Under the St. Lawrence College’s strategic plan SLC-in-Five (2019–2024), the College made Belonging a fundamental value of the College’s culture and the student/staff experience.
The EDI Taskforce was established in 2020 under the leadership of Professor Ekta Singh with a mandate to propose a “framework and recommendations that would serve as a foundation and engine for operationalizing this value.”
In May 2021, the College published a recommendation report which provides a detailed account of the work accomplished by the Task Force over almost two years. The recommendations address the barriers in the community concerning corporate policies and processes.
“Most importantly, the Task Force asked our community who they are. Our students, our employees, our alumni–thousands of points of data were gathered regarding the lived experiences and identities that comprise the SLC community,” said Glenn Vollebregt, SLC President, and CEO.
The next step after the recommendations report includes hiring a director to lead the work and establish an EDI Working Group who will inform the development of the implementation plan and provide advice to the director as the work progresses.
The report concludes with the following seven strategic recommendations that are considered essential pillars for a bold and sustained commitment to EDI at SLC:
1. Nurture a deep, diverse talent pool
2. Attract and retain an enriching and diverse student body
3. Build and Sustain EDI Vision, Leadership, and Communication Capacity
4. Foster EDI Excellence and Innovation in Teaching, Learning, and Research
5. Sustain an Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Campus Culture and Climate
6. Honour Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being
7. Commit to establishing a five-year EDI Charter and Work Plan
“These recommendations will be used to action or operationalize our value of belonging and help move us forward in our journey to ensuring a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all members of the SLC community,” Vollebregt said.
The recommendation report and accompanying census data are available at the following link on the SLC website.
