This post is an annotated bibliography. But rather than list citations in alphabetical order, I’ve organised them under subheadings comprised of research questions. As such, I provide a possible framework for a research project.

My [bibliographer’s] notes are in red or are otherwise noted.

Quotes are in preformatted boxes, scare quotes, or denoted as screen shots.

Download an non-annotated bibliography of resources used in this post here:

Inclusion BibliographyDownload

What is Inclusion?

What is Inclusive Excellence?

Inclusive Excellence Hiring

Inclusive Excellence Awards, Events, Speakers

University-Related Inclusive Excellence Organisations

Criticisms and Discussion

WHAT IS INCLUSION?

FEDERAL FUNDING AGENCIES

Canada Research Chairs (CRC)

 Inclusion is defined as the practice of ensuring that all individuals are valued and respected for their contributions and are equally supported. Ensuring chairholders are included and supported by the program is also fundamental to achieving research and training excellence.

New Frontiers in Research Fund

inclusion is defined as the practice of ensuring that all individuals are valued and respected for their contributions and are supported equitably in a culturally safe environment.

CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES

Carleton University

Bibliographer’s Note: i) “Each individual … can bring thier whole selves”. Perhaps grammar should count as a common objective. But who would know since no examples are given for ‘common objectives’. ii) Which ‘difference’ does Inclusion cultivate? 

 

Inclusion. Inclusion refers to the ongoing process of proactively cultivating difference so that each individual can bring their whole selves and achieve their full potential in service of common objectives.
  • Carleton University. “Inclusion,” Foundational Concepts, About Us, The Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities, Carleton University, https://carleton.ca/equity/about-us/, accessed September 18, 2023

MacEwan University

Inclusion is the shared responsibility of the community to ensure that all individuals are valued and respected for their contributions, have a sense of belonging, and feel welcome within the community.

We support inclusion at MacEwan through events like Pride Week, initiatives through our Office of Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion and our Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity.

York University/Université

INCLUSION

Inclusion refers to enabling all individuals on our campuses to fully enjoy the opportunities the University offers creating a sense of belonging.

Inclusion means that we value and cultivate full and meaningful engagement of historically and structurally excluded individuals and groups in a healthy and affirming climate.

Inclusion is “the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity — in people, in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in communities (intellectual, social, cultural, geographical) with which individuals might connect — in ways that increase one’s awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication, and empathic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within value systems and institutions.” (Association of American Colleges and Universities).

Inclusion also means actively identifying and addressing oppression and discrimination.8 Racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of discriminatory behaviour can take on overt and covert, direct and indirect, intentional and unintentional forms at both the individual and organizational levels. Similar grounds for discrimination may be perpetrated and experienced differently by different communities or individuals; for instance Muslim and Jewish individuals may experience discrimination on the basis of religious or political grounds or both but these forms of discrimination may manifest differently.

Inclusion establishes an environment in which all individuals and communities are able to thrive in authentic ways, which includes fostering a sense of belonging. Moreover, an inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences, for example religious and political differences, so that all people can participate fully in university life.

York is committed to the advancement of inclusion, addressing discrimination and creating environments where individuals feel welcomed, respected, supported and valued. (10)

Bibliographer’s note: The following is a footnote to the above entry. I’d be interested to see how the CHRC would defend an American ex-pat York academic pardoned for his role in the Jan 6 Capitol Attack and who is denied a university room to host pro-Trump discussion groups tracking Trump’s indictments. Or if the ProSwastika organisation was forbidden from making a human formation of a giant Swastika on York’s lawn for Swastika Reclamation Day: Proswastika, https://www.proswastika.org, accessed September 18, 2023. I’d like to see how inclusive York would be in each of these two cases. Remember that York had trouble with Swastika chalk drawings and an antisemitic message found in a classroom in 2017: Miller, Adam. Police investigating after swastikas found in York University classroom,” Global News, March 1, 2017, https://globalnews.ca/news/3280665/police-investigating-after-swastikas-found-in-york-university-classroom/, accessed September 18, 2023

8 The Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) defines discrimination as an action or a decision that treats a person or a group negatively for such reasons as race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex (which includes pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, disability (which includes mental health disorders), genetic characteristics or a conviction for which a pardon has been granted or a record suspended.

Université du Québec à Montréal (UQUÀM)

Inclusion 

Les définitions relatives à l’équité, la diversité et l’inclusion sont en évolution. Nous vous proposons ci-dessous une définition basée notamment sur celle du Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CSRNG), tirée du Guide du candidat : Tenir compte de l’équité, de la diversité et de l’inclusion dans votre demande. 

