Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan 2025-2030
The following 2025-2030 plan builds on the 2022-2024 EDI Strategic Plan and is the result of concerted efforts by the 2024-2025 EDI Committee members.
May 2025
The following DAS EDI Strategic Plan 2025-2030 supports TMU’s commitment to being proudly diverse and intentionally inclusive, and seeks to particularize institutional EDI values at the Departmental level.
Purpose
To advance equity, diversity and inclusion in all educational aspects and activities of the Department of Architectural Science by identifying and removing barriers for achieving equity; encouraging and celebrating diversity; and cultivating an intentionally inclusive learning environment.
Themes
This plan seeks to enhance student experience both in and outside of the classroom by defining goals and strategies organized by five themes: (1) Curriculum; (2) Communications; (3) Outreach and Recruitment; (4) Culture and Knowledge; and (5) Student Experience
The Department of Architectural Science (DAS) is exceedingly proud of its diverse community of students, faculty, instructors, and staff, and is committed to fostering an intentionally inclusive learning environment and culture of belonging and collective well-being.
Since 2020, DAS has formalized this commitment by creating an EDI committee (originally a task-force) to support the Department in centering equity, diversity and inclusion in all its aspects and activities. (See the 2020 letter from the DAS Chair). Work of this DAS EDI committee has resulted in several initiatives and achievements, including: a series of community consultations toward actionable change in 2020-2021; the Department’s first ever EDI Strategic Plan 2022-2024; the annual student-led EDIJ Exhibition (started in 2022); a new DAS EDI webpage; regular reporting on EDI events and related activities; and (since 2024) terms of reference for the EDI Committee, outlining its mandate, membership, and general meeting schedule. A key mandate of the EDI Committee is to review and periodically update the DAS EDI Strategic Plan.
Toronto Metropolitan University has long prioritized EDI in its academic plan and administrative policies and procedures. Since 2020, TMU has taken great strides in advancing equity, promoting diversity, and creating an inclusive campus. As outlined in its Academic Plan 2025-2030, recent achievements include:
Truth and Reconciliation: installation of new public art and placemaking initiatives; creation of new funding programs for Indigenous initiatives; and creation of a new Indigenous TMU website.
Standing Strong Task Force - established in 2020 to respond to the history and legacy of Egerton Ryerson; published a 2021 report with 22 recommendations, resulting in TMU’s Next Chapter Action Plan.
University Renaming: adopted “Toronto Metropolitan University” in 2022 (in response to the SSTF recommendations) to better reflect institutional values and address community feedback.
Cultivating Black flourishing: created a working group in 2020 to shape an action plan and to implement its 14 recommendations toward confronting anti-Black Racism.
Equity & Community Inclusion: expanded OVPECI website with resources, diversity data, and TMU’s first EDI Strategy and Action Plan (forthcoming 2025).
Student Well-being: enhanced student well-being website and support for health and academic success.
Goal |
Strategies |
Embed EDI content and considerations in all DAS courses. |
Increase critical awareness of EDI among faculty and instructors by promoting educational opportunities for inclusive teaching and curriculum development. |
Support course enhancements with EDI resources and incentives. |
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Ensure diversity of elective offerings and of perspectives and worldviews represented in all courses. |
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Prioritize EDI considerations in work of the DAS Curriculum Committee, and related Departmental plans and processes for curriculum development. |
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Work within the processes of Periodic Program Reviews and CACB Accreditation to prioritize EDI objectives, identify gaps and opportunities, and implement appropriate curricular change. |
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Develop and implement processes for students to provide feedback on their learning experiences and curriculum. |
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Work towards embedding Indigenous knowledge and design principles throughout the curriculum. |
Goal |
Strategies |
Mobilize EDI knowledge and facilitate open feedback opportunities. |
Mobilize EDI knowledge, initiatives and opportunities via the DAS newsletter. |
Maintain up-to-date EDI resources and highlights on the DAS EDI webpage. |
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Facilitate regular open forums with students for sharing feedback and ideas. |
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Encourage student engagement in DAS committees, and make membership and processes for participation in DAS governance transparent. |
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Monitor, evaluate and report on progress and effectiveness of this EDI Strategic Plan. |
Goal |
Strategies |
Diversify DAS faculty and support outreach to and collaborations with equity-deserving groups |
Increase faculty and instructor diversity by incorporating EDI best practices in recruitment and hiring. |
Work with TMU Recruitment and Admissions to ensure outreach to prospective students from equity-deserving groups. |
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Engage diverse DAS students as ambassadors for outreach and recruitment events. |
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Work with FEAS, DAS leadership, including the Associate Chair of Experiential Learning, and external organizations to increase extracurricular opportunities that benefit and/or partner with equity-deserving groups in the university and broader community. |
Goal |
Strategies |
Create an intentionally diverse and inclusive learning culture in support of collective well-being. |
Cultivate critical awareness of EDI issues, anti-racism and reconciliation via training and resources for faculty, instructors, staff and students. |
Increase engagement of diverse guests in the DAS lecture series, studio reviews, and other events. |
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Enhance support for the DAS EDIJ exhibition and increase integration of EDI topics in other gallery and extracurricular programming. |
Goal |
Strategies |
Equip and empower each and every DAS student to thrive academically and personally. |
Enhance awareness of and access to student well-being services. |
Support student groups and student-led EDI initiatives, including networking and mentorship opportunities. |
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Work with FEAS Advancement to increase award and bursary opportunities for equity-deserving groups. |
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Implement physical accessibility improvements to the architecture building via ongoing advocacy with FEAS, TMU Facilities, and external partners. |
It is expected that each year these goals and strategies will be advanced through specific actions set by the EDI committee, and monitored and reported on by the EDI Committee and DAS Chair.
This DAS EDI Strategic Plan will be harmonized with TMU’s forthcoming EDI Strategy and Action Plan, as necessary.
The following definitions are adapted from TMU’s Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI) and aim to establish context for the plans that follow.
Diversity: Valuing and respecting diversity of knowledge, worldviews and experiences that come from membership in different groups, and the contribution that diversity makes to the work and learning environments. Examples of group identification include: age, education, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, parental status/responsibility, immigration status, Indigenous status, religion, disability, language, race, place of origin, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status, and other attributes.
Equity: The fair and just treatment of all community members through the creation of opportunities and the removal of barriers to address historical and current disadvantages for under-represented and marginalized groups.
Equity deserving groups: TMU recognizes six groups as equity deserving groups: women; racialized people (also referred to as people of colour or visible minorities); Black people; First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Peoples (also referred to as Indigenous Peoples); persons with disabilities; and 2SLGBTQ+ people (an acronym used for individuals who identify in minority groups based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression).
Inclusion: The equitable, intentional and ongoing engagement of diversity within every facet of university life. It is the shared responsibility of all community members to foster a welcoming, supportive and respectful work and learning environment.