

• Continued development of funding programs for research projects appropriate to Native needs, interests and culture - to be accomplished in consultation with Native advocacy groups
• Development of an Aboriginal Support program

3.1.2 The University Values

The University Values were established in 1994. Then, in 2003, new values were established and reside in draft form. The following are the five core values: student focus, caring community, academic & research excellence, innovation, integrity. As well, it states that “the university supports diverse needs and interests.”

Short-Term Recommendations:

Support for the Human Resource Department (HRD) Strategy, in which value-based behaviour in all employees will be identified and reinforced. The HRD strategy recommends:

• That all employees be held accountable for value-based behaviour
• That competencies used to evaluate employees be value-based
• That diversity training be made available to all employees, and that employees be strongly encouraged to take such training
• That orientation programs for all new employees be required, and be value-based
• That value-based questions be part of every recruitment and selection process for all positions within the University

3.1.3 Faculty Renewal

The University Plan indicates that retirements in the next five to ten years will require some faculty renewal. Although we do not anticipate a surge in retirements soon we should consider any retirements as opportunities to meet equity targets, particularly in departments where under-representation of one or more of the designated groups occurs. For example, under-representation in academic departments is defined in the Collective Agreement (WLU/WLUFA) in Article 22.2.3 (b). This Collective Agreement also requires a report from the Vice-President: Academic, based on gender, on faculty searches and hiring for each year, under Article 22.3.2.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That departments identified as having under-representation by gender in the VP: Academic’s annual report, continue to be encouraged to give special attention to women, as well as the other designated groups, in their searches for, and selection of, new faculty
• That equity tracking of short-listed candidates be implemented and reported

3.1.4 Searches for Senior Administrative Officers

Appointments or renewals at the level of senior administration generally take place in five-year cycles. Search committees charged with evaluating and appointing senior officers of the University (President, Vice-Presidents, Deans, the University Librarian, the Registrar, and the Directors of Continuing Education and of Computing and Communication Services) are composed according to the rules of governance and procedure detailed in Article 11 of the Collective Agreement between WLU and WLUFA. At the presidential and vice-presidential level, the Board of Governors selects two or three of its external members, the University Faculty Council and Senate elect faculty members, and senior administrators select two of their members. Each committee has a prescribed composition, and the membership complement varies from 9 to 15 voting members. Great effort has been expended to make membership of the committees representative of the diverse viewpoints -- student, staff and faculty -- and concerns -- administrative and academic -- of the overall university community. We see a need to ensure the inclusion of the viewpoints of designated groups on the search committees. Accordingly, we present the following recommendations.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That any search committees for senior administrators (as defined in Article 11, University Governance of the WLU/WLUFA Collective Agreement) strive to include reasonable representation by designated group members. The nominating committees of the Board of Governors, the Senate and the University Faculty Council should be instructed to make every effort to make the slate of candidates for election to these committees inclusive of designated group members
• That search committees make every effort to include designated group members on their short lists
• That value-based questions be posed during interviews, and the candidates’ responses to them be evaluated in light of the established university values. These questions should be an important part of the criteria used to select senior administrative officers

3.1.5 Research Enhancement

A priority for the next few years will be programs to assist both new and established faculty members to increase the number of grants and the levels of funding for research from the national granting agencies (SSHERC, MRC, NSERC) and to enhance overall funding levels for research from other sources, both public and private. The internal grants program is an important tool for researchers to develop ideas into viable projects that can be funded externally. Numerous studies, in Canada and abroad, have shown that designated group members, who often conduct research in non-traditional areas, experience more difficulty in succeeding in grants competitions. Failure to secure adequate funding can hamper research, and make the journey through tenure and promotion hearings more difficult. As such, funding becomes an equity issue.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That internal grant committees be sensitive to equity issues, and that their composition include reasonable representation of designated group members
• That the university considers the possibility of allocating special funds to support equity-related research projects

