These pillars support the strategic focus and priorities of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC).
Transdisciplinary research
Research at the ESRC adopts a sustainability science approach. We prioritize transdisciplinarity (defined as collaboration across academic disciplines and with partners outside of the university), close connections between the social and ecological, and solutions-oriented approaches. Faculty Affiliates join the ESRC from across all seven Faculties at Brock.
Academic programming
The ESRC offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including a Minor in Environmental Sustainability (ENSU) launched in 2017, a Master of Sustainability (SSAS) program inaugurated in 2014, a PhD in Sustainability Science (SSCI) introduced in 2022, as well as professional and continuing studies programming launched in the Fall of 2023. The SSAS program offers three learning pathways: a course-based option (12 months), a major research paper and co-operative education experience (16 months), and a thesis (24 months). The SSCI program was introduced in 2022, providing advanced research training via dissertation (4 years).
Engaging with community
The ESRC’s activities are underpinned by research, education, and community engagement. Formal agreements with leading research institutes, government agencies, and organizations enhance our impact. We aim to mobilize and share knowledge by engaging with diverse audiences including research users, students, policy makers, scholars, and local communities through a range of mediums.
Embracing intersectionality
Our Centre is committed to embracing the principles of intersectionality in all facets of our work. Intersectionality acknowledges that individuals hold multiple identities, shaped by various social factors such as race, gender, sexuality, class, and ability, and that these identities intersect to create unique experiences and perspectives (Crenshaw, 1991).
By centering intersectionality in our research, teaching, and community engagement activities, we aim to promote equity and social justice in addition to advancing knowledge and innovation. This Strategic Plan is a living document underpinned by the belief that by recognizing and addressing the complex interplay of power dynamics and identities, we can create a more inclusive and impactful research, teaching, and learning community that reflects the diversity in our society. Maintaining this strategic plan as a living document acknowledges our commitment to continuous learning, and as we do, are open to revising this document to reflect those learnings.
Acknowledging lands and impacts of settler colonization
While Indigenous Peoples and Black people in Canada have distinct yet interconnected experiences with colonization and racism, we acknowledge their history of enduring systemic oppression while actively resisting and challenging colonial forces.
Brock University and the ESRC acknowledge that the land on which we gather, work, teach, and learn is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples, many of whom continue to live and work here today. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement. Today this gathering place is home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit and acknowledging reminds us that our great standard of living is directly related to the resources and friendship of Indigenous people. We recognize the role we can take in advancing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, focusing on those which address education for reconciliation and advocating for others such as number 43 which calls for Canada’s adoption of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples framework for reconciliation and commitments to e.g., recognizing that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment (UNDRIP, 2007, pg. 4).
We acknowledge those who came here as settlers — as migrants either in this generation or in generations past — and those of us who came here involuntarily, particularly those brought to these lands as a result of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and enslavement. We pay tribute to ancestors of African origin and descent and thank them for their contributions towards transforming systems in ways that promote everyone’s sense of belonging and safety.
Focusing on equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA)
Our Centre’s work in equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility (EDIA), reconciliation, and decolonization is predicated upon the Ontario Human Rights Code that prevents discrimination based on the code grounds that are outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code (e.g., gender identity, ethnic origin, ancestry, race, colour, etc.).
We will uphold and adhere to the Accessibility for Ontario Disabilities Act, the Employment Equity Act, and Accessible Canada Act and align with their requirements internally within our Centre and in the ESRC’s activities more broadly. We also align our actions with the Scarborough Charter, to which Brock University is a signatory, and sets out principles to address anti-Black racism and promote Black inclusion in Canadian Universities, as well as the objectives and actions related to EDIA, reconciliation, and decolonization set out in Brock’s Strategic Plan 2018-2025, the Faculty of Social Sciences Strategic Plan 2021-2026, Brock’s Strategic Research Plan, and the Brock University Faculty Association’s (BUFA) Collective Agreement 2023-2026. Finally, we align our work with Brock’s commitment to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) that promotes transparent and inclusive hiring, promotion, and research assessment procedures.
