In an effort to initiate a broad, meaningful, and sustained conversation on racism, diversity, and inclusion at Queen’s, Principal Daniel Woolf will establish a small group comprised of faculty, students, and staff that will be tasked with expeditiously reviewing past reports on these issues and making short- and long-term recommendations for change. The Principal’s Implementation Committee on Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion will begin its work early in the new year. 

“The feedback we’ve received from faculty, staff, students, and our governing bodies is that this committee should not be yet another group to examine these issues at Queen’s,” says Principal Woolf. “I’ve heard those concerns, and understand them. What is needed is an implementation team that will work quickly to identify past recommendations that have not yet been adopted, determine why they have not, and identify the way forward.”

The six-member committee will be comprised of two faculty, two staff members, and two students. The Senate will select three members, one from each group, who need not be members of Senate. The principal will appoint the remaining members, after Senate’s selections are finalized, keeping in mind the diversity of the group as whole. 

Members of the Queen’s community can apply to serve on the committee by completing an application and requesting two references be sent to the University Secretariat’s office. An email with more information on the application process will be sent to all faculty, staff, and students. Completed applications will be compiled and circulated to members of the Senate Governance and Nominating Committee for evaluation. The top five scoring applications from each of the student, faculty, and staff members who applied will be chosen for participation in an election by Senate. University senators will then vote for their top choice applicant in each category.

The election will close at noon on Jan. 4, and committee membership will be announced by the principal later that week.

Members of the university’s senior administration will be appointed by the principal as ex-officio non-voting members to permit immediate feedback on questions, suggestions, and recommendations to streamline the work of the committee. 

In addition, given the need to ensure access by the committee and the principal to specialized resources, the principal will appoint a reference group, with specific expertise, to which questions or suggestions of the committee with financial, legal, structural, or other implications may be referred for immediate feedback. The reference group will be formed after the committee has met for the first time.

The committee will submit to the principal, no later than March 31, 2017, a final list of actions to be implemented that identifies priorities, suggested timelines, and measures to evaluate the success of implementation.