3.1.6 Physical Campus

The physical campus continues to be enhanced and upgraded. An Accessibility Committee was established in December 2002 to develop and maintain an annual plan for the university. This plan addressed physical accessibility. The Accessibility Committee conducts a physical audit annually and determines how the physical accessibility annual funding of $40,000 is spent.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That the policy for parking for persons with a disability be reviewed to ensure adequate spaces, enforcement and locations

3.1.7 Departmental Accomodation

The Human Resources Department addressed employee accommodation and accessibility as it relates directly to the Human Rights Code. If there is a conflict, the Human Rights Code supercedes all other labour law. Human Resource Consultants work on an individual basis with each employee and manager to accommodate employees in the workplace. This sometimes includes using outside sources for workplace assessments and employee assessments. Although Human Resources is aware of disability issues such as the duty of the employer to accommodate employees with disabilities, managers, deans and chairs should be made aware of accommodation issues as well.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That university accommodation guidelines be developed and communicated to each department
• That university accommodation guidelines for religious holidays be considered
• That a process for identifying funds to accommodate employees be identified and communicated
• That a strategy be developed to ensure all job descriptions contain only bona fide occupational requirements
• That the document titled “Human Rights and the Selection Process” be distributed to all hiring managers
• A 5 year plan be developed and regularly reviewed with respect to disability awareness for all employees

3.2 Faculty Recommendations

The Joint University/Association Employment Equity Advisory Committee (JUAEEAC) is mandated by Article 22 of the WLU/WLUFA Collective Agreement to make recommendations to both the University President and the Faculty Association on employment equity issues affecting the faculty at Laurier. This committee has been recommending equity initiatives since the first collective agreement was signed in 1990 (note, that agreement was retroactive to 1988). Initially, recommendations focused primarily on gender issues. However, the FCP requires that all four designated groups be included in the Employment Equity Plan. The recommendations detailed here are the result of lengthy consultation with the JUAEEAC and summarize what the committee feels still needs to be done to achieve equity within the faculty.

3.2.1 Hiring Procedures

In 1991/92, the first year for which we have data, males held 79% of the tenure-track slots, while women held 21%. Table 3 shows that improvements have been made: in 2002/03, the comparable figures are 64.2% and 35.8% (Note: the figures presented here include both librarian and faculty positions). The accessibility pool, based on the 1998 Statistics Canada census data, is 38.4% female. We should not be complacent, however, about Laurier’s complement of female faculty; the next time the accessibility pool is calculated, women will constitute a larger proportion of the people qualified to hold faculty positions, since the doctoral enrolment of women has continued to increase in every discipline.

The availability of faculty positions has changed over the years. In the fall of 1991, there were 294 full-time positions; of these, 71 (24.1%) were limited-term positions. Women held 42.3%, and men 57.7%, of the limited-term positions. In 2002/03, limited-term positions comprised 15.3% of the 366 full-time slots; women held 53.6% of available limited-term positions. In the combined Faculties of Arts & Science, 16% of full-time positions are limited term. In SBE, 17.9% are limited term. Many of the female faculty members (23.8% of women teaching in Arts & Science, 29.2% in SBE) are in limited-term positions; in contrast, 10.9% of men in Arts & Science and 14.1% in SBE are in limited-term positions. The information presented in Table 3 is compiled from data on the faculty/librarian complement, supplied by the Administration of the University.

The Report of the Vice President: Academic on Employment Equity for 2002/03 (Table 3) compares departmental faculty complements with the PhD availability pool for each discipline. Data for VP: Academic’s report is gathered by the Administration, as required by WLU/WLUFA Collective Agreement. Although a number of academic departments have fewer women than expected, based on the PhD pool in their respective disciplines, only three have statistically significant under-representation by gender (as judged by the range defined by a 5-year mean of the PhD pool for women, plus-or-minus 2 standard deviations). In most of these departments, small adjustments (which could well happen during the normal course of hiring in the next few years) would bring them into the expected range. However, one department (Psychology) continues to have a serious problem involving under-representation of women in the faculty complement; additional efforts to improve representation in this department should be considered.

