Purpose of the Committee:
The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee (the ‘Committee’) is a standing advisory group to the President of Aurora College (AC). Its purpose is to provide advice to the President on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The Committee leads initiatives and discussions within Aurora College relating to the concepts of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA), defined as follows:
Equity is both the approach of recognizing systemic inequalities that gives privileged groups unearned advantages while withholding opportunities from those most marginalized, and the process which provides resources, accommodations and systemic change to ensure everyone has access to the same opportunities.
Diversity represents the various identities, lived experiences, values and perspectives of people that may include but are not limited to Indigeneity, race, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ability, language, religion, class, age, and/or socio-economic status.
Inclusion is an ongoing and deliberate act which fosters a culture where people feel safe and mutually respected. It is the process of intentionally creating space and opportunities for underrepresented and underserved groups to thrive by addressing inequalities in power and privilege.
Accessibility refers to the design and provision of resources, environments, services, facilities, and opportunities that are inclusive and accommodating to all people according to our differing abilities. This includes physical accessibility, such as ensuring buildings and facilities are wheelchair accessible, as well as digital accessibility, ensuring that information, communication and technology are usable by people with disabilities.
Committee Responsibilities:
The responsibilities of the Committee include, but are not limited to:
- Providing advice and recommendations to the President pertaining to EDI concerns at Aurora College
- Developing policy and strategic planning initiatives in accordance with the Vision and Mission statements of Aurora College’s EDI Plan
- Implementing EDI-related projects and initiatives in accordance with the goals of the EDI Plan
- Gathering and analyzing academic research and other data to support its advice and initiatives
- Submitting an annual report to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to be passed along to the President, outlining its progress and accomplishments over the preceding year
Membership:
Chair: The Committee Co-Chairs will be appointed by the President and will serve for a three-year term renewable at the President’s discretion.
Members: The Committee membership may consist of up to fifteen (15) members, including the Chairs, appointed by the President. Any employee of Aurora College may be appointed as a member, but the overall membership should reflect the diversity of the Aurora College workforce to the greatest extent possible.
Members will be appointed for a term of three years, unless otherwise specified and approved by the President. All terms are renewable.
As the transformation of AC continues and the scope of the Committee changes, membership structure may be adjusted to include students, and/or to ensure representation from different divisions within the institution. The Committee can make these changes by consensus, with the President’s approval.
Recruiting and Appointing New Members:
New members to the Committee will be recruited through a College-wide callout. All applicants must express their interest in joining the Committee and explain why they believe they will be an asset to the Committee.
If there are available seats on the Committee (up to 15 including Co-Chairs), all applicants who have expressed interest will be recommended for appointment by the Co-Chairs to the President. If there are more applicants than available seats, applicants will be asked their specific interests relating to EDI if not identified in their initial application. Co-Chairs will select applicants whose interests are not yet represented within the Committee, or whose departments are not yet represented within the Committee, to best represent the diversity of the workforce.
In the event applicants cannot be narrowed down by these means, the Co-Chairs will anonymize their applications and bring them to the Committee for review. The Committee will have to reach a consensus of which applicant(s) to select, who will then be recommended for appointment by the Co-Chairs to the President. If interested, any unselected applicants will be contacted when spots become available and be given top priority in the next selection process.
A review of membership will occur annually. Provided there are available seats, no more than 50% of the total membership will be replaced in a given year.
The Co-Chairs will recommend new members for appointment to the President. The President approves new members and issues a Letter of Appointment, which serves as an official appointment to the Committee.
Member Roles and Responsibilities
The Chairs are responsible for ensuring that activities undertaken by the Committee, such as meetings, proceed in an efficient manner. This includes but is not limited to:
- Scheduling meetings and calling meetings to order
- Establishing an agenda and ensuring agenda items are addressed
- Ensuring minutes are taken during meetings
- Ensuring that minutes from prior meeting(s) are reviewed and approved by the Committee
- Facilitating discussion to reach consensus on matters under consideration
- Adjourning meetings
- Being the primary representative of the Committee to the Aurora College community
Committee members are responsible for the following:
- Participating in Committee discussions and offering their views and expertise in order to reach an informed consensus on relevant issues
- Developing and/or implementing EDI initiatives and projects
- Being informed and up to date on EDI-related issues and research
- Communicating the initiatives and advice of the Committee to members of their departments and the wider Aurora College community
Meetings and Quorum:
Number of Meetings: Meetings will be held monthly, or at the call of the Co-Chairs. Members will attend meetings virtually with potential for in-person meetings when necessary.
Agenda: The agenda of a Committee meeting and the item(s) for discussion must be provided to Committee members, at least five (5) business days in advance of the meeting.
Quorum: A quorum of 50% plus one member is required for decision-making. If quorum is not met at any meeting, decisions will be made through email voting.
Leadership and Decision-Making:
Decision-Making: The model for decision-making is consensus. If consensus cannot be reached on a particular issue, the varying recommendations for resolution will be presented by the Co-Chairs to the President for decision.
Stepping Down and Choosing Not to Renew Positions
Members choosing not to renew their membership must provide written notice to the President through the Co-Chairs two months before the end of their term. Members choosing to step down before the end of their term must also provide a minimum of two months’ notice. This is to ensure smoother transitions for the Committee without impacting ongoing initiatives and projects.
Chairs choosing not to renew their term as Co-Chair must provide written notice to the President through their Co-Chair two months before the end of their term. Chairs choosing to step down before the end of their term must also provide a minimum of two months’ notice. Chairs stepping down must name a replacement Chair to be appointed by the President before their final day in the role.
The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenous Knowledge (EDI-IK) Coordinator should be copied in all email notices. This is to ensure records of the Committee will be accurately reflected as memberships fluctuate.
Record Keeping and Confidentiality:
All official records will be organized and uploaded to the EDI Steering Committee Teams group. All Committee members who may be in attendance at a Committee meeting or privy to Committee information, are required to protect and keep confidential any classified or privileged information, unless such information is otherwise approved for public information.
Living documents such as Terms of Reference, EDI Plan, Memberships, etc. will be reviewed annually. This review must be completed before the annual report is sent to ELT and passed along to the President to ensure continuity and accuracy.
Committee Administrative Support:
The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenous Knowledge (EDI-IK) Coordinator will provide administrative support to the Committee. This support shall include:
- Assisting the Co-Chairs with preparation of Committee meeting agendas and distributing notification of meetings
- Ensuring follow-up of Committee action items
- Information gathering
- Preparation and distribution of meeting material
- Minute taking
- Maintaining Committee records
Resources:
The Committee has its own email address to ensure that email communications with the Committee may be stored and found in one place. Emails addressed to EDI@auroracollege.nt.ca will be received by both the Co-Chairs and the EDI-IK Coordinator.
Amending the Terms of Reference:
The Terms of Reference (ToR) will be reviewed at least annually and if applicable, amendments will be proposed by the Committee to the President for approval.
Date approved: May 15th, 2024