EDID on University Campuses: Under Attack or Empowered?
On March 21, The Faculty of Public and Global Affairs hosted its first EDID symposium, “EDID on University Campuses: Under Attack or Empowered?”
The event brought together leaders in the field to discuss the current challenge to EDID initiatives, particularly in institutions south of the border.
“Recent cuts have decimated years of progress in the United States and around the world,” said Dean Brenda O’Neill. “It’s time for Canada, for Carleton University, and for the Faculty of Public and Global Affairs to take a leadership role in these issues and recommit to our pledge to EDID efforts.”
The symposium was an outgrowth of the Faculty’s recent strategic plan, Lead.Connect.Transform., in which the Faculty pledged “to fully advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, as well as reconciliation and repair with Indigenous communities.”
The first panel discussion featured remarks from Noel Badiou, the head of Equity and Inclusive Communities at Carleton University; Andrea Davis, who leads Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Wilfred Laurier University; Kahente Horn-Miller, head of Indigenous Teaching, Learning and Research at Carleton University; and Sneha Ananth, who leads the equity file for the School of Public Policy and Administration student society at Carleton.
The panel was moderated by Carleton journalism professor Adrian Harewood, who described the talk as an opportunity to consider how the EDID project is faring on campuses in our country and discuss how those committed to a more just and equitable society should be responding in this fraught moment.
In response, the speakers shared their fears about the fate of equity-seeking programs and their discouragement at seeing their life’s work unfunded and publicly disparaged.
“During my last meeting with my team, one person broke down and wept,” shared Andrea Davis from Wilfrid Laurier. “They’ve mastered our own tools and are using them to dismantle our house.”
Davis called on students, in particular, to speak up against bias and hatred.
“We need students desperately—you are the most powerful drivers of change. We saw that in South Africa, in Tiananmen Square, in the Black rights movement,” said Davis. “We need student voices and courage and know that we’ll cover you.”
The symposium’s second panel, entitled “Bridging EDID Theory and Practice: Approaches to Teaching and Research & Inclusive Campuses,” featured Carleton
Professor Manjeet Birk as moderator as well as Lydia Kapiriri, professor of Health, Aging and Society at McMaster University; Eddy Ng, professor of Equity and Inclusion at Queen’s University; Krista Craven, Equity and Inclusion Learning Specialist, Carleton; and Tania Das Gupta, professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at York University.