Information on representation in the other designated groups is derived from the census data gathered by the Employment Equity Office on an ongoing basis. In 2003, there were 53 visible minority persons, or 14.8%, within the 358 faculty who completed the Equity Survey. Statistics Canada indicates that the accessibility pool for faculty in a visible minority is 11.7%. In 2003, 1.4% of faculty members identified themselves as persons with a disability. The accessibility pool for faculty with disabilities is 6.5%, representing a gap equivalent to 18 full-time positions. At the same time, 1.1% of faculty members identified themselves as Aboriginal while the accessibility pool of people with the qualifications for faculty positions for this designated group is 0.4%.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That the Equity Office continue to maintain the equity manual for the use of DAP (and sub-DAP) and LAP committees involved in search, tenure and promotion decisions
• That an accurate tracking procedure be devised for all faculty searches allowing short-listed candidates to self-identify designated group status to the employment equity office. The appropriate Dean should instruct DAP (Department - or equivalent - Appointment and Promotion) committees and the LAP (Librarian Appointment and Promotion) committee to broaden the search if no short-listed candidates are designated group members
• That the social-support mentor program be re-established and encouraged to all new faculty and that use and success of the program be monitored

3.2.2 Promotion

Data on movement of designated group members through promotion and tenure is sparse for groups other than women. Although it seems that some gains continue to be made on the movement of women from the rank of assistant professor to associate professor, women remain under-represented in the rank of full professor, and a disproportionately large number of women faculty are employed in limited-term positions (Table 3). This has the potential to force a larger pool of candidates for higher ranking positions.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That the movement of designated group members through the ranks (from lecturer, to assistant to associated and full professor) continue to be tracked and analyzed
• That information continue to be collected and analyzed on relative salaries, and on the effect of conditions specific to designated group members, to accurately assess the long-term effects of those conditions. Examples would be pregnancy and maternity leaves and their effect on assessment for merit, the effect of family responsibilities on tenure or promotion applications for women, and the effect of disabilities on ability to meet deadlines for promotion and tenure
• That an information as it relates to pregnancy and parental leave be developed and communicated to all faculty, deans, chairs and librarians via a brochure and website

3.2.3 Cirriculum and Program Development

Development of a curriculum that supports the interests of diversity will make WLU much more attractive for students from diverse backgrounds, and will, ultimately, make the University more competitive. In the long term, a focus on a broader curriculum will be one of the key issues in attracting and maintaining a faculty that more closely reflects the Canadian reality.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That faculties and departments be asked to define objectives for course/program development which address equity and diversity issues
• That faculties, departments, and appointment and promotion committees, be required to develop ways to ensure that hiring/promotion procedures facilitate those objectives (for example, by valuing academic journals that publish non-traditional articles)
• That the guidelines governing external departmental reviews include a requirement for development and attainment of equity objectives
• That the Chair of the Senate Committee develop diversity goals around membership
• That departmental review committees have designated group representation where possible

3.3 Staff Issues

In August 1998, the Human Resources Department presented a strategy that outlines a number of changes that will be very beneficial to the achievement of diversity in the University staff complement. The strategy included an emphasis on University values, trust, and fairness. Establishment of a competency-based, 360-degree-feedback, process-and-performance management system, as well as implementation of succession planning and a system for value-based selection and orientation of new employees, will take some time. These endeavors will do much to attract and encourage diversity throughout the staff complement. Nevertheless, in the following sections, we present some recommendations designed to augment the current strategy of the HR Department.

