Our Vision of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
Engineering and computer science serve to improve the well-being of all people, as we strive to evolve ethically and sustainably in all aspects of our lives. At its core, the work of the Gina Cody School draws its strength from its diversity.
Our vision is to achieve equity, diversity and inclusion in our physical and digital spaces as we nurture and enhance our collective growth.
Equity
Equity involves the recognition of historic and current inequalities in the university community. Equity is the fair treatment of all community members through the recognition and removal of institutionalized barriers, biases and obstacles that impede access or jeopardize opportunities for all to achieve their full potential.
Diversity
Diversity is the representation of different knowledge, worldviews, practices and experiences within a community. Individuals may hold diverse, intersecting identities along dimensions of race, Indigeneity, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age and abilities. Diversity allows for richer cognitive processing and exchange of information, and enriches the learning, working and living environment of the university as a whole.
Inclusion
Inclusion is achieved when all members of a community are inherently valued and welcomed and experience a sense of meaningful belonging. An inclusive learning, working and living university environment embraces differences and offers mutual respect in words and actions for all. Responsibility for inclusion is shared by all members of the community.
To guide us towards our goal, we are following the directions in the report released by Concordia’s Working Group on EDI which outlined three pillars of action:
- Recruiting and retaining a diverse community
- Supporting inclusive teaching, learning and research
- Fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive campus
We also commit to following the recommendations in the Indigenous Directions Action Plan, which outlines concrete steps towards the decolonization and Indigenization of our institution with the goal of co-creating a shared future based on responsibility, reciprocity and respect.
We acknowledge that Gina Cody School members are not immune to unconscious biases and we are committed to the hard work of addressing biases and systemic issues that confer privilege to some identities and create barriers for others.
As a community, we must continue to listen, learn and have open, possibly challenging, conversations to change the status quo. We each have a responsibility to foster an environment of respect and inclusion. Please join us in creating a culture we can all be proud of.
Respectfully,
Mourad Debbabi
Dean, Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science
Concordia University
Territorial acknowlegement
I/We would like to begin by acknowledging that Concordia University is located on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien’kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we gather today. Tiohtià:ke/Montréal is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections with the past, present and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and other peoples within the Montreal community.