Définition 

L’inclusion se rapporte à la création d’un environnement où tous les gens sont respectés de manière équitable et ont accès aux mêmes possibilités. À l’échelle de l’organisation, l’inclusion exige qu’on recense et supprime les obstacles (physiques ou procéduraux, visibles ou invisibles, intentionnels ou non intentionnels) qui nuisent à la participation et à la contribution des personnes. Elle exige également une affirmation des valeurs et des principes d’équité, de justice et de respect en se montrant ouverts à différentes opinions et perspectives, en acquérant une compréhension des autres cultures, expériences et communautés et en faisant un effort conscient pour être accueillants, serviables et respectueux de tous.

Bibliographer’s note. The ‘authentic self’ talk that follows in the excerpts below is puppy ca-ca. Sometimes, for the good of ourselves and others, our ‘authentic’ selves are best left at home. Here’s your research team: Sondra is bath-fasting for a month for her alt-Wiccan Holy Literally-Earth days and she refuses to wear deodorant. Or sanitary pads. Sondra is also a free-bleeder. Jim is a haemophiliac who suffers anxiety attacks during Sondra’s monthlies. William is fascinated by vampires and his desk is covered with Dracula memorabilia. His lab coat is a modified black cape. And Nolindra, a deliberate slow-talker, relates every conversation to her very large spoon collection. Including the 911 call she places for the unfortunate injury Jim sustained from a broken glass beaker after slipping in something wet on the floor. Jim’s replacement, Maria Consuelo, cries and breaks out in nerve-induced hives for her entire first week on the job. Throwing herself into research as an avoidance tactic, Maria does all the work for the team’s first published paper. And every paper thereafter. 

Les stratégies qui visent l’inclusion dépassent les stratégies en équité ou les stratégies d’intégration. En effet, l’inclusion se focalise sur l’élimination des obstacles à travers la transformation des milieux plutôt que sur le fait d’outiller les individus pour dépasser les obstacles. L’inclusion est une responsabilité collective alors que l’intégration fait reposer la responsabilité sur les individus. Travailler pour l’inclusion signifie que l’on accepte de modifier l’environnement d’apprentissage, de recherche ou de travail pour que chaque personne puisse exprimer son plein potentiel.

Plus concrètement, l’inclusion porte sur la création d’un climat sécuritaire et positif au sein d’équipes. Le potentiel et les contributions de chaque personne peuvent y être mis de l’avant. De même, chaque personne peut se permettre d’être authentique, c’est-à-dire qu’elle n’a pas besoin de cacher une partie de son identité. Lorsqu’une personne doit cacher une partie de son identité pour intégrer une équipe et y contribuer, on parlera d’ « assimilation ». Les équipes de travail où les membres peuvent se permettre d’être authentiques pourront faire mieux, aller plus loin ou être plus innovantes que les équipes où les membres ne peuvent se le permettre (Nishii, 2019).
  • Université du Québec à Montréal. “Inclusion,” Pour une université inclusive, Équité, diversité, inclusion, Université du Québec à Montréal, https://edi.uqam.ca/lexique/inclusion/, accessed September 18, 2023

University of Alberta

Bibliographer’s note: What is meant by “meaningful” and “meaningfully” ? A few examples would not go amiss. 

Inclusion means that we value and cultivate full and meaningful engagement of historically and structurally excluded individuals and groups. Inclusion refers to enabling all individuals on our campuses to fully enjoy the opportunities the university has to offer, and to have all equity- seeking groups meaningfully represented in all aspects of university life and decision-making roles university wide.(6)

University of British Columbia

Bibliographer’s note: I suppose “inclusion” and “Indigenization/Decolonization” come a little too close to ‘assimilation’ for some people. 

Inclusion 

Inclusion is an active, intentional, and continuous process to address inequities in power and privilege, and to build a respectful and diverse community that ensures welcoming spaces and opportunities to flourish for all. (Source: Association of American Colleges & Universities (external link), Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (external link))

Explore context & usage It is important to note that inclusion and Indigenization/Decolonization are two seemingly related concepts with distinct histories, contexts, and frames of reference. It cannot be assumed inclusion is a substitute for Indigenization/Decolonization.

A frequent critique of inclusion when the concept used alone (instead of in conjunction with other concepts such as equity or justice) is that it centers dominant groups, who have the power to include HPSM groups (or not) instead of questioning or seeking to transform the power structures that give more power to some groups more than others.

University of Guelph

Inclusion – The practice of using proactive measures to create an environment where people feel welcomed, respected, and valued, and to foster a sense of belonging and engagement.

