Journeys Along the Path to EDII in Advancement Part 2

Jun 27, 2022 | Advancement Insights

Written by: Janet Gottlieb Sailian Part Two of the Journeys Along the Path to EDII in Advancement series explores the work of advancement leaders at McMaster University and Branksome Hall School to understand, define and implement principles and strategies of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity. CCAE interviewed advancement leaders at two universities, one college and an independent school, asking them to report on their school’s — and specifically, their advancement operation’s — plans  and progress to embed EDII in their outlook and their work. See the first article in this series to learn about the progress of the University of British Columbia and Algonquin College along their EDII journey. Please share your insights and stories about EDII in your advancement operation — and any other advancement innovations — with the author at janetsailian@gmail.com

Karen McQuigge ’90 Director, Alumni Engagement, Office of Alumni Engagement / McMaster Alumni Association McMaster University What steps is your advancement operation taking to diversify and Indigenize educational advancement specifically?

Alumni team and programming

For the office and makeup of our team, we are reaching out to non-traditional networks, and encouraging our interns — who often are more representative of our student body’s diversification — to apply for these roles. For the alumni program, we have focused on ensuring we have a broad range of speaking and recognition opportunities for our racialized and Indigenous alumni. We are also expanding our volunteer base to ensure a diversified volunteer group, including the Association’s board of directors. Our current president is the first Indigenous person to hold that role.

EDII in the Strategic Plan and alumni profiles

EDII was a focus of our strategic plan which we developed during 2020 and is guiding our programming for the next three years. For example, for Black History Month we had three Black speakers, two podcast episodes feature Black alumni and16 Black alumni profiles scheduled for our digital channels and alumni stories website – mcmasteralumnistories.ca

How can advancement staff members in any position at any level be part of the EDII solution and make a difference?

Be aware. Be proactive in your learning. Take action. The only way we are going to ensure that this becomes a regular part of our programs and hiring is by committing to making it happen so that down the road, EDII is part of our regular hiring practices and program / engagement / volunteer delivery. Can you identify any exemplary programs / institutions in Canadian advancement in this regard? On Indigenous matters, western schools such as Saskatchewan, UBC and Alberta have been ahead of the curve.

Liisa Stephenson, PhD Associate Director, Communications Branksome Hall What steps is your advancement operation taking to diversify and / or Indigenize educational advancement specifically?

EDII principles

Branksome Hall aims to be a community that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion so that it permeates the school’s institutional culture, guides actions, and is reflected in its community members’ lived experiences. As an International Baccalaureate World School, Branksome also aims to engage multiple perspectives, critically challenge assumptions, and collaborate across campus to support diversity, equity and inclusiveness, as well as community engagement and action.

Goals, strategies, action plans

To support these values, a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website offers a range of resources and updates, and an initial Action Plan outlines the school’s goals and actions. Branksome Hall began its diversity, equity and inclusion journey in the spring of 2020. This includes:

• The appointment of Dr. MiraGambhir as Head, Research, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion;
• Alumnae DEI book clubs and programming, invited speakers and panel discussions;
• Creation of a DEI Working Group; and
• A DEI audit.

Measurable results

Branksome’s first-ever DEI Report Card, published in July 2021, provides a detailed look at work completed and what is underway in the current school year. View this video for more about the DEI audit underway at Branksome: https://branksome.myschoolapp.com/app/detail/video/8556582) Recently, Branksome Hall raised more than $500,000 towards scholarships and bursaries focused on Indigenous and racialized groups. We are working closely with our community to further grow financial assistance. Branksome Hall has a longstanding relationship with Anishinaabe Elder Shelley Charles, who provides education and knowledge to students of all grades and works with faculty and staff. Relevant links:

• https://www.branksome.on.ca/news-story?pk=1152846
• https://www.branksome.on.ca/news-story?pk=1194420

Journeys Along the Path to EDII in Advancement Part 1

Jun 27, 2022 | Advancement Insights

Written by: Janet Gottlieb Sailian

Every Canadian educational institution finds itself in a different place on its journey to understand, define and implement principles and strategies of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity.

CCAE recently interviewed advancement leaders at four Canadian educational institutions, asking them to report on their school’s — and specifically, their advancement operation’s — plans  and progress to embed EDII in their outlook and their work.

These four distinctly different institutions revealed certain common steps along their EDII journey:

• Strategic and action plans designed to increase EDII in many aspects of school life and governance.
• Prioritizing research into EDII and funding scholarships and bursaries earmarked to increase diversity and inclusion.
• Widening the pool of candidates for advancement jobs and volunteer positions using a EDII lens for job descriptions and search techniques.
• Training and information resources for all members of their community.
• Focus on diverse alumni, donors and leaders, showcasing their voices and experiences in a range of forums and media.

