The Equity Committee
The Equity Committee is concerned with equity issues at Waterloo, in line with the protected grounds of Ontario’s Human Rights Code.
The committee engages in education and advocacy activities to promote equity on campus, maintains a watching brief on equity issues, and makes recommendations to the Faculty Association Board of Directors about policy changes to pursue.
Inquiries may be directed to Kim Hong Nguyen, committee chair, or to the FAUW office.
Current work
In 2022–23, the Equity Committee is focused on supporting new faculty hired through the Black Excellence and Indigenous Excellence 'cluster hire' initiatives.
Since 2021, the committee has worked with the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-racism (EDI-R) to provide Equitable Recruitment and Selection Training to hiring committees.
Equity & Inclusivity Awards
The Equity & Inclusivity Award is a celebration of excellence in equity, inclusivity, and diversity. Inaugurated in 2012, the Equity & Inclusivity Award recognizes a member, group, or affiliate of the University of Waterloo community. The award is meant to further support individuals or groups who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to improving equity, inclusivity, and/or diversity at the University of Waterloo.
Committee membership
The Equity Committee strives for representation across all faculties and aims to have members who identify as or advocate for underrepresented groups.
You are welcome to contact committee members about the committee's work or equity concerns.
Name | Department |
---|---|
Kim Hong Nguyen (chair) | Communication Arts |
Mario Boido | Spanish and Latin American Studies |
Frankie Condon | English Language and Literature |
Clive Forrester | English Language and Literature |
Kimberly Lopez | Recreation and Leisure Studies |
Antonio Munoz Gomez | Library |
Megan McCarthy | Psychology |
Elizabeth Meiering | Chemistry |
Aimée Morrison | English Language and Literature |
Zelalem Negeri | Statistics and Actuarial Science |
Zhu (Joe) Qian | School of Planning |
Omar Ramahi | Electrical and Computer Engineering |
Rowland Keshena Robinson | Political Science |
Barbara Schmenk | Germanic & Slavic Studies |
Interesting in joining?
Serving on the Equity Committee involves attending monthly meetings from September through June, contributing to one or more committee projects, and providing feedback on issues and initiatives in meetings and via email as they arise.
Members typically join for a renewable two-year term. Calls for new members are posted each spring. You must be a voting member of FAUW to join the committee.
Recent Equity & Inclusivity Award recipients
Black Graduate Archive wins 2022 Equity and Inclusivity Award
Inaugurated in 2012 by the Faculty Association’s Equity Committee (then the Status of Women & Equity Committee, or "SWEC"), the Equity & Inclusivity Award recognizes a group, member, or affiliate of the University of Waterloo community whose actions have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to improving equity, inclusivity, and/or diversity at the University of Waterloo. The award has recently shifted to emphasize supporting continued equity work, rather than providing a reward for past work.
Award Reception Celebrates Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity Champions
There are so many people working to make Waterloo a more inclusive place that the Faculty Association’s Equity Committee presented four Equity and Inclusivity Awards this year instead of one.
Waterloo Aboriginal Education Centre wins Equity and Inclusivity Award
If you’ve ever been to an event at the Waterloo Aboriginal Education Centre (WAEC), you might have a pretty good idea of why the University’s Status of Women and Equity Committee (SWEC) awarded the Centre with the 2017 Equity and Inclusivity Award.