Terms of Reference

Mandate

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council (EDI) has been created to provide advice and make recommendations to Fleming College’s Senior Management Team (SMT) on matters of policy and governance, and to other areas of the College on operational matters. In addition, the EDI Council may implement and/or oversee projects and activities within its scope as approved by SMT.

In order to make progress on Fleming’s strategic commitment to being a “welcoming place for all”, the EDI Council will lead initiatives that promote and encourage equity and diversity by:

  • creating a culture and opportunities to candidly discuss and move the agenda forward on equity, inclusion, anti-racism, anti-ableism, and anti-oppression, with a focus on addressing systemic oppression, specifically anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, racism against people of colour, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia
  • guiding the College on how we can better serve our Members who self-identify as belonging to historically disadvantaged communities
  • supporting faculty and staff in the development and enhancement of their skills so they are able to identify and work to dismantle all forms of oppression, as well as eliminate barriers to inclusion as Human Rights and Equity leaders within their areas
  • encouraging greater diversity in our faculty and staff, including identifying and addressing barriers to inclusion and
  • addressing issues of discrimination.

Scope

The EDI Council is responsible for advising on and undertaking or directing the undertaking of SMT approved projects related to three main areas of focus:

  • the College’s organizational policies, practices and advocacy that impact representation of faculty, employees and students
  • recruitment, retention and advancement into and within all areas of the College
  • the provision of professional learning to support equity, inclusion and diversity across the College.

Membership

The EDI Council shall be composed of up to 11 members, including: faculty and support staff union representatives (2), faculty representative (2), support staff representative (2), administration representative (2), a chair (1), Student Association representative (1) Frost Student Association representative (1). These appointments shall include members who are committed to matters of equity, diversity and inclusion, willing to look at diverse perspectives and challenge mindsets, and who have lived experience from diverse communities. Committee membership shall be reviewed annually and may be revised based on the evolving needs of the Council.

All original Council members shall be appointed for a minimum term of one year. In the first year of the Council, a process will be developed to move the membership to revolving terms to ensure institutional memory while also encouraging new members and ideas. In no instance will any Council member serve a term of more than five years.

No Independent Legal Status

The EDI Council is not a legal entity and will not have legal or contractual responsibility for its undertakings. It cannot bind Fleming College to contracts, nor does it speak on behalf of the College. These functions remain reserved to SMT, in accordance with the College’s Policies and Procedures.

Chair

The EDI Council shall be chaired by whoever is designated for the role. The chair can select a designate in their absence.

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities of the EDI Council include but are not limited to:

  • providing advice and making recommendations to the SMT, in relation to the EDI Council’s mandate including further delineation to form sub-groups or committees, governance and policy changes, project work and professional learning activities
  • implementing and/or overseeing, where appropriate, approved projects, activities and undertakings taking into account the fact that the members of the EDI Council are full-time or part-time staff
  • gathering and analyzing data and relying on the Institutional Research Office (IRO) to support its advice, activities and project work.

Recommendations and Decision-Making

Recommendations to the SMT shall be made by consensus.

  • It is desirable that recommendations are acceptable to all EDI Council members; therefore, the process should be continued to the extent possible until a consensus is achieved.
  • If a consensus in the EDI Council cannot be reached on an issue that requires action, a SMT representative shall be advised and facilitation services may be engaged if deemed necessary.

Once the Council has achieved consensus, members will support the decision publicly and “speak as one voice.”

Meetings

Meetings will be held as required, but not less than once per month recognizing that meetings may be more frequent during the Council’s first year and where specific project implementation may require it. Meetings may take place in person or virtually.

Minutes or meeting recordings shall be maintained of all EDI Council meetings, circulated among the Council to ensure accuracy.

Quorum

Quorum for meetings will be attendance by a simple majority of EDI Council members. The Council can meet without quorum but will not make formal decisions without it.

Reporting

The EDI Council will report to the SMT and shall communicate with the College community on a regular basis through the provision of updates and website content. The EDI Council will submit an annual report to the SMT.

Sub-Committees and Working Groups

The EDI Council may recommend to the SMT the creation of either sub-committees or working groups, as is necessary and in a timely manner to address specific issues that arise. The Chair of the sub-committee or working group shall be a member of the Council. The Chair of the sub-committee may involve individuals who are not members of the Council to provide assistance on specific issues and topics. Membership on sub-committees shall be determined through an application and selection process, using criteria consistent with that upon which the Council members were chosen.

Duration

The EDI Council will remain in place so long as the SMT continues to support its operations and activities.

Amending the Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference may be revised by the recommendation of the Council.