And what might these “proactive measures” be? Perhaps Coerced Inclusion, leading to Coercive Excellence? Read on:

Jessica Smith reports on the 2020 implementation of EDI/Antiracism training at U of Guelph,

“Students are expected to compete the training by the end of this semester. There is no penalty for not completing it, but students will not be able to participate in any university-sponsored activities until it’s done.”

If Smith has reported correctly, then:

a) “There is no penalty for not completing it”
b) “students will not be able to participate in any university-sponsored activities until it’s done” 

(b) is punishment, and so falsifies (a)

Note that to complete the test, you have to give the correct answers!

As Anam Khan reports,

 “Participants are required to pass a quiz after they complete the training module.”

University of Regina

Glossary Term: 

Definition: 
Inclusion From the Conference Board of Canada Report on Diversity: Priorities, Practices and Performance in Canadian Organizations: "Inclusion is an attribute of organizational culture characterized by a demonstrated commitment to diversity. In an inclusive organization, all employees' contributions are valued, recognized and rewarded. Inclusiveness also refers to the extent to which an organization fosters interaction, communication, knowledge-sharing and decision-making. An organization with an inclusive culture distributes accountability and responsibility for diversity across all employees and organizational levels."

University of Toronto

Inclusion is the creation of an environment where everyone shares a sense of belonging, is treated with respect, and is able to fully participate

WHAT IS INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE?

“Subject: Race on Campus: ‘Inclusive Excellence’ Is Everywhere. What Does It Mean?”

Bibliographer’s note: I can’t access this article. But it looks interesting and pertinent to this bibliography. 

Welcome to Race on Campus. Twenty years ago the phrase “inclusive excellence” was introduced in higher education. Now, colleges use it to describe, among other things, strategic plans and job titles. But what does the phrase actually mean? And are colleges acting on the values of “inclusive excellence”? Sarah Brown has more.

UNIVERSITIES CANADA

equity-diversity-inclusion-principles-universities-canada-oct-2017Download

DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY 

2. Inclusive Excellence

In support of our unwavering commitment to excellence, we aspire to be an accessible destination employer and the national leader in championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We will prioritize wellness and respect and continue to support and empower our people to achieve their career aspirations; we will recognize individuals and teams for their innovations and successes; and we will all be people-focused and accountable at all levels of the institution.

MacEWAN UNIVERSITY

Inclusive Excellence: 

At the core of this is our goal of inclusive excellence. We define inclusive excellence as the implementation and integration of equity, diversity and inclusion in our classrooms, research and administration. This concept is woven through everything we do and is a key element in our strategic vision, Teaching Greatness.

We are learning from persons most impacted by noninclusive practices to guide our actions. This commitment will require cultural shifts at all levels of the organization and will occur over time.

These cultural shifts are further inspired and influenced by our location in the municipal ward of O-day’min. With our active commitment to inclusive excellence, we aim to honour our place in the ward – and to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

Bibliographer’s note: “EDI accelerator team” sounds like a term for a propaganda distribution mechanism.

EDI accelerator team

We have established a consultative body, the EDI accelerator team, to advise the university on EDI initiatives across the university. Our EDI accelerator team consists of members of the MacEwan community with expertise in specific areas of EDI. Their knowledge helps them to implement EDI-related programs and initiatives across campus.

They are providing training and coaching opportunities to ensure that staff and faculty are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to support EDI efforts and issues. The accelerator team also aims to create resources to educate students in relation to EDI, freedom of expression, instructor academic freedom and understanding language which will help students develop competencies to engage in academic discourse where multiple viewpoints are discussed and aid in developing thought leadership in our graduates.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY (SFU)

Bibliographers notes: Will this “all of us” include dissenters-from and critics-of of EDI? 

Inclusive Excellence 

Simon Fraser University is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive community where all feel welcome, safe, accepted and appreciated. We recognize that to do this effectively means to align our work towards academic quality, diversity and inclusion, and organizational excellence. It will take all of us, working together to maintain an environment of inclusive excellence that we can be proud to be part of.

Are these “expectations” policed, and by whom? 

Our Expectations 

We expect all within the SFU community and those who access our premises to make every effort to help us maintain our commitment to inclusive excellence. The following expectations align our commitments to academic quality, organizational excellence and a culture where we achieve equitable outcomes for all who work, live, teach and learn at SFU.
WE WILL ACHIEVE A CULTURE OF INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE BY: 

1. UPHOLDING OUR SFU VALUES Our values guide us as individuals and as an institution. Given the recent refresh of our values and commitments outlined in What’s Next: The SFU Strategy, we are working to embed these values in every decision and every action, and hold ourselves accountable for doing so.

