Project Profiles

Learning & Education Advancement Fund Plus (LEAF+) Equitable and Inclusive Teaching Projects

The 2024 LEAF+ projects were dedicated to equitable and inclusive teaching. Read on to learn more about these projects below, including project overviews, team leads, project outcomes and resources.

For those interested in future equitable and inclusive teaching projects, we invite you to explore our LEAF grants program, which prioritizes equitable and inclusive projects as well as projects focused on student success, experiential learning, and technology in the classroom.

Project Title: The Social Justice Classroom: Dismantling Racism and Destabilizing Power Structures in Curriculum with Students as Partners

Project Lead(s): Leanne R. De Souza-Kenney, Assistant Professor, Health Studies Program & Human Biology Program 

Division: Faculty of Arts & Science

Project Overview: This project drives social justice change in curriculum design by leveraging students as partners to co-create anti-racist curriculum while dismantling structural inequities and destabilizing power structures in the classroom. The classroom will become a lively place of social justice and experiential learning as students build a curriculum they want to see in higher learning.  

Project Resources: Students will be professionally trained by course partners to learn tangible, marketable skills that are often taught in spaces that are underrepresented by BIPOC students such as science graduate programs. There are 2 assessment themes that students will select in order to co-create course materials that can be used in future versions of the course.

Assessment theme 1 addresses systemic barriers by intentionally diversifying course content, creating opportunities for learning related to equity and inclusion competencies. Students will be trained in qualitative research methods to conduct interviews of BIPOC experts in public and global health from the U of T and the surrounding community, and then learn how to code interview responses and how to edit their videos to embed equity concepts that become part of course content as “voices from the field”. These videos will elevate BIPOC voices and build representation into curriculum. This assessment technique is especially important for BIPOC students who are often excluded from this type of training and practice within or outside of coursework.

Assessment theme 2 responds to discipline-specific challenges/opportunities by building a curriculum to address pervasive race-based misconceptions and lack of race-based data in medicine, health curriculum, and health literature. Students will co-create the reading list and build a database according to course conceptual underpinnings, that contain BIPOC representation in a variety of topics and in authorship that can be integrated into reading lists and curriculum planning. Students will be trained in qualitative data and literature searching methodologies.

Project Resources: Students will produce videos and interview guides that will be available to future courses and for cross-collaboration.

Project Title: Indigenous Research Ethics Webinars

Project Leads: Susan Hill, Director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies & Associate Professor, History; Antoinette Handley, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science; and Emma Stromberg, Indigenous Partnership Advisor

Division: Faculty of Arts & Science (A&S)

Project Overview: Using exemplars and case studies drawn from the Arts & Science Indigenous research community, this series of four webinars will welcome audiences to develop a deeper understanding of ethical engagement with Indigenous peoples and communities. The webinars will situate such engagement as integral to an academically rigorous approach in a variety of contexts, including in the Social Sciences, the Sciences, and the Humanities, and research undertaken by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and faculty, research taking place in partnership with Indigenous organizations and communities, and research taking place on Indigenous territories and/or about Indigenous lands.

Indigenous faculty are profiled at the forefront of this webinar/curricular package, highlighted for their research and pedagogical excellence, fully realized in relationship to community.

Project Outcomes:

  • Build and strengthen relationships between researchers and Indigenous communities and with the University more broadly.
  • Build and strengthen connections and shared understandings between networks of student and scholars engaged in Indigenous research at A&S.
  • Contribute to the A&S Priority of Indigenous Research, Teaching, and Learning as outlined in the Academic Plan through the development of curricular resources.

Project Title: Centering EDI in the master’s social work (MSW) program: Scaffolding an EDI explicit curricula across orientation, foundation and advanced years  

Project Lead: Sanja Hinić-Frlog, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Biology and Interim Associate Dean, Teaching & Learning

Division: University of Toronto, Mississauga (UTM)

Project Overview:  We are using a students-as-partners approach to enriching and strengthening EDI in the Department of Biology curriculum at UTM. Student fellows will gather, select, and build an initial set of equitable and inclusive materials, activities, and assignments that could be used across courses. They will also collaborate with EDI and curriculum committees in our department. In their work, they will also engage with peers and members of the CTSI-based EDI network, which includes the Department of Psychology at UTSC and the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. Student fellows in this network will foster shared knowledge and capacity building around equity, diversity, and inclusion related to teaching and learning in each perspective field. Through the unit-based EDI network, we plan to share the curricular resources we develop with other STEM, psychology, and other units seeking to integrate inclusive excellence into the curriculum.

Project Resources: Curricular EDI Resources in Biology

Project Title: Integrating EDI Principles into the Arts & Science Co-op Curriculum

Project Leads: Lynn Tucker, Associate Dean, Experiential and Global Learning; Susan Soikie, Director, A&S Co-op and Work Integrated Learning; Cynthia Jairam, Assistant Director, Student Services; Sarah Klassen, Team Lead, Co-op Curriculum and Student Experience; and Mikael Ahmad, Coordinator, EDIA & Employment

Division: University of Toronto, Scarborough (UTSC)

Project Overview: The Arts & Science Co-op program is committed to integrating Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles into every aspect of our curriculum. Our goal is to make EDI central to discussions about the job search process and workplace integration, ensuring that these critical topics are thoroughly covered.

This initiative will help students engage in meaningful discussions about EDI in professional settings and empower them to advocate for themselves and others, representing their full, authentic selves in the job market. We are achieving this by developing new learning modules, updating existing ones, and reimagining our course resources.

