Brock’s EDI strategy consists of five identified goals: 

1. Ensure that equity, diversity, and inclusion are embedded in institutional strategic planning. 
2. Regularly gather relevant data regarding the needs of designated employment equity-seeking groups. 
3. Promote diversity across the complement of Canada Research Chairholders. 
4. Create a supportive and inclusive workplace for Chairholders. 
5. Support the research aspirations of and engagement with racialized scholars, with a focus on supporting Indigenous and Black scholars. 

Brock’s strategy consists of a combination of broad and targeted communications, engagement with key stakeholders, and ongoing training. In particular, the strategy includes:

• Public web page: The web page recognizes the University’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion within the CRCP and the broader research enterprise, highlights its benefits, and includes all relevant information and documentation related to this commitment.
• Communication to all Faculties: A communication was sent to all Faculties iterating Brock University’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. This communication highlighted the steps the institution is taking towards ensuring fair representation of all groups among our Canada Research Chairs and across our research enterprise, and also reiterates the agreement between the University and the Brock University Faculty Association that the University is better able to advance its essential functions, namely the pursuit, creation, and dissemination of knowledge through teaching and research, if members of designated groups are well represented in the bargaining unit.
• Engagement with stakeholders: Brock’s Vice President, Research and Director, Research Services met with key stakeholders to educate and engage them in this initiative, including the Brock University Faculty Association and the Senate Research and Scholarship Policy Committee.
• Training: As per the Equity Diversity and Inclusion Practices established by the Canada Research Chairs program, mandatory unconscious bias training, is offered to all faculty and staff involved in the recruitment and nomination of Chair holders.

Approval Authority

This EDI Action Plan has been approved by the Provost and Vice-President, Academic and the CRC Selection Committee, and is aligned with Brock University’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030 and the 2023–2026 Collective Agreement Between Brock University and the Brock University Faculty Association (BUFA).

Administrative Lead

The Vice-President, Research is the administrative lead for coordinating the development and implementation of this EDI Action Plan. The CRC Selection Committee with resource support administers the Action Plan; its functions include information gathering, and implementing revisions and updates. The Vice-President, Research reports on the EDI Action Plan on an annual basis to the Senior Administrative Council (SAC), the body that oversees and monitors performance and progress on institutional plans and objectives, and to the Research and Scholarship Policy Committee of Senate (R&SPC). Brock’s President and Vice-Presidents take collective responsibility for ensuring that employment policies, practices, and procedures are consistent with the Employment Equity Strategy, and for achieving Employment Equity in their respective divisions. Faculty Deans and Associate Deans are responsible for the day-to-day implementation of this Plan and its principles within their respective areas.

SAC’s mandate encompasses reviewing and advising the President on matters of strategic planning. SAC is well-positioned to provide executive oversight on EDI Action Plan outcomes, given the extent to which EDI is embedded in Brock’s Strategic Plan and its accompanying implementation plans. It is a central body that will ensure that progress toward Brock’s EDI goals for the CRC program are fully embedded within the coordination and implementation of all strategic activities of the institution. Accountability for progress and the implementation of the EDI Action Plan is an explicit element of the accountability of the Vice-President, Research. Implementation is undertaken in collaboration with the Provost, the Associate Vice-President EDI, the Vice-Provost Indigenous Engagement, and the rest of the senior leadership team.

The Research and Scholarship Policy Committee, by contrast, is a collegial Senate body with a mandate to develop and advise on policy related to research, scholarship, and creative activity. Regular reporting on EDI Action Plan progress to this Senate committee ensures institutional transparency, the integration of the EDI Action Plan with the broader academic missions of the University, and an open opportunity for feedback and continuous improvement of the Plan based on collegial input.

Process for Developing Brock’s EDI Action Plan

In 2017, in preparation for the first EDI Action Plan, the Office of the Vice President, Research struck a Working Group composed of the Vice-President, Research; the Provost and Vice-President, Academic; the University Secretary; the Senior Advisor, Human Rights and Equity; the Director, Research Services; the Director, Government Relations; and a Chairholder and with support from the Research Officer, Institutional Grants, Research Prizes and Awards. The Working Group was mandated to conduct a review of current employment policies and practices at Brock, identify institutional challenges, and suggest ways of reducing barriers to employment, retention, and advancement of Chairholders. Subsequent revisions to the Plan have been undertaken by the CRC Selection Committee, which includes engagement by the highest levels of the administration at Brock including the Provost and Vice-President, Academic; the Vice-President, Research; the Associate Vice-President, Research; and the Dean, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs; as well as the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID) Advisor for Research and the Director, Research Services.

For this 2020 Plan, additional research was undertaken to address feedback from the CRCP Secretariat. Input was sought from numerous stakeholders, including new, existing, and past Chairholders, and members of the four designated groups, as described in more detail below. Careful attention has been devoted to the CRCP’s best practices and feedback through the review process. This information, in conjunction with the employment systems review, comparative review, and environmental scans, resulted in the development of the five goals articulated in this Plan.

Review of the EDI Action Plan

Future iterations of the Plan will be reviewed and updated by the CRC Selection Committee, drawing additional input from:

a. current and past Chairholders;  

b. the President’s Advisory Committee on Human Rights, Equity, and Decolonization;  

c. the Associate Vice-President Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion;

d. the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement;    

e. the Associate Vice-President, People and Culture; and

f. staff and faculty members whose research focus or membership in an equity-seeking group offer valuable contributions to the Plan.  