2. EMBODYING A CULTURE OF INQUIRY We commit to a culture of inquiry where the free and critical discussion of ideas are exercised responsibly, in ways that recognize and respect the dignity of others. Academic freedom allows us to ask hard questions to advance knowledge and understanding on a wide range of topics from a wide range of perspectives, so long as we maintain a safe and respectful dialogue for all when doing so. Adapted from CAUT Policy Statement on Academic Freedom and the SFU Faculty Association Collective Agreement. 

3. CREATING A POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT We model behaviour that demonstrates respect for each other and ensures other members of the university community can learn, live and work in a positive and constructive environment.

4. ZERO-TOLERANCE FOR BULLYING AND HARASSMENT Bullying and harassment of any kind is prohibited at SFU. All members of the university community are expected to refrain from engaging in or condoning bullying and harassment and take action to minimize or prevent its occurrence.

5. CONTRIBUTE PERSONALLY AND SYSTEMICALLY TO THE PREVENTION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION An environment in which discrimination based on personal characteristics is neither acceptable nor tolerated allows for the full and free participation of all members of the university community. We will work together to contribute to the reduction and prevention of discrimination at SFU.

6. PROMOTE THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF INDIVIDUALS AND THE COMMUNITY. We recognize the diversity of the university community and understand that each person will be affected differently by physical or psychological incidents or risks. We value and promote the health and well-being of our community, working collaboratively to enhance safety of students, faculty, staff, contractors, visitors and the public. Adapted from GP 44, Campus Public Safety Mandate and the Steering Committee on Personal Safety. 

TORONTO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, TMU (FORMERLY RYERSON UNIVERSITY, RU)

Bibliographer’s Note: What is a “culture of care”? I suspect the people who write these EDI blurbs don’t stop to think that some of the phrases they use come across as infantilising to some, and even creepy to others. E.g. “Promote the creation of a culture of care” sounds like a cult tract or a line from a dystopian novel. 

Resources and tools to promote awareness, education and action in the advancement of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) in academic recruitment and evaluation at TMU
Welcome to the OVPFA's page on inclusive excellence in academic life at TMU. In our learning sessions, we promote the creation of a culture of care. 

This entails individual and collective responsibility towards awareness, education, action and outcomes. We encourage all faculty, including those serving as equity advocates to explore these resources and to visit this page regularly for new content.

Screenshot of some of the resources and tools available on the OVPFA’s page, September 19, 2023:

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (UBC)

Inclusive Excellence 

Inclusive Excellence (IE) is a systems-wide approach to equity, diversity and inclusion. IE states that true excellence in an institution is unattainable without inclusion – and in fact, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to excellence. It moves away from historical approaches to diversity that focused on numbers and representation. Instead, IE helps us think about the institution as a vibrant community that can create excellence by embedding diversity throughout the institution.

Explore context & usage

The Inclusive Excellence (IE) model is grounded in work from the American Association of Colleges & Universities (Source: Williams, Berger & McClendon (2005), Toward a Model of Inclusive Excellence and Change in Post-Secondary Institutions (external link)). Universities Canada adopted Inclusive Excellence principles in 2017. IE appears as a key strategy in Shaping UBC’s Next Century: 2018-2028 Strategic Plan.

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (UBC)

Bibliographer’s notes: i) What is “true” excellence (under Strategy 4, sentence beginning “IE states…”)? And is this true excellence diametrically opposed to false excellence? How does “excellence” differ from “true excellence”?

ii) If this — I assume is meant by “it” — inclusive excellence will not focus on “numbers and representation” (sentence following, (i)), then which metric will be used to decide if and when inclusive excellence obtains? Will one, cf the Beach Boys, pick up Good Vibrations (You Tube) from this ideal “vibrant community” (last sentence, Strategy 4.)?

iii) Under Guiding Principles (below), “Inclusion is more than just numbers.” a) Is the student wearing the MAGA hat (You Tube, September 15, 2016) welcomed at Mount Royal University, and does he “[enrich] the learning environment”? Is this same student welcomed at UBC? b) Their [students’?] wellbeing matters to whom? ‘Matters’ requires an indexical. What are the criteria for “wellbeing”? 

Inclusive Excellence at UBC

Inclusive Excellence (IE) is a systems-wide approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion. IE appears as a key strategy in Shaping UBC’s Next Century (Strategic Plan 2018 – 2028).

