Frequently Asked Questions about the E&IC Principles

A major goal of these principles is to help the Faculty of Mathematics set its intentions for its work supporting equity and community inclusion. To truly build an inclusive Faculty in which individuals feel they belong, it is important to not only consider what the Faculty should be doing but also the principles that should guide how the Faculty engages in its work.

The principles provide a starting point for individuals to develop a solid foundation upon which to contribute to collective action through their day-to-day roles or responsibilities. The principles also support individuals who are already directly engaged in specific E&IC initiatives. The principles were designed:

• To set a solid foundation for supporting E&IC initiatives.
• To use language and terminology that is accessible to individuals regardless of where they are on their individual journeys to understand E&IC.
• To support a broad range of E&IC initiatives, while being specific enough to support concrete action.
• To help guide the Faculty in advancing institutional priorities related to equity and community inclusion (e.g. Final Report of the President’s Anti-Racism Task Force, President’s Advisory Committee on Student Mental Health, Waterloo@100, Indigenous Strategic Plan 2023-2028)

The principles were drafted by members of the Faculty of Mathematics (faculty, staff, and students) in consultation with institutional partners leading equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and Indigenization efforts.

In earlier stages of development of the principles, they were known as the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-racism, and Indigenization (EDI-R & I) Principles. This title was consistent with terminology used more broadly at Waterloo.

Through stakeholder consultations, it was determined that many felt the EDI-R & I acronym was unwieldy and that the full title was overly lengthy. Moreover, there were concerns that this title could give the impression that some groups and/or areas of focus were excluded, particularly gender equity, which has been an ongoing focus for the Faculty. In surveying terminology used at other post-secondary institutions, it was noted that Toronto Metropolitan University framed some of its efforts under the banner of “Equity and Community Inclusion”. This terminology  addressed some of the noted concerns and met the design criteria of using language and terminology that was accessible to a wide audience.

The reference to “inclusive communities,” rather than “community inclusion,” reflects the fact that the Faculty of Mathematics is simultaneously a community, part of the larger University of Waterloo community, and itself comprised of diverse communities. The unique characteristics and needs of these communities should be acknowledged as the Faculty engages in its work.

Through the consultation process, some individuals indicated that there were terms used in the principles with which they were unfamiliar. 

Given that one of the design principles of the Equity & Inclusive Communities (E&IC) Principles is to use language and terminology that is accessible, the glossary is intended to provide clarity on the terms used.

Work related to equity and community inclusion often frames activities with respect to “equity-deserving groups”. This framing may be appropriate for most equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism (EDI-R) work, but when applied to Indigenization efforts, can ignore the sovereignty of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) peoples.

The sovereignty of FNIM peoples is an important consideration for the Faculty as it engages in its Indigenization work.  The two-column format highlights areas of overlap and distinction in how the Faculty works with equity-deserving groups and FNIM peoples.

After the principles are adopted, the Faculty will engage working groups and develop the resources and structures needed to support all stakeholders’ collective responsibility to operationalize the principles. Initial activities will include:

• Identification of best practices
• Enabling grassroots efforts
• Establishing training and development programs connected to the principles
• Identification of Faculty level initiatives, goals, and actions

These efforts will take some time to implement in a sustainable manner that is consistent with the principles.

The principles were developed with the intention of being applicable to all students, staff, post-docs, and faculty members in the Faculty of Mathematics.  The principles are endorsed and supported by the Dean of Mathematics; all members of the Faculty of Mathematics are responsible for engaging in their work in a manner consistent with these principles. 

The Faculty Equity Officer develops training materials & resources and is available to consult with all members of the Faculty of Mathematics to help them incorporate the principles into their day-to-day work. 

The Faculty will be considering appropriate structures and resources to advance this work in a sustainable and incremental manner. In addition, Faculty leadership will identify Faculty level initiatives, goals, and actions to align with the principles.

Current plans are to review the principles at least every 5 years.

The drafting committee included representation from the Indigenous Knowledges and Anti-Racist Pedagogies unit within the Centre for Teaching Excellence and the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The Mathematics Equity Office is available for questions and concerns; you can contact the office at matheqcp@uwaterloo.ca. You can also contact the Faculty of Mathematics' Equity Officer at jeremy.steffler@uwaterloo.ca. 

Members of the University of Waterloo Community can book individual appointments to schedule a time to to discuss their questions or support needs.

Historically, terms such as “equity-denied groups”, “equity-seeking groups”, and “marginalized groups” have been used in place of the term “equity-deserving groups”, which has been gaining popularity in recent years.

Some stakeholders have expressed concern about the use of “equity-deserving". This term could be interpreted as implying that not all groups are deserving of equity. Most definitions of “equity-deserving groups” clarify that the term refers to groups that have been historically underrepresented or marginalized.

The term “equity-deserving” appears to have gained popularity over “marginalized” or “equity-seeking” as the latter terms position groups of people as being in a “deficit” or “lesser”, which can frame the narrative and perspectives surrounding these groups. Referring to groups as “equity deserving” shifts the narrative to focus on what people deserve as opposed to focusing on what people lack. This framing also highlights that the burden to address inequities and a lack of inclusion should not rest with those “marginalized” or “seeking equity” but through collective responsibility in engaging in the necessary systemic changes.

In light of the above, the term “equity-deserving groups” appeared to be more aligned with the principles than “equity-seeking”, “equity-denied” or “marginalized”. 

The University of Waterloo RDM Institutional Strategy & Implementation Plan provides great insight into this particular question. This document states, in part:

“The University of Waterloo respects and recognizes the sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples, Nations, and communities over research data produced by, with, for, and about them. This includes sovereignty over the collection, use, control, access, possession, and sharing of these data. These rights are recognized and upheld by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Waterloo acknowledges the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy statement regarding a distinctions-based approach to Indigenous Data Sovereignty:

“In line with the concept of Indigenous self-determination and in an effort to support Indigenous communities to conduct research and partner with the broader research community, the agencies recognize that data related to research by and with the First Nations, Métis, or Inuit whose traditional and ancestral territories are in Canada must be managed in accordance with data management principles developed and approved by these communities, and on the basis of free, prior, and informed consent.”

The Challenging Status Quo principle is meant to encourage reflection on how we are making deliberate efforts to identify barriers to advancing the principles in our current approaches.

The principle is not meant to encourage “change for the sake of change”, but rather, to discourage routine application of policies, processes, procedures, and other activities that may represent barriers to applying the principles.