The University of Guelph has been named one of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity for the third straight year by Forbes magazine.
U of G holds the seventh spot among universities ranked on the list of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity 2024, placing the University in the top 25 per cent of its industry. Overall, U of G ranked 53rd out of 200 listed employers from across Canada.
“We’re pleased to receive this recognition from Forbes, which highlights our efforts to create a workplace that is accepting, inclusive and understanding, especially in these times of growing global crisis, polarization and challenge,” says Indira Naidoo-Harris, associate vice-president, diversity and human rights. “We are deeply committed to building learning and working environments where diversity can thrive and every staff, faculty, student and visitor can feel welcome and be their authentic selves.”
Forbes partnered with Statista Inc. to survey close to 40,000 Canadian workers from companies and institutions with at least 500 employees, asking them to anonymously rank their employers on diversity-related issues like age, gender, ethnicity, disability and LGBTQ2IA+ equality.
The survey also analyzed diversity-related practices, including employee resource groups, hiring practices geared towards Indigenous people, publication of diversity data, the creation of accessible workplaces for people with disabilities and the percentage of women in board and executive positions. Rankings considered responses from the past three years when preparing the 2024 results.
Equity, diversity and inclusion training at U of G
“Receiving this recognition for the third year in a row is a testament to the important work happening at the University of Guelph,” says Naidoo-Harris.
“While we know there is more work to do, we understand that these are challenging times and are working hard to ensure our community have the tools they need to identify and address their biases, navigate difficult conversations and embed equity, diversity and inclusion into their daily lives,” she says.
“We are committed to making U of G a place where everyone belongs.”
U of G has created and implemented several equity, diversity and inclusion training initiatives in recent years to create and foster a safe and welcoming workplace environment.
The University’s Office of Diversity and Human Rights has created Equity Champion Training to help establish an inclusive, fair and equitable hiring process, particularly when reviewing candidate applications from equity-deserving individuals. This training equips individuals with the knowledge and tools they need to be strong voices at the hiring table when it comes to fairness.
Students, faculty and staff can also learn about their rights and freedoms through the Introduction to Human Rights online training module. This comprehensive training module helps participants better understand their own rights, the Ontario Human Rights Code and the University of Guelph’s Human Rights Policy and Procedures so they can navigate through challenging situations.
Additionally, senior leaders and community members have participated in specialized antisemitism and Islamophobia training, with more being developed for launch in the fall semester.
“As an institution of higher learning, we know how powerful education and lifelong learning is, especially when it comes to problem solving and building inclusive communities during times of crisis and challenge,” says Naidoo-Harris. “Which is why we are continuing to develop and support initiatives that engage various groups and builds spaces of understanding and respect at U of G.”
Such initiatives include nearly 75 projects funded by the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Enhancement Fund through the Office of Diversity and Human Rights. The $200,000 fund supports initiatives that enhance and promote EDI at U of G including Black History Month programming, Indigenous lecture series, gender-affirming care and supports for LGBTQ2IA+ students, mentorship programs, EDI lunch and learns and more.