Below are edited, condensed responses from advancement professionals at University of British Columbia and Algonquin College. Our next article will profile EDII in advancement at McMaster University and Branksome Hall School.

Please share your insights and stories about EDII in your advancement operation — and any other advancement innovations — with the author at janetsailian@gmail.com

Natalie Cook-Zywicki
Executive Director, UBC Alumni Association & Associate Vice President, Alumni Relations
University of British Columbia

What steps is your advancement operation taking to diversify and Indigenize educational advancement specifically?

Fundraising

We are actively, as an institution, looking to raise funds to reflect and support our diverse UBC community. This includes partnering and fundraising for awards to support students from marginalized communities, but also supporting research and community partnership initiatives.

Alumni engagement

We have been working to create programming and partnerships to provide broader access to EDII-related programming for our global alumni community.

• Learning opportunities such as workshops and training, speaker series, and more.
• We’ve developed frameworks and guidelines to ensure diversity in our speakers and volunteers, to ensure they reflect the broader UBC community.
• We’ve worked in partnership with our Equity and Inclusion Office and our Ceremonies Office to ensure our strategies are aligned with broader UBC initiatives in advancing UBC’s strategic goals related to indigeneity, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Internally

We launched a staff-led EDII Committee, with a mandate to:

• Create and continually update a roadmap for enhancing a culture that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion;
• Undertake research and data analysis to identify barriers, gaps and systemic issues within the advancement context to help prioritize EDII initiatives that will promote a culture of inclusion;
• We’ve supported grassroots efforts from our staff to create safe spaces for our 2SLGBTQIA+ colleagues.
• UBC is providing management training and broad-based staff training for various EDII-related considerations, and have made these part of our ongoing staff development curriculum.
• We are also working with our HR teams to ensure recruitment strategies take into account EDII considerations, including implementing methods to reduce barriers to applicants, such as standardizing a review of all postings through an EDII lens.

Mark Savenkoff, Vice President, Advancement and Strategy
Algonquin College

What steps is your advancement operation taking to diversify and Indigenize educational advancement specifically?

In 2019, Algonquin College made a historic decision to dissolve its externally governed Foundation and create a newly reimagined Advancement Division within the College itself.

Policy and strategy

That same year, the College launched its Inclusion and Diversity Policy and Strategic Blueprint to ensure the organization was equipped to identify, nurture and leverage our diversity.

As the Advancement team grew, the 2019-2022 Inclusion & Diversity Blueprint became the first institutional articulation of the actions and strategy the College would be taking to live our value of Respect: We value the dignity and uniqueness of the individual; We value equity and diversity in our community.

There was a natural alignment to Advancement work, and this genuine, demonstrated commitment to inclusion and diversity was well received by new employees, as well as by our alumni and donor community.

Diverse donor community support

Our diverse Advancement team was able to engage a diversified donor community to support initiatives such as the We Saved You A Seat Program. ‘We Saved You a Seat’ is a three-year pilot project at Algonquin College to establish a diverse learning environment where all of our learners can succeed. This project is delivering a series of interconnected barrier-reducing activities to actively and effectively recruit a critical mass of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) programs and create spaces where belonging and inclusion for women thrive.

Alumni support for diversity

The team also worked with proud alumni, like Carl Clergé (Business Administration 2016), who wanted to support Black students through a newly formed Empowering Black Students Bursary. This bursary — awarded to a student in the School of Business who wants to pursue an education but may not have the full means to do so — raised over $15,000 and was recently featured during Black History Month. Carl established it in response to racial injustices with the knowledge that Black immigrants do not always have the resources to pursue higher education.

Indigenization and governance

The Advancement Division works in close partnership with the Office of the Vice President, Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization to support reconciliation and indigenization efforts at the college, including support of our Indigenous students. Several new bursaries to support Indigenous learners have been created within the past two years alone.

There is ongoing work with corporate and industry partners such as PCL on the DARE 6 initiative — a concept based on an Indigenous governance model derived from the Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee, Confederacy dating back a thousand years.

The Confederacy, sometimes described as one of the world’s oldest participatory democracies, included the Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Mohawk, and Tuscarora. Occupying what is now upper New York state and southeastern Quebec and Ontario, these six tribes united under the Great Law of Peace, with its emphasis on living in peace, harmony, and respect.