{"id":16345,"date":"2018-09-12T07:00:37","date_gmt":"2018-09-12T14:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=16345"},"modified":"2018-09-25T13:52:00","modified_gmt":"2018-09-25T20:52:00","slug":"levelling-the-playing-field-a-look-behind-the-scenes-of-camosuns-new-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2018\/09\/12\/levelling-the-playing-field-a-look-behind-the-scenes-of-camosuns-new-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Levelling the playing field?: A look behind the scenes of Camosun\u2019s new equity, diversity, and inclusion policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last spring I received an email from Camosun asking me to complete the college\u2019s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) survey. I opened it up and read through it. Of the questions in the survey, the most notable asked what the terms \u201cequity,\u201d \u201cdiversity,\u201d and \u201cinclusion\u201d mean to me as a student, and what more the college can do to advance the values of equity, diversity and inclusion on campus.<\/p>\n

For a moment, it got me thinking about my place at Camosun. There are approximately 19,000 students here, each with a different story. Students from around the world. Students from every walk of life. Students with different strengths, weaknesses, and abilities.<\/p>\n

As an able-bodied white male of majority age, there are relatively few external obstacles in my educational path, but I have my fair share of challenges and baggage. I have a unique story, just like every other student registered at Camosun. My time at Camosun will be short, but this policy will affect my peers for years to come. I can\u2019t help but wonder if I have a responsibility as a student to get involved with the policy and tell my story\u2014and if I do, where do I start?<\/p>\n

DECISION BY COMMITTEE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beginning last November, committees made up mainly of Camosun staff and students started meeting to shape and develop policy around EDI, an area that falls under the authority of Camosun vice president of student experience Joan Yates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe EDI policy will have broad statements about what we believe,\u201d says Yates, \u201cand what the college expects in terms of us all being members of the college community. That\u2019s the critical document to get input on. It sets the stage, because what we have found is that without a solid framework, we end up with policy development that is contradictory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yates says that elements of equity, diversity, and inclusion were covered in different areas of college policy, but in order to be effective, Camosun needs to wrap it all into one clear and specific policy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe older ones were more about, \u2018you shouldn\u2019t do that\u2019 or \u2018don\u2019t do this,\u2019 as opposed to \u2018why don\u2019t we do this?\u2019\u201d says Yates. \u201cWe\u2019ve realized that it is about the philosophy and the values that we thought needed to be a driver, rather than a set of rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yates says that the college shifted the way it builds policy about two years ago, beginning with the Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy. Rather than policy being driven by the college, she says it\u2019s more like a community development organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done a ton of survey work, a ton of focus-group testing, and we\u2019ve gone to various groups to get input,\u201d says Yates. \u201cWe\u2019ve asked questions about what would make life at Camosun better and have gotten some very thoughtful responses. The summer has been spent writing a policy to reflect that, but it\u2019s very much a draft. We have to go back to the community in the fall and show them what we\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yates says that once the draft is reviewed and finalized, the next step will be adding guidelines around specific areas related to EDI.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe might have specific actions for students with disabilities, for example,\u201d says Yates. \u201cThat may mean addressing things like space, or access to services. It extends to things as simple as \u2018I want to be referred to by this name, and not the name I was given.\u2019 That is a very, very small thing administratively, but a huge thing to a human being. To really understand and make those changes, you have to have a mindset that encompasses all. That\u2019s what the policy is going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

While it all sounds great\u2014and looks good for the college\u2014Yates recognizes that the difficulty is in producing lasting, tangible results.<\/p>\n

\u201cPolicy on paper is worth just that: the paper it\u2019s written on,\u201d says Yates. \u201cOur policy isn\u2019t going to change attitudes overnight. It is a line in the sand where the college says, \u2018This is what we think is acceptable, and this is the type of college we want to build.\u2019 That is the goal. It sets the standards. When you do this type of work, it has to have accompanying it clear education and communication. Education is a key component.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yates says that there needs to be discussion in classrooms and in general forums not only about what the college is trying to do but also about why the college wants to do it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you talk about fairness versus equity\u2014and that\u2019s the real key of what we\u2019re looking at\u2014fairness means we treat everybody the same way. If you, for example, are able bodied, have great resources, and are treated a certain way, that\u2019s great. But someone who may not have started with what you have may need some help to get to that level. That is what equity is about, and that may be what the organization needs to address. If I get something to support me in my work, either as an employee or as a student, it\u2019s not taking away from anybody else, it\u2019s just the organization helping me get to the same finish line as everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n

THE STUDENT VOICE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eleanor Vannan is a third-year University Transfer student; she is also the Camosun College Student Society (CCSS) student wellness and access director. Her mandate is to advocate for students who need accommodations to make learning accessible. Vannan is also a student representative on the steering committee that is helping to develop the EDI policy.<\/p>\n

