Training & Education

The University of Guelph's Office of Diversity & Human Rights (DHR) recognizes that inclusive and equitable campuses where everyone experiences an authentic sense of belonging is an institutional and social imperative. Building respectful learning and working environments is key to establishing innovative research, academic excellence and successful communities. 

Intentionally building and promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion signals to prospective and current students, faculty, staff, visitors and the broader community that they belong at the University of Guelph. Establishing welcoming university environments begins with a strong understanding of EDI principles and the important role they play in laying a strong foundation for social and academic success. 

Our office offers a wide variety of training workshops and resources that explore anti-discrimination, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and anti-bias concepts among others. We also customize workshops based on your team/department/organization's needs. Online training and education resources include:

• Principles of Belonging: Anti-Oppression and Anti-Racism - This module provides participants with an introduction to equity and inclusion at post-secondary institutions and explores four broad core anti-oppression principles that are applicable across a range of identity groups. In addition, the module helps participants develop the skills to engage in anti-racism work and enact anti-racist practices. It focuses on introducing key concepts like systemic racism, power, privilege, allyship, microaggressions, and cultural appropriation. 
• Introduction to Human Rights - This module helps guide participants through the Ontario Human Rights Code and the University of Guelph's Human Rights Policy and Procedures. It explores how relevant laws and university policies define important concepts such as discrimination, harassment, accommodation and undue hardship. It provides participants with the confidence to help strengthen human rights at U of G and access necessary supports. It highlghts our community members' individual responsibilities when it comes to human rights on campus, as well as illustrates how to access support through the University's Human Rights Policies and Procedures.
• Positive Space Project - This module aims to increase awareness of LGBTQ2SIA+ issues on campus and transform the University of Guelph into a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ2SIA+ faculty, staff, and students. Participants will explore the importance of inclusive language, pronouns, allyship, and provides additional resources for folks to continue their learning journey.
• Building Community: Introduction to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion eHandbook - This free eHandbook provides readers with the skills and tools they need to understand key EDI and anti-oppression concepts and become strong advocates for social justice and systemic change. The eHandbook explores topics like privilege, intersectional oppression, unconscious bias, inclusive language, and allyship, while deepening readers' understanding and knowledge of EDI. 
• Making Education Accessible - This module helps participants to increase awareness about ways to foster inclusive learning experiences. It highlights the importance and value of inclusion in everyday work practices, distinguishes between accessibility and accommodation, outlines how to apply universal instructional design principles to the design, delivery, and evaluation of courses and identifies and connects participants with resources to support further professional development. 
• Principles of Equitable Recruitment: Unconscious Bias in the Hiring Process - These modules (one for staff and one for faculty), provides participants with the tools needed to apply an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens to the hiring processes in post-secondary education. They explore unconscious bias in the recruitment and selection process, provides a series of suggested steps and best practices that every hiring committee can undertake, and highlights strategies to minimize bias at every step of the process. 

DHR offers virtual (via zoom or teams) and/or in person trainings on topics such as:

1. Opposing Oppression: Building Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Competencies
2. Equity Essentials: Call it out? Identifying and Responding to Microaggressions
3. Inclusive Leadership: Applying Anti-oppressive and Anti-Racism Lenses to Decision-Making
4. Inclusive Leadership: Addressing difficult conversations about EDI with resistant people
5. Opposing Oppression: Applying Equity and Inclusion Lenses to Teaching & Learning
6. Opposing Oppression: Applying Equity and Inclusion Lenses to Research
7. Equity Essentials: Intersectional Allyship
8. Human Rights Fundamentals: Anti-Discrimination and Harassment

For more information, please send an email to dhrinfo@uoguelph.ca.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Workshop Wednesdays 

Join us for regular, in-person training workshops that explores such topics as equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-oppression, microaggressions, anti-bias, and more. 

Inclusive Leadership: Applying Anti-Oppressive & Anti-Racism Lenses to Decision-Making

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. - REGISTER NOW

 This virtual training is designed to help participants engage critically with anti-oppression and anti-racism concepts, providing frameworks for inclusive and equitable decision-making at the University. The session focuses on anti-oppressive leadership, which involves examining individual, interpersonal, systemic, and cultural barriers that hinder full participation for equity-deserving groups. By applying an anti-oppressive lens, the module aims to foster an inclusive campus environment where all individuals feel a sense of belonging. 

Participants will gain a broader understanding of equity in the post-secondary context, and the connection between belonging and institutional excellence. Key concepts such as diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-oppression, and anti-racism will be explored and applied to leadership practices. The session will also encourage reflection on the importance of inclusive leadership, while providing anti-oppressive frameworks that can drive change at individual, interpersonal, systemic, and cultural levels. 

Additionally, participants will gain insight into how racial privilege and bias affect both individuals and communities, and how to implement anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices in campus spaces and daily interactions.

Location: Virtual

IEDI in Research 

Wednesday, February 12, 2025 - 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. - REGISTER NOW 

Understanding the principles of IEDI and how to integrate them in research practice and design enhances the quality of research and avoids harming. This session will explore anti-oppression frameworks and suggest ways to apply equity and inclusion lenses to research. It will provide guidance on best practices, questions to ask, and resources to assist as you develop your research. Learn how being knowledgeable about principles of IEDI can enable you to be confident about the value of your research and its relevance in the world. 

Location: UC Room 334

Human Rights & You: Addressing Discrimination and Harassment on Campus

 Wednesday, March 5, 2025 - 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. - REGISTER NOW

This interactive workshop invites participants to go beyond the text of Ontario's human rights legislation, exploring how legal requirements impact our daily work. Together, we will tackle critical questions such as: How do we recognize harassment or discrimination? When does behaviour constitute a human rights violation? What constitutes a reasonable response to a complaint? How can we proactively prevent human rights violations from occuring? Participants will leave with practival tools and strategies to address these important issues effectively. Join us in fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace! 

Location: Virtual

Equity Essentials: Intersectional Allyship 

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 - 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. - REGISTER NOW

Join us for an interactive workshop that dives into the practical aspects of effective allyship. Participants will first revisit essential concepts such as power, privilege, identity, and intersectionality. We'll then explore what allyship looks like and how you can enhance your effectiveness as an ally.

Kay questions we'll address: What does it truly mean to be an ally? How does allyship vary across different identities and issues? When should an ally take action, and when is it more appropriate to step back and defer to others? Together, we'll discuess these critical strategies and empower you to become a more informed and impactful ally. Join us in making a difference!

Location: UC room 334

Equity Champion Training for Faculty Hiring Committees

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 - 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. - REGISTER NOW

This training is designed to develop competencies in leading equitable recruitment practices. This training focuses on building key skills such as understanding the systemic nature of oppression, awareness of personal identity and bias, and the ability to listen actively and empathetically. The objectives of the training include equipping search committees with knowledge of legal and ethical requirements for integrating EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) principles into faculty recruitment, understanding the impact of historical and current systems of oppression on academic achievement, and fostering cultural competence to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for candidates. Participants will also gain the ability to challenge traditional, biased evaluation methods and apply more equitable approaches to assessing contributions to research, mentoring and training. Furthermore, they will learn how to manage conflicting perspectives in hiring processes while ensuring fairness and upholding EDI principles.

Location: UC Room 334