A message from Pam Skinner, Senior Vice-President, College Operations, and Dr. Chris McGrath, Vice-President, Students:
Since its launch in Spring 2023, individuals and groups across the College – including NC’s EDI Catalysts – have engaged in collaborative work to make progress on the goals and actions of the College’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Blueprint.
As we begin the Winter 2025 Term, we have many milestones to celebrate.
An impressive 87.5% of all EDI-related action items have multiple projects in progress or complete, and 28 of 32 Action Items in EDI Blueprint are in progress or complete.
On behalf of the Executive Team, we want to recognize the efforts of all those who have come together in ways large and small to make our learning environments and workplace more respectful, inclusive, and welcoming. Every improvement can go a long way in making each and every member of our community feel more at home at NC.
A special thanks to our EDI catalysts who continue to advance change as project leaders.
We also want to acknowledge and celebrate those who have participated in EDI-related events, workshops, and learning opportunities. From the start, the EDI Blueprint has been a living document, reflecting the need to continue learning, unlearning, and expanding our understanding.
While our work continues, we are inspired to see just how many at NC have committed to and embraced this work through grassroots efforts.
For the status of goals supporting each area of focus, visit the EDI Blueprint website.
Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing
These initiatives support the goal by increasing awareness of, and opportunities for, students and employees to learn about Indigenous histories, presents, and futures. They will advance relationship-building with local Indigenous communities and the development of additional resources to enhance the student experience for Indigenous students.
- Nature of Healing documentary
- Indigenous Student Awards Banquet with Dr. Phyillis Webstad
- Updated Land Acknowledgement
- Embark Student Foundation Grant
- Strong Students, Stronger Futures Scholarship
- Indigenous Education Strategy
- BC Trip to Salish Territory (EDI Catalysts-experience highlighted in the blog)
- Trip to Yukon
- Aboriginal Post Secondary information program welcomes over 150 Indigenous students
- Developing the Indigenous Education Strategy
Organizational Culture and Structure
These initiatives support the goal of creating inclusive environments to learn and work through increased representation across physical and digital spaces. Second, they support the goal to review college policies, practices, procedures, and programming to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Build NC
- Project Refresh
- Expansion of Days of Significance recognition (22 added days)
- Niagara Region DEI Community of Practice
Student Experience
These initiatives support student’s sense of belonging by enhancing the inclusivity of policies, procedures, and academic programming. The actions help advance faculty’s understanding of EDI and provides them with an opportunity to develop tools to make classrooms and programming trans-inclusive, which supports goals and actions identified in the employee experience area of focus.
- Commitment to continuing to hear from student voices
(Student voices panel-Disability Awareness Week (October) and Black Student Voices Panel (December) - NC Pride 2.0
- International Student Services Pilot-Parenting Group
- Upcoming Inclusion Week, March 3 to 7
- Film Feature Friday
- Expansion of mental health and addiction supports
Employee Experience
These initiatives support the goal of developing and implementing learning opportunities for employees in principles of EDI and allyship that employees can engage with in a way that works best for them. This includes engaging with the learning resources highlighted on the website or attending one of the sessions in-person or virtually.
- Continued learning opportunities
(new Positive Space 2.0, Intro to Anti-Racism, VR Session, Accessible Power Points/Word) - Disability Awareness Week
- Upcoming Inclusion Week
- Community Voices Blog – Highlighting employee voices
- Film Feature Friday
To learn more, visit the EDI Blueprint website.
