The Department of Animal Biosciences is committed to the fair and respectful treatment of all people. As part of our efforts towards strengthening equity, diversity and inclusion in ABSc we have formally established an EDI Committee.
We acknowledge that the Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Attawandaron Peoples and the Treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum and the traditional hunting grounds of Six Nations of the Grand River. We extend the deepest honour to our First Nations, Inuit, and Métis neighbours, whose enduring connection to land exemplifies principles of stewardship, respect for animals, and sustainable agricultural practices. The research, teaching, and community service conducted here is inspired by these foundational values, guiding our commitment to responsible and ethical land management. We remain committed to fostering respectful and meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities and all animal relations in the spirit of reconciliation, healing, and shared understanding.
| ABSc EDI Committee Member | Position |
|---|---|
| Jennifer Ellis | Chair |
| David Huyben | Co-Chair |
| Christine Baes | Department Chair |
| Angela Canovas | Faculty |
| Lee-Anne Huber | Faculty |
| Kate Shovellor | Faculty |
| Christine Bone | Postdoc |
| Jacob Brost | Graduate Student |
| Scarlett Burron | Graduate Student |
| Jake Harwood | Staff |
To increase the opportunity for qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities to obtain high quality education, fair access to opportunities and positive life experience in the Animal Biosciences Department at the University of Guelph. This initiative spans recruitment, selection and retention of HQP, as well as helping to support teaching, research and outreach activities that embody the goals of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Short-term:
- Establish the EDI committee (completed)
- Look at opportunities for formal EDI committee training (ongoing)
- Connect with other OAC departments and examine their EDI initiatives (ongoing)
- Conduct an appropriate departmental EDI survey and complete a gap analysis between where we are and where we would like to be (completed Spring 2021)
Medium-term:
- Develop a resource list of EDI training opportunities and activities for individual faculty/departmental use (ongoing)
- Develop recommendations and examples of EDI statements/programs for grant proposals and for potential application by faculty in their lab groups (ongoing)
- Identify project funding to support projects identified in our GAP analysis
- Consult with CSAS/ASAS on an EDI gap analysis at the ‘field’ level in Canada in animal production
- Identify opportunities to connect with a more diverse group of potential students at the university level (e.g. centre for disabilities, international student groups, aboriginal first nations and metis groups, LGBTQ2S, etc) and at the high school level through recruitment programs (ongoing)
Long-term:
- Improve the EDI of the department by addressing points of weakness identified by gap analysis and via implementation of specific recruitment, selection and retention strategies (ongoing)
- Ensure faculty have enough support to develop and implement effective EDI strategies within their lab groups, and that generalized EDI statements have been developed and implemented for teaching at undergrad and grad levels (ongoing)
