Smith Commitment and Pledge
Smith School of Business is committed to cultivating a vibrant, diverse and inclusive academic and work environment rooted in a culture of mutual respect and equity such that all members of our community feel safe, possess a strong sense of belonging, and are empowered to thrive. Through intent and action, we must eliminate all forms of racism, discrimination and harassment that have perpetuated inequities in our environment, the curriculum, our research and in administrative operations.
We must change attitudes and structures that have disadvantaged communities across multiple dimensions of diversity including ancestry, ethnicity, race, age, gender and sexual identities, ability status and socioeconomic standing. Furthermore, metrics and performance indicators are critical to evaluate progress, assess the impact of our EDII work, drive accountability and support evidence-based decision-making.
We recognize that access, equity and inclusion are vital to our school's future and to developing global citizens with the broad knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to contribute meaningfully to society as well as advancements in business. We will expand our efforts and accelerate the implementation of meaningful change in addressing racism and inequities by:
Building diversity
Introducing policies and practices to increase access and inclusion for underrepresented groups — including BIPOC communities, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, and women — among undergraduate and graduate student bodies, staff, faculty, administrators and advisory boards.
Education and training
Incorporating education and training to enable members of our community to recognize, acknowledge and address systemic racism and the unconscious biases that each of us holds into the onboarding of new students, staff and faculty members and into the professional development of others. We will also provide education and training so that all Smith community members are aware of their roles and responsibilities with respect to creating a school environment free of discrimination, harassment and sexual violence and of the avenues available for addressing concerns.
Fostering inclusion & dialogue
Supporting the success of our community members by: fostering open dialogue and respecting each other’s perspectives and experiences; ensuring the voices and perspectives of those from marginalized communities are sought, presented, amplified and valued; integrating EDII considerations into academic programming, administrative functions, alumni engagement, operations and decision-making; and, incorporating EDII-related concerns in research design, practice and thought leadership.
The above elements are for immediate implementation to ensure action in the short term. Addressing the deep-seated root causes that have allowed systemic racism and inequities to persist will require organizational reform and changes in mindset, structure and culture. This will take time. We will develop and execute a strategic plan that is informed by data, experiences and understanding of the issues. We will be publicly accountable for assessing and reporting on progress and the impact of our actions at regular intervals. With the will and commitment of each member of our community — faculty, staff, students and alumni — we will succeed in affecting sustainable change.
Queen’s-wide Declaration of Commitment to Address Systemic Racism
Principal Patrick Deane has released a declaration, on behalf of the university’s administration, to address racism — systemic as well as individual. All members of the senior leadership including Brenda Brouwer, Dean of Smith, have endorsed the declaration as a signal of their commitment to take action to root out the causes of racism within the university and to ensure that those who experience racism and related forms of injustice are treated equitably and are able to participate in the life of the university, fully and authentically.
View the declaration