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Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Northern College aims to ensure we are an inclusive place for every individual regardless of ability or background.

Through work across our campuses to evaluate and work towards the Global Equity Diversity and Inclusion Benchmarks set by The Centre for Global Inclusion, Northern College aims to be culturally aware, diverse, inclusive, and equitable.

Global Benchmarks Report 2022 [PDF, 709 KB]

Our EDI  Calendar outlines the many days that we recognize, such as National Indigenous Peoples Day, Pride Month, Black History Month, and many more.

The EDI Calendar for 2023 [PDF, 663 KB] is available in accessible PDF format and can be printed. If there is a day of recognition we may have forgotten, please email edi@northern.on.ca to have the day added to the EDI Calendar.

EDI Calendar 2023 [PDF, 663 KB]

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force (EDITF)

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force (EDITF) works to provide employee training, self-evaluations, and learning opportunities to support EDI at Northern College.

Goals & Objectives
  • Define how a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion will look and feel for the College.
  • Identify key areas for review, such as policies and procedures, employee recruitment and selection, student recruitment, office and classroom culture, programming approaches, identifying bias, student and employee orientation, professional development, and others.
  • Prioritize key areas for change.
  • Establish educational awareness and training
  • Determine an action plan to achieve a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion based upon the recommendations.

EDITF Terms of Reference [PDF, 51 KB]

Values & Guiding Principles
  • Honesty.
  • Respect for all members.
  • Willingness to examine our personal beliefs and how those beliefs affect our perspectives.
  • Willingness to participate in honest and potentially difficult conversations.
  • Recognition of differing perspectives and points of view.
  • Openness for perspectives to change based on contributions of others.
  • We each have the right to speak about our perspectives respectfully and with that right is the responsibility to listen to and reflect on other perspectives.

Our Ideal Northern College

Northern College and the EDITF works to meet the goals and objectives of ‘Our Ideal College’.

Our Ideal College is welcoming and inclusive, committed to ensuring accessible services and education for all styles of learning, ensure all voices are heard, and much more.

  • We are welcoming and inclusive.
  • We ensure all voices are acknowledged and heard.
  • We are committed to ensuring accessible services and education for all styles of learning.
  • We have diverse employee demographics that represent regional community populations.
  • We are committed to removing barriers.
  • We are committed to equal access to learning and technology.
  • We will ensure everyone is understood, and may contribute in a meaningful way.
  • Further develop a culture of respect, empowerment, accountability, self-reflection, growth and openness.
  • Establish an environment conducive to allow for greater connection.
  • Encourage people to participate to ensure equity, diverse representation and equal voices are at the table.
  • Provide spaces for diverse populations to feel safe, welcomed and to be heard.
  • Recognize and rise above bias, stereotypes, assumptions, and discrimination.
  • Build knowledge of Indigenous history and understanding how it affects the Peoples today.
  • Provide cultural competency training and resources.
  • Review policies and procedures with a focus to EDI.
  • Improve continuously.
  • Collect student and employee demographic information to better understand our community.
  • Continue to engage with in discussions.
  • Decolonize the organization by Indigenizing in all possible areas.
  • Create comfortable and safe spaces.
  • Improve our presence in the diverse communities that we serve.
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