The Alma Mater Society (AMS) and the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) have finalized their equity plans for the 2010-11 academic year.

“The plan incorporates equity objectives into the structure of the Social Issues Commission (SIC) and the AMS,” says Daniella Dávila Aquije, who heads the SIC portfolio.

This year’s AMS equity plan focuses on raising awareness among undergraduate students about equity issues. Outreach efforts include the creation of an anti-oppression seminar series and the SIC newsletter.

“We want students to engage with equity in their own communities and, ultimately, commit to anti-oppression at Queen’s and in Kingston,” says Ms Dávila Aquije. “The speaker series and newsletter are forums for discussing these objectives.”

The SGPS plan emphasizes the importance of bringing equity principles to the forefront of policy development and event planning.

“It’s essential that the SGPS have equity not only as a segment of its operational structure but by incorporating equitable practices into its day-to-day operations,” says SGPS equity coordinator Kalanthe Khaiat.

The SGPS plan includes revitalizing the campaign to end accent discrimination, lobbying for more equitable treatment of international students, and implementing an equity climate survey.

The AMS and SGPS consulted with the university’s Diversity and Equity Taskforce (DET) when developing their plans. Offering guidance to the student groups and identifying areas for cooperation was one of the items in the DET’s 2010-11 action plan.

“I am very encouraged by the commitment to equity and diversity issues by student leadership this year,” says Adnan Husain, Director of Educational Equity and Diversity Projects. “The formalization of their equity plans for this year marks a further step in bringing equity considerations into central planning and decision-making processes at Queen’s.”

The AMS and SGPS plans have been posted to the DET website.