Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are fundamental values that—when incorporated throughout the institution’s ethos, culture, initiatives and processes—foster a research, learning and working community where everyone feels valued and respected. When EDI is prioritized, it can lead to far-reaching changes that have been long overdue in many instances. NSCAD’s EDI Targeted Action Plan (TAP) will be used as a guide to ensure EDI is prioritized throughout all of NSCAD University and the work that we do.

The Strategic Research Plan, 2019-2022, embeds EDI as a value unto our academic mission:

An inclusive campus is an environment where every member is a valued contributor. It is a campus that encourages diverse perspectives and recognizes that it is through diversity that creativity and innovation can flourish. Fostering a culture of inclusion is a process that begins with acknowledging the diversity among us and the fact that some members of our community experience barriers to education, employment, and full participation due to systemic factors. An institution that is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion continually designs, reviews and rebuilds structures (policies, programs, practices) that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all, thereby reducing the necessity for accommodation and remediation.

View NSCAD’s EDI Targeted Action Plan here.

Read the Academic Plan 2020-2025: Opportunity and Belonging.

Census

NSCAD will demonstrate its commitment to social justice and the removal of barriers to participation throughout our programs, services, and employment environment by executing specific actions to success, such as a community-wide census. An annual census will allow us to ensure that we have a baseline for understanding who is at NSCAD and for measuring the effectiveness of our Targeted Action Plan deliverables.

For more information on the census, including an FAQ, click here.

President’s Advisory Council on Anti-Racist Initiatives

In June 2020, NSCAD committed to establishing a multi-stakeholder task force that would advise the president on the development of an anti-racist action plan for the university. The task force, known as the President’s Advisory Council on Anti-Racist Initiatives (PADCARI), is now established and includes representation from students, NSCAD Senate, NSCAD Board of Governors, faculty, staff, alumni and the broader community.

Learn More.  

Canada Research Chair

The Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) is part of a national strategy to make Canada one of world’s top countries in research and development. The program is committed to achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise and creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to seize opportunities and for responding to global challenges.  NSCAD University, as a participating institution, must make concerted efforts to meet the CRCP’s equity and diversity targets, and provide a supportive and inclusive workplace.

NSCAD currently has two Canada Research Chairs – Dr. Charmaine A. Nelson, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transatlantic Black Diasporic Art and Community Engagement and Dr. Leah Decter, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Creative Technologies and Community Engagement.

For resources, important links and more information on NSCAD’s Canada Research Chairs, click here.

If you have questions, comments or would like to participate in NSCAD’s EDI efforts, please email EDI@nscad.ca.