Royal Roads endorses Dimensions charter

Royal Roads University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is reflected in the university’s endorsement of the  Dimensions Charter.

The charter is part of a federal strategy that invites universities across Canada to take part in a transformation to drive deeper cultural change within Canada’s research community. The charter is foundational to the Dimensions pilot program, a tri-agency initiative supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Dimensions fosters increased research excellence, innovation and creativity through greater equity, diversity and inclusion at post-secondary institutions.

“At Royal Roads, we continue our journey toward fostering an inclusive environment for work, research and study—one in which people can bring their entire self to a workplace that reflects the diverse community we serve,” says President and Vice-Chancellor Philip Steenkamp.

The endorsement of the charter expands on several programs at the university, including the Royal Roads University Canada Research Chairs Action Plan and the Everyone Counts initiative.

Royal Roads also received a $346,700 award from NSERC’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Institutional Capacity-Building Grant in May 2019. This funding supports programs that focus on the identification and elimination of systemic barriers that impede the career advancement, recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups.