Organizational review of the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion - review team announcement

To: University of Waterloo students, faculty, and staff

From: James Rush, vice-president academic & provost

Date: December 2, 2020

Subject: Organizational review of the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion

• Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusion (HREI) Organizational review team announced
• Opportunities for campus community engagement to be announced shortly
• The review team will produce a report and recommendations which will be shared broadly

Hello, 

This email is a follow-up to my email of August 4, 2020 announcing an organizational review of the Office of Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion (HREI).

I am pleased to announce that an external Review Team has been formed to undertake this work. The evriew team will be:

• Lisa Castle, former vice-president, Human Resources at The University of British Columbia
• Denise O’Neil Green, vice-president, Equity and Community Inclusion at Ryerson University
• Christina Sass-Kortsak, former assistant vice-president, Human Resources at Ryerson University
• Barrington Walker, associate vice-president, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Wilfrid Laurier University

This group of professionals will review and evaluate the HREI portfolio at the University of Waterloo, with an emphasis on organizational structure and leadership, partnerships, internal collaborations, and the delivery of services and programs. They will advise on strengths, challenges, and opportunities the University should consider to ensure the human rights, equity and inclusion needs of the Waterloo community are met in an effective and progressive manner.

The review team has expertise doing this work in an academic environment and in consulting with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. They will engage in broad, campus-wide virtual consultations in the coming weeks with the following stakeholder groups:

• Current HREI team
• Students
• BIPOC groups
• Faculty
• Staff/Union
• Executive Council members
• External/community partners
• Relevant university committees
• Other groups or individuals that may emerge during the course of the review

These consultations may be in the form of virtual roundtables, individual meetings or through other means available to the review team.

As the University of Waterloo embarks on its next Strategic Plan (2020-2025), the results of the external review will inform and advise Senior Leadership on any recommendations that will inform the future structure and resourcing of the work done by various portfolios, as well as the leadership profile required for the area.

I look forward to providing additional details about how to connect with the review team as they become available. I want to ensure that the people who are engaged and affected by the work of this office will have an opportunity to participate during the review.