Smith EDII Update

Week of January 11, 2021

This is a regular summary of actions and initiatives underway at Smith School of Business to address equity, diversity, inclusion and indigenization (EDII) at the school. Note that these up-dates do not capture every initiative but highlight key efforts.

To view past up-dates, or review information about Smith’s activities in this area go to smithqueens.com/inclusion.

Applications open for “Blue Sky EDII Projects” fund:

This new fund will support initiatives by teams of Smith students, faculty and/or staff that aim to enhance the culture of inclusion and belonging at Smith. Examples of projects that could be funded include teaching materials, EDII-themed events, technology tools, or projects that foster safe and inclusive spaces. The first round of applications closes on January 25, 2021. The application form is here.

Recruiting for new senior staff role at Smith:

The position of Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at Smith was posted in December 2020. The EDI Director will contribute to advancing principles and values of equity, diversity, inclusion and indigenization (EDII) at Smith through education, training, and mentorship. (see job posting: Queen's University, LinkedIn, Academica)

EDII Club for Smith professional Master's students:

This new EDII Club is a student-led initiative with the goals of increasing awareness about EDII challenges and presenting learning opportunities for our professional graduate programs/students beyond what is already embedded in the programs. The proposed structure will see at least one EDII Club representative from each of the school's Master's programs, with that representative being a member of each program's Student Executive Team.

Mandatory EDII training for professional graduate students:

All Smith professional graduate students are to complete four online EDII training modules during their time in the program. This initiative began with the programs that start in January 2021 – the full-time MBA, Master of Management Analytics, Accelerated MBA, and Master of International Business. The four modules are:

• Introduction to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion;
• Unconscious Bias;
• Call it Out: Racism, Racial Discrimination and Human Rights;
• Working Together: Building an Inclusive Queen’s Community.

Review of the student experience in professional graduate programs:

EDII consulting firm Divercial, comprised of Smith Accelerated MBA graduates, presented their report on the experience of students and alumni in the full-time Smith MBA program. The report was based on Divercial’s discovery sessions with former students, MBA staff and leaders of Smith’s alumni engagement team and Career Advancement Centre. Recommendations are being reviewed for implementation.

EDII-themed speaker events on February 4:

• February 4 – Toronto Smith Business Club is hosting a virtual panel discussion from 12 – 1 pm EST entitled, “Leading Change: Considerations for your next EDII initiative.” The panel will examine case studies from corporations that have successfully implemented EDII initiatives with a positive impact. By considering the lessons learned, the aim is for attendees to have tangible action items to take back to their organizations. To learn more about the panel members and other details, go to: https://smith.queensu.ca/alumni/smithconnect-leading-change/index.php.
• February 4 – Smith Community Impact Research Program will host a panel of researchers to discuss “Building Diverse and Inclusive Communities” from 11 am – 1 pm. The event will be led by Dr. Tina Dacin and feature panelists Drs. Oriane Georgeac (Yale), Aneeta Rattan (London Business School) and Sarah Soule (Stanford). Contact smith.research@queensu.ca for details.

Career Preparation for International Students:

The Career Advancement Centre (CAC) is launching a career preparation program for international students on how to navigate the unique challenges of job acquisition in the Canadian market. Starting in late January, this eight-session program will be offered to Commerce and MBA students via Zoom, facilitated by CAC Career Coach Kelly James and special guests. The program focuses on preparing students with the tactical requirements needed to achieve career success in a safe and inclusive environment and to build confidence while optimizing performance.