3.3.1 Hiring

A key to achieving a diverse workforce is to make the availability of jobs at the University known to as broad a group of people as possible. By increasing the pool of potential applicants, we greatly increase our chances of achieving the numerical equity goals found in tables 4 and 5.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That the Human Resources Department continue to implement an outreach recruitment program for all external postings of staff positions. Outreach should be to local, regional, and national (as appropriate) community organizations dealing with Native persons, persons in a visible minority, and disabled persons
• That candidates who are contacted for an interview be asked if any accommodation would be helpful
• That special effort be made to recruit people with disabilities
• That special effort continue to be made to recruit Native persons into positions that fall into Abella groups 9 though 14; these groups represent 27.7% of Laurier’s employee base
• That special effort continue to be made to utilize community programs for work placements, job experience and summer experience programs designed specifically for the designated groups
• That a special effort be made to recruit women into Skilled Crafts & Trades by developing a plan based on retirement and future growth
• That Human Resources conduct regular information sessions for all managers to explain the Federal Contractors Program, and the University Employment Equity Plan
  Please note that federal legislation requires that managers are held accountable for actions recommended in the plan.
• That policy be enforced regularly concerning managerial practice to hire external candidates based on merit; but where there are two substantially equal candidates, preference be given to the designated group member
• That diversity training be made available to all employees and that this training be compulsory for all managers
• That WLU support internship programs for designated group members, provided that such programs do not conflict with any collective agreement

Mid-Term Recommendations:

• That tracking of designated group membership of short-listed and interviewed external candidates be considered
• That employment recruiting agencies (headhunters), engaged to search for any position, be given clear instructions that any short list must contain designated group members

Long-Term Recommendations:

• If monitoring of the hiring of designated group members indicates that targets are not being achieved, consideration be given to requesting a “Special Program” with the Human Rights Commission. Special Programs are designed specifically to address the areas where designated group members are not in representative numbers

3.3.2 Promotion

The Federal Contractors Program defines promotion as upward movement of designated group members through Abella categories. In order to achieve reasonable and equitable promotion of designated group members, it will be necessary to develop competency systems that clearly indicate to employees the skills, abilities, and knowledge required to move between groups. The university should offer training programs, based on the assessed competency gaps in the employed population, to all employees, to meet the equity goals. This should be a proactive process; proactive assessment and training are currently part of the HR strategy.

Finally, succession planning, where the competency-based 360-degree performance feedback system identifies internal candidates with potential to move between Abella groups, should be instituted.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That a succession planning program be targeted first at employees in senior clerical, professional, and supervisory roles, to prepare them for management positions
• That diversity training be offered to all employees

3.4 Positive Measures

Positive measures are actions specifically designed to assist the hiring, retention, and promotion of designated group members, and to improve the employment climate affecting designated group members. Some of the following recommendations may also be specific to particular employee groups (e.g., faculty) and so may have been mentioned in this document previously.

3.4.1 Women

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That the bi-annual Women’s Faculty/Manager Chilly Climate Survey be designed to obtain information on the underlying reasons for the high incidence of stress in the workplace
• That the university investigates the provision of a mentoring program to provide support to all new managers and/or staff with potential and interest in becoming a Manager and that members of all designated groups be encouraged to participate in the mentoring program. This could be part of a succession planning program

3.4.2 Persons in a Visible Minority

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That multi-faith calendars be provided to and used by all departments responsible for scheduling exams or major University events
• That Human Resources offer faculty and staff workshops on multi-culturalism

3.4.3 Persons with Disabilities

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That the Accessibility Committee, produce a plan to include funds for faculty and staff accommodation in the next budget
• That the Accessibility Coordinator be included on any building planning committees at the beginning of projects
• That all official publications and advancement materials be available in alternative format on request and that University Advancement continue to strive for textual and visual content that supports diversity

3.4.4 Native Persons

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That diversity training programs for faculty and staff include Native culture and issues
• That an annual Aboriginal event be encouraged to increase awareness of Aboriginal people
• That significant effort continue to be made in outreach to Native persons for all positions

3.4.5 Positive Measures Common to all Designated Groups

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That all short-listed candidates in faculty searches for full-time positions be asked to self-identify, in confidence, to the Equity Office and that the DAP and the VP: Academic be notified if there are no designated group members in the short list
• That mentoring training programs are offered to both faculty and managers and that mentors are encouraged to assist in dealing with climate issues
• In consultation with the University EAP providers and the University EAP committee, that the University provide recommendations to reduce stress in the workplace for all employees
• That the University initiate a training program to reduce stress in the workplace
• That the University conduct an equity campaign in an effort to effectively communicate what equity is, distill myths, etc.

