This post has been written by three Ted Rogers School of Management students Somin Park, Aleenah Hassan and Kourosh Jam.
Equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) refers to altering the curriculum being taught to accommodate all students. This allows all the students to feel like they are in a safe environment, and because everyone feels comfortable, this will subsequently improve productivity. At the PASS Office, we believe we can promote EDI by adding it to our sessions.
Promoting accessibility in our sessions
We ask students about the teaching methods that work best for them, which allows them to choose their best learning strategy, which can be through pictures, reading, writing, or questions. Other styles or ways of learning can include auditory, kinesthetic and multimodal.
In our training at the start of the semester, we learned various learning strategies that facilitated students’ different learning styles. By learning more about different ways of learning, we ensure every student that comes into our sessions feels included. Students are able to express their preferences while filling out their information when booking a session.
Having accessible documents are crucial in post-secondary institutions like the Ted Rogers School for promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. A way of doing this is making your documents more accessible by making the text large enough, which is font size 12 and up. For images, add alternative text because this enables screen readers to read the information on images for those who are visually impaired or are unable to view images on a page.
We can all create an inclusive community
Our words, mindsets, actions and behaviours help us create an inclusive community at the Ted Rogers School of Management. Here are things we need to be mindful of as we develop a more inclusive school community.
Inclusivity starts in the mind
Developing inclusive mindsets includes seeking out ways to include others and accepting that differences in lived experiences, culture, abilities, gender are strengths and enrich our community. Creating an inclusive community will create more support from school staff, faculty and students. Inclusivity means developing an open mindset, considering others’ needs and differences.
Making our community more inclusive
What actions could we take and behaviours could we cultivate to be more inclusive, equitable and encourage diversity at Ted Rogers School of Management? There are several.
Step 1: Consider what we say and be mindful of the language that we use
Try to use inclusive language only and avoid using words that contain microaggressions or unconscious biases. Language is fluid and meaning can change rapidly. Here are some examples of inclusive language.
Step 2: Acknowledge and try to avoid non-inclusive language
Non-inclusive language is a barrier to inclusivity. It is any language that insults people, treats them unfairly or excludes them. We need more training and resources that are accessible to Ted Rogers School students to learn about inclusivity, equity and diversity.
Step 3: Do not judge a book by its cover
Have an open mindset about people. Be aware of your biases and question your learned assumptions, beliefs, or attitudes, because they have a big impact on your behaviour. Here are 19 examples of unconscious bias.
Resources at TMU
Toronto Metropolitan University has several resources that can help support your own EDI journey. Here are some of the resources that we found helpful to build a more inclusive community.
Anti Black Racism Campus Climate Review
The Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review outlines the concerns of the Black community at campus. In this report, student, staff and faculty experiences of anti-black racism are highlighted and several recommendations that we can take to build a better, inclusive campus and support students that are facing microaggressions are shared.
Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union
The TMSU has several cultural and identity-based groups that aim to educate the TMU community about their cultures and their identities. If you identify with any of these groups, join. Student groups are great opportunities to make friends and connect with the community. You may also be able to learn about the cultural beliefs and customs of many minority groups. You could also take some time to support them by promoting student groups and providing them with a safe environment to practice their cultures.
Access TMU
Access TMU is a university-wide initiative with a goal of providing our community members with disabilities opportunities to fully participate on campus. The initiative focuses on 10 foundational principles and values that we can also learn from and adapt into our everyday lives. Access TMU also focuses on providing accessibility on campus, in the workplace and in the classrooms. On their website, you can find several resources to learn what you can do to support our fellow TMU members with disabilities.
Through these actions and resources, we can help make TMU more accessible and inclusive in the future. We should never stop working to make people feel seen, heard, respected and included. Incorporating inclusivity, equity and diversity into our university community will help make everyone feel welcomed. This is our home, all of ours.
References
Bush, M. (April 13, 2021). Why Is Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace Important? Retrieved from Why Is Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace Important? | Great Place To Work®
Somin Park is currently in her last semester of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program at the Ted Rogers School of Management. She worked for the Program Advising and Student Success (PASS) Office from Fall 2021 through to the Winter 2023 semester. She is an experienced business statistics, mathematics and law tutor. She hopes to pursue an academic program advising career when she graduates from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Aleenah Hassan is in her fourth year in the School of Accounting and Finance, majoring in Accounting at the Ted Rogers School of Management. She worked at the Program Advising and Student Success (PASS) Office from the Winter 2021 semester to the Spring/Summer 2023 semester. She enjoys learning new things while meeting people from around the world with diverse backgrounds and unique stories.
Kourosh Jam is a third-year Business Management student majoring in Global Management Studies in the co-op program at Ted Rogers School of Management. He worked at the Program Advising and Student Success (PASS) Office from the Fall 2022 semester to the Winter 2023 semester.
