Building the Team and Setting Strategic Priorities
By Jocelyn Brown, Melanie Grier, and Aisha Taylor
To provide an overview of the work we have done so far as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Standing Committee, we're excited to share the following information with you. Earlier this year, CSIOP members were invited to express interest in being a member of the EDI committee via an online form. Four members of last year's EDI Working Group volunteered to form an ad hoc group to set criteria and select committee members from those who expressed interest. The group set criteria for selection of committee members, including:
1. Values EDI: A demonstrated commitment to understanding and valuing the importance of diverse perspectives and fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion in organizations
2. Represents multiple/rare perspectives: An ability to draw from various life experiences (e.g., background, position, work experience, individual identities) to enhance innovative solutions for strategic action
3. EDI Expertise: Expertise from lived experience, research, and/or practical work.
In addition to these criteria, the group took representation considerations into account during the decision-making process. These considerations included the role of the applicant (student, faculty, practitioner), geographic location, and demographic characteristics. Each person who expressed interest was evaluated individually by each member of the ad-hoc selection group, and the independent quantitative ratings were combined prior to a discussion, which took into account all of the factors described above. The result of this process was the selection of 11 individuals from those who had expressed interest in joining the committee. These 11 were joined by the three members of the EDI Working Group who were retained on the Standing Committee.
1. Kemi Salawu Anazodo, Faculty, Windsor, ON
2. Rachel Appiah, Student, Guelph, ON, Coordinator
3. Elaine Atay, Student, Calgary, AB
4. Jocelyn Brown, Student, Halifax, NS
5. Zuraida Dada, Practitioner, Calgary, AB, Co-chair
6. Irina Doering, Faculty, Prince George, BC
7. Melanie Grier, Student, Calgary, AB
8. Samantha Hancock, Faculty, London, ON
9. Helen Ofosu, Practitioner & Adjunct Faculty, Ottawa, ON
10. Sandrine Poulin, Student, Fredericton, NB
11. Deborah Powell, Faculty, Guelph, ON, CSIOP Chair
12. Aisha Taylor, Practitioner, Calgary, AB, CSIOP EDI Strategic Lead & Co-chair
13. Vincent Wong, Practitioner, Toronto, ON
14. Alvan Yuan, Student, Calgary, AB
In addition to selecting the members, there was also a Leadership Team selection process to practice shared leadership and valuing a diversity of opinions and perspectives. That process included developing basic position descriptions (including a small stipend for the student coordinator position), setting criteria for the co-chair role, and one round of interviews for people who indicated interest in the positions via the online form mentioned above. The role of the Leadership Team is to provide the necessary structure for the committee (e.g., schedule meetings, develop agendas and meeting content), gather information and find themes among it (e.g., send out online forms to gather input on Strategic Priorities and feedback on committee meetings), and any other coordination that’s helpful. All decisions on priorities, actions, and any other committee business are made by the Standing Committee.
Since the formation of the EDI Committee in March 2023, we have met three times (as of mid-June 2023). During these sessions, we have spent time getting to know each other, developed group structure, and brainstormed strategic priorities for addressing EDI in Canadian organizations, classrooms, and research. We are currently in the process of finalizing our Strategic Priorities. We will develop Working Groups based on these priorities, where we will create goals to take impactful, timebound, and realistic action to promote EDI in our profession.
However, the action has already begun! Because we instituted the process of sending out an interest form to develop the committee and we had more interest expressed than there were spots on the committee, we now have a list of people associated with CSIOP who are interested in EDI work. With this list in hand, the EDI Strategic Lead has reached out to this group, (which includes all members of the Standing Committee), and a number of people responded to other calls for assistance, including CPA's invitation to collaborate on the development of Ethical Guidelines for Inclusivity and Non-Discrimination in Psychology. A group of us (including the authors of this article) are currently working on a submission and will deliver it this summer. Another call for action to the faculty and practitioner members of the EDI interest list was to be a judge for 1) the CSIOP Student Poster awards at the CPA conference in June and 2) the RHR Kendall-Evans Best Student Paper Award.
On the Standing Committee, we have been enjoying learning and working together. Rich, thoughtful discussion is the mainstay of every meeting and considering diverse perspectives remains a focal goal of our work. Ever working to balance the necessity of including all voices with the unavoidable institutional and corporate pressures of our field, the volunteer committee continues to respond to tasks efficiently and effectively while managing the emotional load of the work.
Now that the committee has had the opportunity to get familiar with the group's purpose and each other, our focus is on identifying specific ways we can engage with our strategic priorities to support I-O trainees, practitioners, and scholars in embedding and integrating EDI throughout their work. We look forward to a productive and invigorating summer!
Student Member Perspective
Hi, I am Jocelyn Brown!! I'm a PhD student who is a passionate advocate for equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the workplace. I received my BSc in Psychology as well as certificates in Disability Management and Intercultural Communication at Dalhousie University. After that, I completed my MSc in I/O Psychology at Western University and then came back to Halifax to do my PhD at SMU. My research focuses on the experiences of employees and candidates in the workplace. When I saw the opportunity to advance EDIA in I/O psychology, I knew I had to take it. I joined CSIOP's EDI Standing Committee, as I have seen through my work experience and research the impact that effective and thoughtful practices can have. In all areas of this field, I/O psychologists can drive change to increase inclusion and belonging.
And I'm Melanie Grier (she/her), a soon-to-be MSc graduate and PhD student at the University of Calgary. I completed my BA (Honours) in psychology at UCalgary in 2017. As a former high school drop and current mother of three adolescents, my enthusiasm for I/O Psychology is deeply rooted in my commitment to a better world for future generations. My research focuses broadly on understanding Indigenous employee experiences and supporting organizational change efforts to align with the TRC's Calls to Action, work which has led to the development of UCalgary's Indigenized Campus Map and Online Guidesite, an interdisciplinary project funded by our Office of Indigenous Engagement. I am grateful to be part of this encouraging group where we foster belonging, learn from each other, get important things done, and together envision a world worth living - and working - for.
Practitioner Perspective
Hello! I'm Aisha Taylor, and I've been learning and growing as a consultant, coach, and facilitator in our field for over 20 years. I'm passionate about creating workplaces where people produce excellent work, have fun, and experience justice. I've worked with government, academic, nonprofit and private sector organizations across North America to guide positive culture change at work through strategic planning, leadership and team development, and EDI training programs. Through the EDI Standing Committee (and the Working Group before it), I'm enjoying being internal to a team that is working on EDI. Oftentimes, as a consultant, I make recommendations and provide options for others to decide on and implement, so it has been a welcome change to be a part of the team and do these tasks together. I've been impressed by the outpouring of interest and deep desire to help our profession continue to improve and grow. It is a pleasure and an honour to be a member of this committee!
