Equity, diversity and inclusion environmental scan survey

Welcome to the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Environmental Scan Survey

Welcome to the launch of Royal Roads University’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion environmental scan survey launch.

Equity, diversity and inclusion have always been critical components of RRU’s values and commitment to inspiring people with the courage to transform the world, to be a supportive community for students, faculty, and staff, and to continually seek new and better ways of doing things and welcome challenges and take thoughtful risks. Read more about EDI at RRU.

We know that equity, diversity and inclusion enrich our community, expand our learning and advance human knowledge. We are dedicated to improving our relationships with and understanding of the people and communities with whom we interact.

In keeping with our commitment to be a place where equity, diversity and inclusion thrive, Research and Innovation has contracted the Canadian Center for Diversity and Inclusion to conduct an EDI Environmental Scan (Survey). This survey asks staff and core faculty at RRU to share their experiences in order to inform the next iteration of the institution's EDI action plan.

Insights drawn from the survey will play a critical role in the design and implementation of an equitable, diverse and inclusive action plan that will enrich our community and empower people right here at Royal Roads University and in our society.

This survey has the approval of RRU’s Research Ethics Board as well as an approved Privacy Impact Assessment. The research team extends gratitude to Dr. Wendy Rowe and Don Devenny for their support and insights in the development of a safe, informed, considerate survey.

Finally, we want to take this opportunity to encourage your participation and offer to answer any questions you may have before the survey begins. You can contact the project lead, Gwen Hill, by email or through RRU’s Teams application.

What do Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion mean?

What do the terms Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion mean?

Equity is the state, quality or ideal of being just, impartial and fair. Systemic equity means consciously designing interrelated elements consciously that create, support and sustain social justice.

Diversity is the range of human differences, and the ways in which they intersect. It includes but is not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs.  

Inclusion is the involvement and empowerment, where the inherent worth and dignity of all people are recognized. An inclusive university promotes and sustains a sense of belonging; it values and practices respect for the talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of living of its members.

See: The Racial Equity & Inclusion Framework - The Annie E. Casey Foundation (aecf.org)

Five Reasons to Participate

1. To help identify barriers that impact marginalised peoples;
2. To inform our understanding of how intersecting aspects of our diverse community view the culture of RRU;
3. To help us decide what to focus on next in our EDI action plan and other strategic initiatives;
4. To speak to your own experience and represent your needs, and;
5. To support change in our culture and a move towards an equitable, diverse, and inclusive university.

Frequently Asked Questions - Part 1

The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion has provided us with the following Frequently Asked Questions and their responses. If you have questions that aren't answered here, please contact Gwen or Alejandro.

What is the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI)?

The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) is an organization designed to help employers and Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) practitioners and professionals effectively address diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights within the workplace. CCDI’s focus is on practical, sustainable solutions that help Canadian employers move toward true inclusion. Effectively managing diversity, inclusion, and human rights and equity is a strategic imperative for organizations such as Royal Roads that wish to remain relevant and competitive.

Who are they? Who works for them?

CCDI’s leadership and professionals came together from the corporate world with a shared goal of helping employers celebrate diversity and difference with a model that blends social impact and proven business tactics for inclusive work environments that mobilize the potential of individuals and teams.

What is Diversity and Inclusion for CCDI?

Although there exist multiple definitions, CCDI advocates for the one originally coined by Andrés T. Tapia. He defined ‘Diversity’ as the mix that differentiates each one of us. This mix could include many different things, such as ethnicity, gender, how we think, what we value, our backgrounds and the experiences that shape our perspectives, etc. We get our perspective from many different sources and combinations of sources. Complementary to diversity, ‘Inclusion’ can be defined as getting the mix to work well together. Focusing on the workplace, inclusion is a mindful effort to ensure everyone feels valued, respected and supported in how they contribute to the work.

When is this initiative being conducted?

The survey will run in May of 2022. The results will be shared about 6 months later, and Royal Roads will be able to learn more about how inclusive our workplace feels for everyone. This year, Royal Roads will be able to start adopting strategies and implementing actions that reflect what we learned from all who participated in the initiative.

Frequently Asked Questions - Part 2

The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion has provided us with the following Frequently Asked Questions and their responses. If you have questions that aren't answered here, please contact Gwen or Alejandro.

Who is going to be invited to participate in the online survey?

All staff and core faculty at Royal Roads.

Why should I participate in the Diversity and Inclusion Survey?

If as many people as possible complete the survey, then Royal Roads will be able to develop a representative picture of the university. The more people that respond to this census, the more accurate our understanding of the composition and needs of the workforce will be.

Is it mandatory that I participate in the online survey?

No. Completing the online survey is voluntary, however, we hope that you will participate. By doing so, we’ll get an accurate picture of the composition of our workforce and will be in a better position to determine if new programs, policies and practices need to be implemented based on the information you provide.

Is the Diversity and Inclusion Survey confidential and how will my privacy be protected?

The Diversity and Inclusion Survey is completely confidential. CCDI takes this very seriously and has taken steps to comply with privacy laws and an internal code of conduct. All information you provide will be analyzed by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. Your responses will be combined with other employees’ responses, and only collective results will be shared with our organization. CCDI will develop reports that will be shared with the organization's project leads, who will share it with you.

Who can see how individual users respond to questions?

You are the only person who can see your individual responses to the D&I online survey. At no time will any person from Royal Roads or the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion be able to see how any one individual has responded to questions. 

How long will it take me to complete the online survey?

Around 15 minutes.

Can my position be affected by the Diversity and Inclusion Survey?

No. This online survey is 100 percent confidential and is being conducted so the organization can learn more about who makes up our unique and diverse workforce. This census is being undertaken to help promote Diversity and Inclusion and will in no way jeopardize anyone’s job. Ultimately, an inclusive workplace means a workplace of choice, where the very best people want to work.

Institutional Reviews and Approvals

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Environmental Scan Survey has received approval from the Research Ethics Board. A Privacy Impact Assessment has also been completed and approved through the Royal Roads Privacy Officer.

In Gratitude

The project team is grateful to so many members of the Royal Roads community. We wish to thank:

Dr. Wendy Rowe and Don Devenny for their support and recommendations throughout the Research Ethics and Privacy Impact Assessment processes respectively.

Vanessa Rogers, Melanie Wrobel, and Deborah Zornes for their support with the administration of the contracting relationship and the development of this web content.

Christopher Ryan, for supporting the development of this web page (and his consistent patience).

Gregory Charlebois and Risper Frimpong for their development of our communications planning.

All members of the Diversity Action Group that provided initial testing and feedback - your insights were invaluable!

And the many, many others who have supported us as we work towards greater diversity and inclusion at Royal Roads.