Additional information on the research, results, and other supporting documentation is found in the corresponding analyses presented throughout the EDI Action Plan. These analyses formed the basis upon which the Plan was developed and the five goals articulated.

CRCs are faculty members at Brock University, therefore the Provost is ultimately responsible for ensuring the proper handling of equity and any resulting disputes and grievances. Any questions, concerns, or disputes related to equity and the CRCP will be managed by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, as per the BUFA Collective Agreement. Dr. Arja Vainio-Mattila took up the position of Provost and Vice President, Academic as of July 22, 2024.

Dr. Arja Vainio-Mattila
Provost & Vice-President, Academic
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 905-688-5880 x4121

The Human Rights and Equity Office (HREO) is a confidential, inclusive, and supportive resource for all Brock community members. The HREO provides information, education, and assistance on issues related to human rights, harassment, and discrimination in Ontario.

Grounded in the Ontario Human Rights Code and guided by Brock’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Sexual Violence Policy, the HREO responds to concerns of harassment, discrimination, and identity-based harm through a trauma-informed, survivor- and complainant-centred approach. The team works collaboratively with individuals to ensure they are heard, supported, and informed of their rights and the full range of resolution and support options available to them.

In addition to this response work, the HREO contributes to Brock’s institutional equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) commitments by providing education, guidance, and strategic support that advance equitable practices, inclusive policies, and a culture of respect across the University.

Any Brock community member may consult with the HREO for information about Discrimination or Harassment as well as resolution options. Brock Community Members may also consult with the following Supporting Offices for information about Discrimination and Harassment and the resolution options:

• Students: Student Affairs
• Faculty and Staff: Office of People & Culture
• Visitors: Campus Safety Services

To access HREO resources or to report Discrimination, Harassment, or Gendered and Sexual Violence please see the HREO website or contact Alison Rothwell, Human Rights & Equity Advisor.

For support and questions related to reconciliation, Indigenization, and decolonization, please contact:

• Students: Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre
• Faculty, Staff, and Visitors: the Office of the Vice-Provost Indigenous Engagement

For information and support regarding equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDID) related to research, please contact Jean-Jacques Rousseau, EDID Advisor for Research.

Overall program statistics from the Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat document the appointment of Canada Research Chairs from four designated employment equity-seeking groups: women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities. 

Prior to 2019, Brock University established institutional goals for the recruitment, promotion, and advancement of women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities based upon the target-setting tool used by the Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat. Brock is now working toward meeting the 2029 equity targets identified as a result of the 2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Settlement Agreement. Brock attends carefully to these equity targets when recruiting or nominating potential CRCs or renewing existing CRCs to ensure that our CRC complement will meet or exceed the identified targets. 

Download Brock University’s Canada Research Chairs Program Equity Targets 

CRCP Representation Statistics for Brock University

Consult the CRCP webpage for more information regarding population-based institutional equity targets from 2021 to 2029.

Brock University is required to report annually on progress in implementing the Brock University Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan, including efforts made to meet or exceed the CRCP equity targets and University-wide initiatives to enhance equity and inclusion.

Note that due to a transition in reporting structure, no report was submitted for 2023.

Brock University’s CRCP Utilization Spreadsheet, generated by the Canada Research Chairs Program, outlines how many Chair allocations Brock has, how many are filled and by which Chair holders (with their term end and start dates), and which allocations are available. The Chair allocations also include a limited number of flex moves.

Further details regarding EDI practices can be found on the CRCP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Requirements and Practices page, including the specific requirements for recruiting and nominating Canada Research Chairs.

These requirements and recommended practices were established in response to the 2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Settlement Agreement.

The CRCP’s policies on third-term nominations and its emergency retention mechanism may be found on the program’s website. Brock does not intend to use emergency retention nominations in accordance with the CRCP’s policies. Additionally, in accordance with the CRCP’s policies, Brock acknowledges that Tier 1 and Tier 2 Chairs cannot be renewed for a third term.

• Brock University Strategic Research Plan
• Brock University Research Enterprise Plan
• Collective Agreement Between Brock University and the Brock University Faculty Association (Brock–BUFA Collective Agreement) 2023-2026
• Employment Equity
• Employment Accommodation
• Discrimination and Harassment Policy 
• Sexual Violence Policy
• Accessibility Policy
• Code of Conduct

Brock University is actively committed to diversity and the principles of employment equity and invites applications from all qualified candidates. Women, Indigenous peoples, members of visible minorities, people with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) persons are encouraged to apply and to voluntarily self-identify as a member of a designated group as part of their application.

Consistent with our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan, applications are particularly encouraged from individuals who will assist the institution in achieving equity targets. To ensure accurate data regarding Brock’s Research Chair program, all applicants are requested to respond to the voluntary self-identification questions presented in the online application system. Differing career patterns may be more common among members of designated groups, and those who have experienced leaves from the workplace. These differences will be taken into account in assessing the experiences and qualifications of applicants.

All postings for Research Chairs are open to internal and external candidates, unless otherwise noted.

All current and archived Research Chair postings can he found here: Current and Past Chair Openings