Strategy 4. Inclusive excellence

Cultivate a diverse community that creates and sustains equitable and inclusive campuses.

IE states that true excellence in an institution is unattainable without inclusion – and in fact, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to excellence. It moves away from historical approaches to diversity that focused on numbers and representation. Instead, IE helps us think about the institution as a vibrant community that can create excellence by embedding diversity throughout UBC.

Guiding Principles

Making excellence inclusive is a strategy and a practice, with the goal of achieving Inclusive Excellence at UBC.

The work we do to address inequities at UBC and to create a supportive campus for all students is premised on the following five principles.1,2

Cultural and social differences of learners enrich and enhance the University.
A welcoming campus community actively engages all of its diversity in the service of student and institutional learning.

Excellence cannot be achieved without inclusion.
We need structural and systemic support for all students, faculty, and staff in order for students to thrive, and for the university to achieve excellence in research and teaching.

Inclusion is more than just numbers.
It is not enough to welcome students from all backgrounds; their experience enriches the learning environment, and their wellbeing while attending matters.

Systems-change must be prioritized.
We need to examine policies, procedures, and practices, and set up measurable outcomes to keep the university accountable.

Collaboration and partnerships are key to success.
The Equity & Inclusion Office works collaboratively with partners and builds upon existing strengths.

UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA (1 of 2)

Bibliographer’s note: So, uOttawa is inclusive but it’s working on being more inclusive — more inclusive than what? 

We are working toward a more inclusive university community that recognizes that excellence in inclusion is essential to best advance research and education.

Bibliographer’s note: And here, as follows, is an example of bafflegab: 

“The work of anti-racism is to enable people to critically situate themselves in time and space and at the same time, question the adequacy of that location, to fully humanize themselves and others,...” 

Awad Ibrahim, Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive Excellence

AND

UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA (2 of 2)

Bibliographer’s note. More bafflegab, as follows: 

Fostering and celebrating excellence, equity, diversity and inclusiveness within our research community and in our research approaches is one of the main directions and objectives of the University of Ottawa Strategic Areas of Research.

We foster transformational change in research

By valuing a plurality of visions, ideas, and ways of being in research;Strengthening EDI skills through proactive exchange and learning spaces; By advancing a culture of self-reflection on the systemic factors that contribute to excellence in research.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO SCARBOROUGH

Bibliographer’s Note: i) Do these global leaders “disrupt” or uphold the status quo? What is the status quo if all universities subscribe to EDI? Wouldn’t people who disrupt the status quo be EDI dissenters? ii) “Transformative change” is redundant. iii) Claims that something, e.g. advancing transformative change, is “for the good of all” are patently false. Straight-white-men-need-not-apply is not good for the man, otherwise qualified for the job, who fits this description. There are always losers in “for the good of all” initiatives. 

Vision

The University of Toronto Scarborough is the embodiment of inclusive excellence, 
a bold community of conscientious and adaptable global leaders in scholarship, innovation, teaching, and learning, who constructively disrupt the status quo, connect the world, and advance transformative change for the good of all.(13)

Bibliographer’s Note: Second paragraph, third sentence, below. i) The following claim is incoherent: “…every … potential member … of our UTSC family feels a genuine sense of belonging….” A Canadian infant is a potential member UTSC but cannot feel a sense of belonging to UTSC. ii) What is a genuine sense of belonging compared with a sense of belonging? 

We strive to make our campus a place where everyone is welcome and has an opportunity
— and a responsibility — to contribute to the advancement of our common humanity and to the generation of the best ideas for addressing our local and global challenges. As a campus
of the University of Toronto, which has a global reputation for being at the forefront of knowledge co-creation, sharing, and dissemination, we recognize our role in valuing and engaging with the knowledge systems and experiences of our diverse communities, including Indigenous ways of knowing, made possible through sincere engagement with Indigenous elders, knowledge-keepers, and communities.

It is within this spirit that we chose to undertake a strategic planning exercise with the primary goal of inspiring inclusive excellence. This means embracing and promoting the enriching contributions that come from the diverse backgrounds, ways of knowing, ideas, perspectives, and experiences represented in our community. In order to attain and sustain our goal of inclusive excellence, it is imperative that we go beyond diversity and create an environment where every potential and current member of our UTSC family feels a genuine sense of belonging and is given an equitable opportunity to make their best contribution to our academic mission. Inclusion, then, is not tangential to what we do; it is a core prerequisite for realizing our vision.(6)

The strategic planning process was a model of inclusive excellence.