3.5 Supportive Measures

Supportive Measures are those which, although they might be initiated by issues affecting designated group members, when implemented have a positive or helpful effect on all members of the community. Some of the following recommendations are initiatives already in progress, although they may need updating or monitoring to achieve full effectiveness. Some are new initiatives.

3.5.1 Department Appointment and Promotion Committee Manual

The Joint University/Association Employment Equity Advisory Committee (JUAEEAC) has developed a manual on the procedures governing hiring, tenure, and promotion of faculty. The manual specifically addresses equity issues. It consolidates the requirements on process and reporting contained within the Collective Agreement in an easy-to-use reference format.

Short-Term Recommendations:

• That the manual be distributed to all Chairs and Deans and made accessible on the Human Resources website
• That before October 15 of each year, Department Chairs make the DAP committee aware of the proper processes, using the manual as a reference to the appropriate procedures
• That the Faculty Colleague for Employment Equity in collaboration with JUAEEAC, WLUFA and the Equity office be responsible for the upkeep of the manual
• That the JUAEEAC produce a version of the manual suitable for use by the Library Appointment and Promotion committee, and by the appointment and promotion committees of the “areas” within the Department of Business

3.5.2 Campus Safety and Ethics Policies

All policies which reflect the values of the University, such as policies on ethical behaviour, codes of conduct, or initiatives supported by Environment, Health & Safety Legislation, create a positive, caring and supportive environment for all members of the University community

Short-term Recommendations:

• That Policies and Codes of Conduct should be monitored and up-dated on a regular basis so that they continue to reflect and support the values of the University

3.6 Numerical Equity Goals

The University/Association Employment Equity Advisory Committee established a sub-committee to set the numerical equity goals. Sub-committee members were: Sparrow Rose, Beverly Wemp and Debbie Thayer.

The sub-committee used a Banner report to identify Abella group retirement projections for the next 9 years. They then calculated hiring and termination statistics, averaged over the last 3 years. Once the hiring projection numbers were established, the committee reviewed the Gap Analysis from 2002 to identify designated groups that are under-represented in each Abella and set realistic numerical goals.

Since new data should be available from HRDC late this year, it was recommended that these goals be reviewed once the new data is obtained. It was also recommended that long-term numerical goals not be set. It was felt that this timeframe was not feasible.

Tables 4 and 5 outline both the short-term and mid-term goals set:

Table 4: 2003-2006 Numerical Equity Goals

Table 5: 2003-2009 Numerical Equity Goals

4.0 The Communication Plan

The recommendations in the preceding sections are designed to assist the University in fulfilling our objectives, so that the institution can reach our Employment Equity targets and achieve compliance with the Federal Contractors Program. To do so, all members of the University community must be aware of the goals and objectives of the plan, the role of the plan in supporting the strategy of the University, and the beneficial effects that diversity would bring to all community members. It is not just the will of the President or the work of the Equity Committees that will achieve our objectives. All members of the community need to understand the recommendations and the goals, and assume responsibility for their part in fulfilling these objectives. To do this, it will be necessary to have a complete communication strategy for the plan. For this purpose we make the following recommendations:

1. That the President in collaboration with the Equity Office, announce to the community that the draft plan is available and request feedback/input within a reasonable timeframe. The plan should be made available on-line and a hard copy available upon request.
2. Following community input, that the President accept the plan, and then work with the senior members of the University to proceed with the recommendations.
3. That the plan be available on the Equity web site, ongoing.
4. That information sessions on Employment Equity and the Equity Plan, be conducted for the following groups:

WLUFA Executive
WLUSA Executive
CUPE Executive
UFCW Executive
IATSE Executive
Department Chairs or LAP that requests it
Managers
Any other group of employees with responsibility for hiring, granting of continuing appointments, tenure and promotion