Vannan joined the steering committee soon after being elected to the CCSS; she\u2019s been involved through the data collection and analysis phase, and she says that they are now ready to write up a draft of the policy.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
This story originally appeared in our September 12, 2018 issue.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be on the committee if I didn\u2019t like what they are doing,\u201d says Vannan. \u201cI am not a representative of the college; I\u2019m a representative of the students. I am shockingly happy with what has been discussed and the way it has been discussed. Even when students have said, \u2018This is dumb,\u2019 the folks involved with EDI have said, \u2018I want to understand why you feel that way.\u2019 We are very diverse, and part of that diversity is political opinion. I\u2019m really happy with the respect to differing opinions that the committee has given. They really want to understand where students are coming from, even if they aren\u2019t in the majority opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vannan says that EDI is largely about acknowledging just how diverse student struggles are. She speaks from experience, adding that her life as a student with a disability is very different from that of most of her peers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a great advocate for myself,\u201d says Vannan. \u201cThat is another skill I had to develop, and not all students have those skills naturally. EDI is a framework for the students who are fighting within the system to say that the institution values your place here. It values the fact that we have a right to be here, we have a right to any needed accommodations, and we are giving students a framework to navigate that. It\u2019s the same thing for discrimination along racial lines. There will be framework in place.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Vannan, there have been a wide variety of issues brought forward by students. From her perspective, questions about accommodations for students and how those accommodations are granted are among the most important to address.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been a few instances where, even when accommodations are met, instructors take a very hostile position toward students,\u201d she says. \u201cSo that is a big concern. Also, inclusion for racialized communities and Indigenous students, and gender expression is another big one. EDI is really similar to the human rights code, or the [Canadian<\/i>] Charter of Rights and Freedoms<\/i>. We need to ensure that Camosun is also in line with protecting those groups and ensuring that no matter who you are and what you need to access education, that it is done in a fair and equitable manner.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the development and writing of the policy is important, Vannan recognizes that it\u2019s the implementation that will bring about lasting change, and that won\u2019t come instantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThings are going to happen,\u201d says Vannan, \u201cbut if we know how we are going to deal with them, we are better equipped to jump in, and to jump in with action to create solutions. Part of EDI is about education, making sure that when it comes to different cultures, gender expression, or disabilities, people who may not have lived that experience have an opportunity to understand more about it. There is certainly an educational component that is going to come along with the policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The steering committee is not open to the public, but Vannan says that there are still opportunities for students who would like to be heard. There is a larger group, open to students and faculty, that meets every second Monday, alternating between campuses. The next meeting is September 24; at press time, Vannan couldn\u2019t confirm details, but she says that students who wish to attend can contact the CCSS for details.<\/p>\n

THE OMBUDS VOICE<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the key questions surrounding policy development at a post-secondary institution is this: just how much student involvement should there be? Perhaps the right person to answer that question is Camosun College ombudsman Carter MacDonald. MacDonald has been the ombudsman for 10 years; he describes his role as an advocate for fair process for students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI deal with a wide variety of issues,\u201d says MacDonald. \u201cWe are essentially independent, impartial, and confidential. I can be independent because I am co-funded: half by the college, and half by the student society. I am impartial. I don\u2019t take sides.\u201d<\/p>\n

Due to his impartial stance on student issues, MacDonald says that he is highly effective in a policy-development role. He adds that he has been involved in several policy development committees, most notably for the Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy. He has watched closely and acted as an advisor in the EDI policy development. MacDonald says that the college has gone above and beyond on the EDI project, and that fact reflects the college\u2019s commitment to its students. The group involved in the development of this policy is the biggest single policy development group MacDonald has ever been on at the college, and he says everyone is represented at the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo say that all 19,000 students should attend the meetings is almost like suggesting that the sitting government would need to consult with all of the citizens of British Columbia in the development of policy,\u201d says MacDonald. \u201cCertainly we have student representatives who actually sit on the committee. There are responsibilities of the Camosun College Student Society to be aware of what is going on in the development of this policy, and the dissemination of that information. Policy development is not something that a lot of students are actively concerned about. Students live very busy lives. Between their studies, some holding down part-time jobs, some are single parents\u2026 I don\u2019t need to tell you what the life of a student is like, and the details, the minutiae of what happens isn\u2019t even on the radar. This is a very broad policy initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two people I spoke with for this story told me that there are people who say that the policy just sounds like a bunch of buzzwords that are nice to hear, <\/b>but MacDonald believes that Camosun is definitely moving in the right direction. He says that he\u2019s hopeful that he will continue to be involved with policy development, and that he thinks more specific language and policies will come out of the process of getting the EDI policy together.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a combination of student input from the survey and research on the policy initiatives of other post-secondary institutions in the province of British Columbia, graphed out in a way that shows where Camosun College may need to look at updating our policies,\u201d he says. \u201cThen there is group input in a wide series of exercises. People can put down their thoughts in something as simple as a sticky note pad and go up and submit them. There are times, and I can\u2019t think of specific examples at the moment, where students have suggested something that hasn\u2019t been suggested by employees of the college. All input is valued.\u201d<\/p>\n

OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Camosun\u2019s students are very diverse and come from all over the world, and it can be difficult for individuals to relate to one another. CCSS external executive Fillette Umulisa says that this leads to groups forming, and there are a lot of misunderstandings as a result.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat leads to mental-health problems, identity crisis, and students feeling like they don\u2019t fit in,\u201d says Umulisa. \u201cThat is what I think EDI is trying to prevent. We might be diverse, we might be from different worlds, but we need to have people in the faculty who make us feel valued. If we don\u2019t have something to govern that, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to work. If we don\u2019t have ground rules that unite us, it is going to be hard for people to incorporate. We want people to look at the foundation of their relationship, the foundation of Camosun College, and why we are building this policy. We want everyone to know that it exists for them to bond on, and for them to feel accepted, welcome, and to not have to deal with staff that doesn\u2019t have ground rules to look back on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The solution, according to Umulisa, is to keep relationships simple and professional.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust don\u2019t be focused on the smallest things there is,\u201d says Umulisa. \u201cIf you\u2019re my instructor, I am your student. Consider me as such. I don\u2019t see how your mind should be skipping off my race, my identity, and my sexuality. I am your student\u2014treat me as such. You only get specific if you create a steady relationship between people, and I don\u2019t think a student\/teacher relationship should get down to specifics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over at the Camosun College Faculty Association (CCFA), Al Morrison is stepping down after completing his term there; he has been the acting president throughout the development of the EDI policy. Morrison has nothing but good things to say with regard to the EDI policy development.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am only speaking on my behalf,\u201d says Morrison. \u201cI haven\u2019t polled the greater faculty to get opinions on it, but I hope they have all chimed in. To me, what happens when you build a policy, or take something out of our strategic plan, it turns that promise of who we are into something a bit bigger. It shows a commitment. It says to the community that works at Camosun, and to the community we serve, that this is really important to us as an organization. It\u2019s a commitment that we\u2019re sharing in writing. It represents a signpost of the direction we are going in as an organization. For me, it cements our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

As was granted to the students, there was an opportunity for faculty to chime in with a survey in the early stages of the EDI policy development. Morrison hopes that all staff took the time to participate, because, he says, the policy will be a lot more inclusive if everyone is involved in the decision-making process. In order to create a lasting culture change here at Camosun, Morrison says that active participation is likely the answer. He points out that it\u2019s one thing for the government to mandate change in organizations, but we have to find ways to make that change work in our culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in my 60s, so I know that the generation in my classroom lives in a different world,\u201d says Morrison. \u201cIt is important for me to understand their world and the diversity it brings to the classroom. I think a lot of the times people are slow to change, it\u2019s because they\u2019re nervous or they don\u2019t understand what it\u2019s going to look like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morrison says that the college is providing programs and workshops for faculty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to watch what\u2019s changing in the world,\u201d says Morrison, \u201cand they are usually right on top of these issues. I\u2019ve taken sexual violence and misconduct workshops, for example. They have a program about understanding Indigenous culture. Sometimes it\u2019s uncomfortable, but these workshops are fabulous ways to deal with it in a very safe environment. If we learn about things, and create an understanding, we can bring it into the classroom once we have that knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Even though Camosun\u2019s email got me thinking about things, I didn\u2019t complete the college\u2019s survey. There was no reason, really; I closed the email and just forgot about it entirely until months later, when I saw a reminder email, which I initially thought was spam. <\/b>I couldn\u2019t help but wonder if I was the only student who failed to complete the survey, so I took to the pavement to do some research of my own.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t quite go as planned.<\/p>\n

I wouldn\u2019t have guessed it, but squirrels outnumber students on the Lansdowne campus in late August. I spent an hour or so walking around the courtyard, through the empty library, and eventually to the bookstore, where I found some students in line. I interviewed five students as they left the store. Not one had completed the survey, or even heard of the policy, but they all agreed that Camosun was doing a good job promoting the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. It\u2019s a small sample, I know, but it does raise questions around the way the college communicates with the student population.<\/p>\n

Will the policy have any lasting effect? That really depends on how Camosun proceeds with the subsequent policy initiatives that extend into specific areas. More importantly, it depends on\u00a0 <\/span>how the college deals with isolated incidents where there is breach of policy. And it remains dependent on students, and the college community as a whole, continuing the discussion as we move forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last spring I received an email from Camosun asking me to complete the college\u2019s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) survey. I opened it up and read through it. Of the questions in the survey, the most notable asked what the terms \u201cequity,\u201d \u201cdiversity,\u201d and \u201cinclusion\u201d mean to me as a student, and what more the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16345"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16346,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16345\/revisions\/16346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}