Bibliographer’s Note: The following two passages illustrate Jingoistic rhetoric by their hyper-competitive, horn-blowing posturing: 

As a consequence of the tremendous dedication by the working groups, we have a plan that will enable our campus to signifcantly augment the University of Toronto’s global stature as one remarkable research and learning institution with three distinct campuses. We will do so based on a shared and coherent set of values, priorities, strategic directions, and initiatives that support our vision of a bold future of inclusive excellence. That future is characterized by a campus that is more innovative and more progressive than ever before, offering a breadth of high-quality and accessible programs; attracting and inspiring the best minds from everywhere; enjoying a reputation for global prominence in several unique areas of scholarship; embracing its role as an anchor institution; and leading partnerships that connect communities, generate solutions, and enhance social justice.(7)[Bolding theirs]



Our commitment to inclusive excellence attracts the brightest learners, scholars, and employees from around the globe. Equity is core to our campus essence, is the basis of the innovation that we are known for, and is the fuel that will enable us to continue leading into the future.(10)

Bibliographer’s Note: Note the smarmy, hyperbolic rhetoric, “We will … cherish, and be absolutely proud of.” 

Let us now proceed on this bold and exciting journey together to realize University of Toronto Scarborough’s vision of inclusive excellence in support of our shared future – one that we co-create, co-own, cherish, and will absolutely be proud of.(7)

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA

Bibliographer’s note: “Celebrating”? How? 

Inclusive excellence means supporting, celebrating and affirming how diversity can deepen learning, enhance critical thinking and problem solving, and fuel creativity and innovation in our teaching and learning, research and artistic enquiry, professional service, and community engagement within our Faculty of Education, and beyond.

In achieving both equity-as-fairness and inclusive excellence, we commit to exposing colonial and settler dominance in its many forms, including educational practices that we share (e.g., student recruitment, staff/faculty recruitment, tenure and promotion, teacher education,
and unit and program curricula). We also commit to implementing decolonizing, anti-racist and anti-oppressive strategies to create culturally safe and inclusive teaching, learning
and work spaces that support everyone to thrive and reach their potential. We are a Faculty that educates for and encourages respect, kindness, compassion, curiosity and belonging, with one principal limit: acts that incite hatred, espouse or encourage bigotry, sexism, racism, discrimination, oppression, or any form of violence either implied or explicit will not be tolerated.

INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE HIRING

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY

"Laurier has taken a step toward Indigenization and reconciliation and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) by hiring six new Black faculty members and four new Indigenous faculty members to Laurier through the Inclusive Excellence initiative with additional appointments of two Indigenous scholars in the coming year. These scholars will enhance research and teaching excellence at Laurier and strengthen collaborative and interdisciplinary initiatives....The Inclusive Excellence initiative is part of Laurier’s broader Faculty Rejuvenation efforts to advance strategic academic and research goals, enhance academic excellence and student experience, and strengthen collaborative and interdisciplinary initiatives.

It is one of a series of policy changes and initiatives aimed at addressing systemic racism, and fulfills commitments Laurier made in its Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity Action Plan, and in signing the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canada. It also aligns with the vision set in the Laurier Strategy 2019-2024, which calls for accelerated efforts to Indigenize the university and foster a more inclusive community.

We are truly passionate about this initiative, and our efforts to intentionally build a thriving community. As a multi-campus, multi-community university, Laurier is known for offering unique programs that make each campus its own, while retaining the essence of Laurier's strong community culture that binds us together.

We are excited to engage with scholars and further enhance the university's diverse ways of engaging community, teaching, research and scholarship. As one of a series of policy changes and initiatives to address systemic racism outlined in Laurier’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Indigeneity Action Plan, aimed at addressing systemic racism, the available positions align with the inclusive community and Indigeneity themes as part of the university’s broader efforts to advance strategic academic and research goals and enhance academic excellence and student experience."

UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY

The University of Calgary is looking to improve the diversity of its faculty, and will be hiring dozens of professors over the next three years through a new program.

The Inclusive Excellence Cluster Hiring Initiative aims to attract 45 professors to a range of fields in the school. Job postings are specifically targeted towards equity-deserving groups including women, Indigenous and racialized people, as well as people with disabilities.
Malinda Smith, vice-provost and associate vice-president of research at the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion says it will also improve the experience for students.

"It will enhance the student experience by enabling our students to have access to, and to see themselves reflected in the professoriate, and to experience different ways of knowing and a plurality of knowledges in the classroom," she said. 

"I think we are excited by it. I think it's transformative, I think it's bold, it's visionary, and I think it's precisely what we need to be doing in this moment."

INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE AWARDS, EVENTS, SPEAKERS

2023 WORKSHOPS LED BY IMOGEN COE: UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO & ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO

"Waterloo researchers are invited to register for Creating Inclusive Excellence in Research through Inclusive Leadership, taking place on Thursday, April 13, 2023, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Federation Hall.

This workshop will be led by Imogen Coe, one of Canada’s leading advocates for organizational change towards inclusive excellence in research, and Ana Sofía Barrows, who has co-ordinated multiple initiatives focused on advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and has spoken publicly about the lack of diversity in STEM and academia, privilege, and allyship.

Interactive sessions will cover systemic barriers in research and how they limit innovation, creativity and diverse approaches to complex problems. Tools and strategies for identifying and removing barriers to inclusion, creating cultures of care to attract, retaining and promoting diverse talent will also be covered. Please register to attend as seating is limited."

AND

ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Imogen Coe for a presentation on: Centering equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in research culture to drive inclusive excellence 

Research is typically conducted in organizational and disciplinary cultures that reflect the structural and systemic racism, sexism, ableism and homophobia present in society. Research cultures continue to be constrained by the myth of meritocracy which limits inclusion and stifles creativity.

To move towards research cultures that reflect inclusive excellence we must address the structural inequities, challenge the status quo and be intentional about developing strategies that attract, retain, support and promote the widest breadth of research, talent and ideas. This talk will discuss building the toolkit for change and suggest actions that individuals or institutions can take towards sustainable inclusive excellence in research.
BIO [Coe] is much in demand as a speaker and panelist, and has received numerous awards for her advocacy work, most recently, the 2022 Canadian Science Policy Centre Trailblazer (Policy for Science) Award. https://imogencoeconsulting.ca/.

AND

IMOGEN COE

Dr. Coe is internationally recognized as a Canadian thought leader in the area of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She has advised academia, government and industry on best practices and approaches to improve EDI in STEM, particularly in the Canadian post-secondary education (PSE) sector.  She has written and spoken about these issues extensively for platforms such as the Globe and Mail, iPolitics and the CBC.... She is much in demand as a consultant, expert speaker, panelist and advisor. 

Inclusive Excellence Award: uCalgary

The Award for Inclusive Excellence aims to recognize those educators who are doing this necessary work, launched in response to the completion of the Research and Teaching Awards: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan. The award is offered at the individual, team and unit levels to educators who demonstrate the University of Calgary's commitment to achieving equitable and accessible learning environments and experiences.

UNIVERSITY-RELATED INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE ORGANISATIONS

EXCELLENCE CANADA

Elevate your organization’s performance with the Organizational Excellence Standard, a comprehensive framework designed to drive continuous improvement and excellence across all aspects of your operations.

What We Do

Support Your Journey to Organizational Excellence

Excellence Canada offers a full suite of programs and services to get you started on your journey towards excellence. While our teams can help you make today’s vision tomorrow’s reality, that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what we can do together.

PARTNERING WITH EXCELLENCE CANADA

Bibliographer’s Note: Note the focus on Health and Wellness in the following excerpt. This focus likely contributes to the tension between safety & harm and academic freedom on Canadian campuses. 

It’s a proven fact. Partnership is the improvement model that has worked well for Canadian organizations for over 20 years. It ensures that you, as a Partner in Excellence who is committed to improving performance, get all the help you need to succeed.

We assist you and your team in the achievement of your strategic goals through assessment, coaching, training, and certification against the Excellence, Innovation and Wellness® Standard, the Healthy Workplace® Standard, or the Mental Health at Work Framework.

Become a Partner with Canada’s not-for-profit authority on organizational excellence and you will be profiled as an advocate of Excellence, Innovation and Wellness. You have first access to leading practices and tools that ensure your improvement journey is rewarding, successful, and sustained.

Join us today and you will be supporting an important national initiative as well as providing your own customers, employees, suppliers, and other vital stakeholders with tangible evidence of your organization’s commitment to excellence.

Excellence Canada offers five levels of partnership to match the needs of all organizations. The benefits are substantial in the form of mentoring, networking with peers, access to tools and information, and substantial savings. 

UNIVERSITY PARTNERS OF EXCELLENCE CANADA

Carleton University, founding partner
Queen's University, founding partner
Guelph University, founding partner
University of Waterloo, founding partner
McGill University
University of Ottawa
University of Calgary
University of Alberta

CANADA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Since 1984, Canada’s most coveted organizational awards program for recognizing outstanding achievement. The Governor General of Canada is the Patron of the Canada Awards for Excellence program.
The Standard of Excellence

The Canada Awards for Excellence is the nation’s pre-eminent recognition of organizational excellence award.

