Education and Society Equity Resources

The Education & Society program seeks to create a learning community that fosters mutual respect where all students feel that their differences are valued, and where they feel supported to achieve their full learning potential. 

Course Code of Conduct and Expectations 

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Reminder

As we are all a community of learners in this shared space, students are reminded of the expectation that we all demonstrate respect for one another. As outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, the University of Toronto does not condone discrimination or harassment against any persons or communities especially when based on grounds protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, no person shall engage in a course of vexatious conduct that is directed at one or more specific individuals, and that is based on the race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability.

Equity Statement 

University of Toronto Equity, Diversity and Excellence Statement

At the University of Toronto, we strive to be an equitable and inclusive community, rich with diversity, protecting the human rights of all persons, and based upon understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and worth of every person. We seek to ensure to the greatest extent possible that all students and employees enjoy the opportunity to participate as they see fit in the full range of activities that the University offers, and to achieve their full potential as members of the University community.

Our support for equity is grounded in an institution-wide commitment to achieving a working, teaching, and learning environment that is free of discrimination and harassment as defined in the Ontario Human Rights Code. In striving to become an equitable community, we will also work to eliminate, reduce or mitigate the adverse effects of any barriers to full participation in University life that we find, including physical, environmental, attitudinal, communication or technological. 

Accommodations for Learning Needs

The University of Toronto, and Victoria College, are committed to developing an accessible learning environment that provides reasonable accommodations to enable students with disabilities to meet the essential academic requirements of the University’s courses and programs.

If you require accommodations for a disability or have any accessibility concerns about the course, the classroom, or course materials, please contact Accessibility Services and/or your instructor as soon as possible.

• Accessibility Services: accessibility.utoronto.ca

Accommodations for Religious Observances 

As a student at the University of Toronto, you are part of a diverse community that welcomes and includes students and faculty from a wide range of cultural and religious traditions. Reasonable efforts will be made to avoid scheduling tests, examinations, or other compulsory activities on religious holy days not captured by statutory holidays. Further to University Policy, if a student anticipates being absent from class or missing a major course activity (such as a test or in-class assignment) due to a religious observance, they should notify their instructors in a timely manner.

Mental Health 

It is not uncommon for university students to experience a range of health and mental health issues that may result in barriers to achieving their academic goals. The University of Toronto offers a wide range of services to provide assistance. You are encouraged to seek out these resources early and as often as necessary:

• Office of the Registrar and Academic Advising and/or Office of the Dean of Students
• Student Life: http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca
• Health and Wellness Centre: http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/hwc
• Good2Talk: a post-secondary, 24/7 helpline 1-866-925-5454.

Acknowledgement of Traditional Lands 

University of Toronto Land Acknowledgement

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

E & S Events Land Acknowledgement - written by Vivienne Thang, Victoria College graduate and recent Vic iTeach co-president

We wish to acknowledge the land on which Victoria College and the University of Toronto operate. We are situated on the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. We recognize and are grateful to have the opportunity to gather in this space, as being able to access post-secondary education is a privilege. As students and future educators, it is our responsibility to reform learning so that it is accessible to everyone.

The following initiatives demonstrate a program-wide commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in our immediate community and in giving back to the wider education community.

Vic Reach – Vic Reach places student volunteers in diverse classrooms and other education settings in Toronto, where their help is needed.  Partner sites include public and independent school classrooms across the GTA, including specialized placements in special education and inner-city communities, United for Literacy (a national not-for-profit that strives to improve access to literacy in Canada), and The Halifax Helpers (an NGO that provides free online-tutoring, targeting newcomer families) .

Hey, Teach! Students are given voice and agency through this student-written, student-published magazine. Issue themes are centred around EDI and students university-wide, are invited to participate in the open call for submissions. Recent student-generated pieces focused on the following topics:

• Language inclusivity in the French language (page 15-16) 
• When integration prevents inclusion (page 13-14)
• How UDL can make digital learning more accessible (page 25-26)
• The importance of culturally relevant texts (page 33-34)

Vic iTeach – Building community and a sense of belonging for all students, is a program priority. Vic iTeach helps to foster a sense of community through the regular social events they host which are open to all students at the University of Toronto. Community interests are represented in the selection of activities and events through the use of social media polling. 

Vic iTeach also serves to give the Education & Society student body agency and voice through the implementation of an independently administered, anonymous survey seeking student input on various aspects of the Education & Society program with several items pertaining specifically to EDI-related topics, including an invitation for students to provide suggestions for ways in enhance EDI initiatives within the program, many of which have since been enacted. 

Vic iTeach arranges for keynote speakers for the bi-annual Vic iTeach Forum. These keynote speakers are experts in their fields and represent important viewpoints and perspectives on issues related to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Recent keynote speakers include:

• Lori McCluskey, Instructional Leadership Consultant for Literacy, Curriculum Support, Assessment and Evaluation for the Kawartha Pine Region School Board– Lori implements board-wide EDI initiatives that make a real impact on kids and families. Her talk focused on acknowledging privilege and using it to affect positive social change.
• Alana Butler, Associate Professor - Education, Queen’s University – Alana’s talk was centred around her research which focuses on the academic achievement of low-socio economic students, race and schooling, equity and inclusion, and multicultural education.

Each of the courses in the Education & Society program is centred around topics, questions and issues of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Learning is contextualized with real-life examples from diverse settings. A selection of topics covered that explicitly relate to EDI are listed below.

EDS260 – Equity & Diversity in Education

• Topics include: Equity, intersectionality, diversity of learning environments, gender, human rights, inclusion, anti-discriminatory education, anti-racism

EDS261 – Child & Adolescent Development in Education

• Topics include: neurodiversity, social determinants of health, race and racism, gender and gender expression, multicultural psychology

EDS265 – Introduction to Teaching

• Topics include: Culturally responsive teaching, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Anti-oppressive pedagogies, Inclusive assessment

EDS357 – Education in a Global Context

• Topics include: Educational impacts of COVID-19, Education in crisis-effected countries, education reform, guest speakers from UNESCO, The World Bank, International NGOs, and international private education partners.

EDS356 – Multiliteracies in Education

• Topics include: social justice education, representation in children’s literature, Indigenous ways of knowing, linguistically inclusive practice

EDS358 – Residential Schools and Education in Canada

• Topics include: Truth and Reconciliation, Canada’s Calls to Action, Canada’s history of residential schooling, transformative justice, reparation and reconciliation, virtual field trip to the Mohawk Institute Residential School

EDS363 – Teaching Elementary Mathematics – The Jump Approach

• Topics include: representation in mathematics, differentiated instruction, inclusive instruction, teaching diverse learners

Last updated June 2023