Focusing on equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism (EDI-R) in curriculum
Addresses objective: T1B Promote teaching and learning innovation and reduce systemic barriers
In 2021-2022, an external consultant worked with the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-racism, Office of the Associate Vice-President, Academic, and the Centre for Extended Learning (CEL), to develop seven comprehensive anti-racism and anti-oppression training modules for students, faculty, and staff. Several modules are tailored to different audiences and collectively they are designed to build competency and understanding of key concepts related to race, racism, intersectionality, and colonization by individuals completing at least the four most relevant to them. All members of the Waterloo community will learn this content, though students may cover it in different ways in different Faculties. This program will be piloted in fall 2022, and at the same time the associate deans undergraduate and graduate will identify the best way to incorporate the modules into academic programs in their faculties.
Additionally, Waterloo’s faculties of Health, Engineering and Science have hired Indigenous elders who are bringing Indigenous knowledges and traditions into each of the faculties. In 2020-2021 Waterloo’s Faculty of Engineering reimagined its architecture program to broaden perspectives to include Indigenous world views in architectural design. These redesigned programs were approved by the Senate in fall 2021. This initiative is part of a concerted effort across Waterloo, supported by Waterloo’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-racism Office to decolonize curriculum, address equity, and embrace anti-racist pedagogies.
EDI-R perspectives are also being explored systematically across all academic programs. The curriculum team at the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and their senior educational developer, Indigenous knowledges and anti-racist pedagogies, are working with Waterloo’s institutional quality assurance team to further integrate EDI-R perspectives into academic program reviews. Every year, about 15 per cent of programs are reviewed. This will mean that by about 2028-2029, all Waterloo programs will be systematically reviewed for inclusion of EDI-R perspectives. Additionally, individuals and departments are engaging in this work through intensive curriculum renewal projects and consultations with CTE staff. In 2021-2022, more than 125 instructors and staff from more than 50 departments across Waterloo engaged in teaching and learning work related to EDI-R with CTE staff. This work is complemented by the two new diplomas in Black Studies which were approved by the Senate, with first enrolment beginning in fall 2022.
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Moving forward: New EDI-R course modules will be implemented, and quality assurance EDI-R integration will continue. Further work to develop academic programs related to EDI-R themes, including additional academic programming in Black Studies, is ongoing.