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Home » Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI)

Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI)

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Statement and Action on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity

Our Commitment

The Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) committee of the Psychology Department at 91ÑÇÉ« is dedicated to combating prejudice and inequities in all its forms, increasing representation of marginalised minorities, supporting marginalised minority members, and addressing colonial harms within the department. 

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Our aims coincide with, but are not limited to, the DEDI strategy outlined by the University in the 2023-28 DEDI strategy, the Faculty of Health, and the Department of Psychology. We are committed to advancing DEDI principles in regard to teaching, research, and mentoring to help to establish and maintain a robust culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. To do so, we provide resources and other forms of support for faculty, staff, graduate students, and students who wish to improve their practices, or are encountering challenges related to DEDI. In addition, we endeavour to provide consultation and make recommendations to the other administrative committees in the department. Moreover, the committee aims to develop and implement initiatives designed to address identified DEDI needs. Membership to the committee is open to all faculty members in the department, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students are also encouraged to participate.

See our current committee and team members.

If you are interested in participating, or would like more detail, please email us

Our Initiatives

Graduate programs in psychology often lack representation from BIPOC students and individuals belonging to other marginalized groups. Many students face barriers accessing the research experiences that would make them competitive for graduate programs. These include limited time to volunteer in labs (e.g., due to work/caregiver duties), lack of mentorship (e.g., first-generation students), and limited prior experience. Recognizing these barriers, the REDI program is designed to provide students with low barrier, time-limited opportunities to gain experience in a research lab. For more information, visit the REDI program page.

This annual hybrid event provides an opportunity from students not normally represented in graduate school to hear directly from others with a similar background who are pursuing graduate studies, or have completed them. Concrete and actionable advice is provided to students during break out sessions, on topics including:

  1. acquiring research experience
  2. finding reference letter writers
  3. preparing a personal statement
  4. different graduate programs and career paths

A monthly bulletin distributed among all psychology faculty that presents concise and concrete advice regarding DEDI issues. Issues related to teaching, research, graduate student recruitment and supervision, and service are all addressed in an easy to digest bullet-point format. For those seeking further elaboration on the key ideas, links to additional readings are provided.

These monthly in-person events provide an opportunity for faculty to sit down and discuss DEDI issues in an informal setting. Each event is devoted to either teaching and service, with faculty sharing their questions, concerns, initiatives, and challenges in incorporating DEDI principles into their work.

Our Resources

91ÑÇÉ«'s DEDI Toolkit: A resource structured around the university's Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy. It employs self-learning modules centered on personal reflections.

POLARIS: A Place of Online Learning for the Adjudication of Researchers Inclusively and Supportively, this set of modules is directed towards those engaged in research evaluation (e.g., hiring, awards adjudication).

: A talk by Anik Obomsawin, Jaiden Herkimer, & Becky Choma (the Decolonizing and Indigenizing Psychology Committee (DIPC) at Toronto Metropolitan University)

: A monthly bulletin of concrete advice and additional resources for faculty interesting in incorporating DEDI principles into their teaching and research.

Teaching Commons: Curation of DEDI resources for teaching and learning, designed to support inclusive pedagogies and help navigate challenging classroom conversation.

: A series of tools for those working in higher education, to promote equity and inclusion.

: A set of workshops hosted by the Centre for Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusion available through . 

91ÑÇÉ«'s DEDI Toolkit: A resource structured around the university's Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy. It employs self-learning modules centered on personal reflections.

: A series of videos to help learn how gender, specifically how we perceive and conceive of it, shapes all aspects of the research process.

: A set of workshops hosted by the Centre for Human Rights, Equity, and Inclusion available through . 

Black Students in Psychology: A student group at 91ÑÇÉ« to support Black students.

Land Acknowledgement

First Nations peoples have lived on this part of Turtle Island for millennia, stewarding the land, the water and all that contributes to life in this region. Today, the culture and presence of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples enrich the lands and people of this territory.

More than two centuries ago, the Mississauga people welcomed settlers to this territory, providing sustenance and engaging in trade and commerce. Between 1781 and 1820, eight treaties were signed between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, who opened their territory to settlement. Today, 91ÑÇɫ’s Keele Campus is located on Toronto Purchase Treaty, No. 13 lands and is situated on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee.

Treaty history is foundational, and it is our collective responsibility to honour the land, as we honour and respect those who have gone before us, those who are here and those who have yet to come. We are grateful for the opportunity to be learning, working and thriving on this land, and we commit to learn the truth and be active in the process of reconciliation.

For more information about 91ÑÇÉ«'s land acknowledgement and Indigenous initiatives, please visit the Land Acknowledgment – Indigenous Initiatives page.