The Canada Awards for Excellence program involves meeting and exceeding rigorous standards and requirements, demonstration of continual improvement, measurement of progress, and verification. To receive the Award, an organization must demonstrate outstanding performance in the appropriate award category: Excellence, Innovation and Wellness, Healthy Workplace, Mental Health at Work and Financial Wellness.

The recipients are role models of excellence in the areas of leadership, governance, strategy, planning, customer experience, employee engagement, innovation and wellness. The organizations come from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, from coast-to-coast. Each has a unique story to tell of their excellence journey, but one thing they all have in common is a focus on continuous improvement and the pursuit of excellence.
2022 [University] Award Recipients: The University of British Columbia; uOttawa 

2020-2021 [University] Award Recipients: Carleton University; McGill; University of Calgary 

2019 [University] Award Recipients: Carleton University; University of Guelph;  University of Waterloo 

2017 [University] Award Recipients: Carleton University (3); University of Calgary; University of Waterloo (4)

EXCELLENCE CANADA AND THE INCLUSION PROJECT PARTNER UP

Through a strategic alliance for employment equity and organizational excellence, The Inclusion Project (TIP) and Excellence Canada (EC) are supporting Canada’s top organizations, institutions, and stakeholders to advance racial equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) across public and private sectors.

...“Our goal is to further inclusion, innovation, and leadership through partnership and collaboration among organizations, communities, and institutions across Canada; we are excited to be furthering these through this partnership,” said Ruth Mojeed, Chief Equity Officer of The Inclusion Project.

...TIP and EC will report on and award organizations leading in “REDI” excellence, with models for REDI innovation, leadership, and representation, through the Canada Awards for Excellence program.

THE INCLUSION PROJECT

What is the Inclusion Project? 

The Inclusion Project (TIP) aims to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in Canadian society by actively engaging partners and decisionmakers, through research, knowledge development and community. Our Accessibility, Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (AREDI+) process takes an intersectional and iterative approach to addressing complex issues of race-based, gendered and other forms of discrimination. Our Anti-Racism Anti-Harassment (ARAH) framework covers specific action to eliminate behaviors and policies that may prevent racialized Canadians and newcomers to Canada from accessing equitable opportunities based on racial, gendered and (dis)ability-based discrimination.  

TIP connects evidence-based research with specific organizational frameworks for advancing  AREDI+ and an ARAH framework across operational and strategic organizational functions. We provide racial and gender data analytics with targeted benchmarks for solutions design, implementation, and progress tracking. Our delivery process covers the range of baseline assessment to strategic action, roadmap development and orientation towards systemic and structural change. TIP also provide toolkits, and resources to help individuals, teams and organizations implement changes and make decisions that impact the lives and livelihood of different equity-deserving groups.
Our [University] Partners 

Royal Roads University 

Simon Fraser University 

University of Victoria 

[University members of] Excellence Canada

CRITICISMS AND DISCUSSION

“The excellence dilemma”

Excellence is no longer unanimously lauded in the academic community. Its shifting meaning is at the heart of the debate on whether equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) should be used as criteria in public research funding.

“The precarious practice of cluster hiring” 

[A]rguments from either disciplinary experts in academic departments or senior administrators about recruitment priorities that rely on a kind of moral high ground are quite suspect. The challenge for universities is to strike two kinds of balances when it comes to faculty hiring. The first is between respecting departmental autonomy while maintaining real safeguards against dysfunctional cultures that undermine academic standards. The second is between inducing change and innovation while supporting continuity where it is needed. Cluster hiring may be a useful tool towards inducing change, but the tired rhetoric that paints departments as ‘silos’, disciplines as narrow, and implementers as disinterested innovators is simplistic and unhelpful.

“‘Inclusive excellence’ a flawed idea”

Bibliographer’s Note: This short article is dated, but raises pertinent ongoing concerns about Inclusive Excellence. 

Notice that inherent in the term “excellence” is a standard by which to make the evaluation. As such, it is necessarily selective – it acts to distinguish between and exclude achievements based on a certain standard.

The term “inclusive excellence,” however, becomes an oxymoron. By packaging the terms together it puts over the idea that “inclusion” is a type of excellence independent of any standard. In doing so, it primarily functions to undercut the concept of excellence and the need for standards.

“The Exclusivity of Inclusive Excellence” 

Andrea Y. Simpson reflects on how the phrase, as interpreted at so many institutions, can undermine the goals of diversity and inclusivity, as well as limit the scope of first-rate scholarship.