The roadmap to a more inclusive campus

After 12 months of planning and more than a hundred consultation meetings with internal and external stakeholders, SAIT has released its first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy — a five-year plan of action designed to help the institution transition into a more inclusive organization.

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) provide the conditions for a healthy campus where our community feels welcomed, supported, included, valued and empowered to succeed.

“We want everyone in the SAIT community — students, employees, alumni and partners — to be able to contribute fully to our collective success,” says Heather Magotiaux, Vice President, External Relations.

“But wanting and hoping are not enough. We have to be deliberate in our commitment to creating such an environment — that’s where the plan becomes critical.” 

The creation and implementation of an EDI strategy is one of the commitments within SAIT’s 2020-25 strategic plan, New World. New Thinking.

It also necessitates the development of skills and competencies students will need post-graduation — abilities critical to the workforce, such as intercultural understanding and improved communication.

“The creation of the strategy is step one,” says John Partington, Associate Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. “The implementation of the strategy means bringing to life several transformational initiatives at SAIT — which is really exciting.”

Building the strategy

Bringing SAIT’s EDI Strategy to life began in November 2019. After consultation with stakeholders across the institution and EDI leaders in industry, an audit of SAIT’s current state revealed more than 100 events and initiatives related to EDI, as well as gaps in offerings.

In February 2020, Partington launched an EDI Advisory Council. Comprising SAIT employees and representatives from SAIT’s Students’ Association (Saitsa), the group is committed to working and advocating for inclusive change across the organization.

The council spent the next five months analyzing SAIT’s existing complementary strategies (including the Indigenous Learner Success Strategy and Student Mental Health Strategy), student and employee survey data, formal complaints trends, best practices for EDI in higher education and EDI strategies from other post-secondary institutions and organizations.

Towards inclusive excellence

SAIT’s first EDI Strategy is guided by four guiding principles:

• Mainstreaming EDI is a shared responsibility and an individual accountability; it’s up to all of us.
• Excellence is achieved through equity, diversity and inclusion; it is a competitive advantage.
• Everyone has the right to fair access to, participation in, and the opportunity to succeed within higher education.
• The student and employee populations at SAIT should reflect the populations in the City of Calgary and in Alberta at large.

These principles are embodied in six overarching goals, each with actionable tactics and tangible measures of success: fairness, coordination, mindset, commitment, representation and connection.

A plan for everyone

What does having an EDI Strategy mean to SAIT?

 

Making SAIT more inclusive, together

SAIT’s EDI Strategy will lay the foundation for transformational change and empower students with skills to navigate a diverse global economy and world.

Bringing the plan to life is a shared responsibility. EDI is a mindset, and everyone at SAIT can take meaningful steps — big and small — to bring inclusion into every day. Get started today:

💻 Read SAIT’s EDI Strategy and find related training opportunities and resources on sait.ca. Check back often for new events and initiatives!

💡 Explore virtual opportunities to celebrate Black History Month #hereatSAIT.

🎉 Tune into SAIT's International Women's Day Conference and Celebration on Monday, March 8 to learn, be inspired and come away with actions to help you champion inclusion in your life.