By creating tools that highlight the importance of understanding and embracing diversity, we focus on fostering inclusive practices and addressing equity issues. Our aim is to equip students with the essential skills and perspectives needed to succeed in today’s diverse and globalized workforce.

Project Outcomes:

  • Enhanced awareness and cultural competence among co-op students.
  • Increased ability to navigate diverse work environments with sensitivity.
  • Improved employability and readiness for the demands of a globalized workforce.

Project Title: Embedding Inclusive Excellence Strategies and Resources for a Video Assignment in a Large First-Year Life Science Breadth Course

Project Leads: Rebecca Laposa, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Pharmacology and Toxicology and Melanie Jeffrey, Assistant Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology (Medicine) and Human Biology (A&S)

Division: Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Project Overview: In a large 500-student first year science breadth course, students currently create a short video as one of the assessments. Assignment instructions are currently in written form. We will support inclusive excellence in this assignment by creating varied forms of instructions, and building several scaffolded strategies and resources. We want to empower students in the course to recognize the value of their diverse perspectives on the topic of Diversity in Clinical Trials and to feel confident in their ability to express their opinions in a video format.

Project Outcomes: Based on focus group design input with students and EDIIA experts, we will create several formats of assignment instructions and a curated resource collection. To support Universal Design for Learning, assignment instructions will be expanded to include multiple formats such as: short videos with traditionally underrepresented students, whiteboard animations with culturally sensitive graphics, and podcast-style instructions with optional music tracks. We will work with Accessibility advisors to create alternative assignment formats for oral communication accessibility. Lastly, we will create TA coaching materials and rubrics for recognizing and evaluating inclusive excellence in this assignment.

Project Title: EDI and Indigenous Engagement Student Fellows

Project Lead: Jaris Swidrovich, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, and Indigenous Engagement Lead

Division: Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

Project Overview:  Three student fellows at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy will be hired (two undergraduate PharmD students and one graduate student) who will contribute to EDI and Indigenous Engagement teaching and learning initiatives in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, especially with respect to the PharmD curriculum renewal. The Student Fellows will be able to support each other and collaborate and network with the student fellows from two other units, too, who are engaging in similar work.

Project Outcomes: The student fellows will collaborate with our EDI committee/faculty on EDI and Indigenous-related teaching and learning projects relevant to our unit such as the following:

  • Provide support to new and ongoing initiatives, as well as offer a student perspective on efforts within the unit to augment our engagement with principles of inclusive excellence. Identify and address curricular gaps.
  • Identify systemic barriers facing students.
  • Identify ways to support BIPOC/racialized students.

Project Title: Fostering Science Identity for STEM Students: Developing Curricular Resources for First-Year STEM Courses to Promote Contributions of Underrepresented Scientists

Project Leads: Alana Ogata, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical & Physical Sciences and Judith Poe, Professor, Department of Chemical & Physical Sciences

Division: University of Toronto, Mississauga (UTM)

 Project Overview:  With the assistance of work-study students, preferably themselves from underrepresented groups and who have just completed the core STEM courses of biology, calculus, chemistry and physics, we will compile a database of STEM scientists from underrepresented groups whose work is directly related to topics in the first-year curricula. A profile of each scientist will be constructed which will include some personal information (e.g. place of origin, degrees, current position etc.) and a brief description of their research with a few references to it. These profiles will form the content of an open access database for use by instructors. 

 Project Outcomes:  Instructors of first-year STEM courses will have access to the database from which to select appropriate materials to feature on course websites and/or incorporate into their lectures and class discussions. It is hoped that the availability of this database will encourage instructors to feature more scientists from underrepresented groups in their classes. As well, it is hoped that use of this database by instructors will contribute to the achievement of the project’s ultimate goal which is to help foster a sense of belonging and a science identity amongst STEM students from underrepresented groups.

Project Title: Using Generative AI and Retrieval Augmented Generation for Accessibility Services Note Taking Requests

Project Lead: Olivier St-Cyr, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream and the Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning

Division: Faculty of Information

Project Overview: Students requesting note taking as part of their accessibility accommodations experience many barriers in being able to fulfill their needs. Such barriers include (but not limited to): no available note takers, students not wanting to share their notes with others; little to no reward for note takers; and instructors not actively recruiting note takers. According to Accessibility Services, the obstacles around note taking accommodations are widespread in all units and across all three UofT campuses. This LEAF+ Project aims to explore the prospect of automated note taking for Accessibility Services using generative AI and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) techniques. More specifically, we intend to develop a proof-of-concept in which notes can be generated automatically using (amongst some options) audio transcript from a lecture, slides from a course, and examples of students’ notes.

Project Title: Understanding psychology in context: Taking a students-as-partners approach to support the development of a new breadth course in psychology

Project Lead: Jessica Dere, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream and Associate Chair Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Department of Psychology

Division: University of Toronto, Scarborough (UTSC)

Project Overview:  This project will take a ‘students-as-partners’ approach to support the development of a new second-year breadth course titled “Psychology in Context”. Guided by principles of equity, inclusion, and diverse ways of knowing, this course will take a critical lens to the field of Psychology itself. This course is novel in several ways. It is designed at the second year to provide students with a critical foundation early in their studies; this approach is directly informed by recommendations from the UTSC Campus Curriculum Review Working Circle. An overarching aim of this course will be to help students engage in critical reflection and conversation about 1) key assumptions, norms, and contextual factors that have shaped/continue to shape the field of psychology in its present form, and 2) current debates, challenges, and controversies shaping the field. Further, the course has an approved CR/NCR grading scale, to help students feel safe and comfortable in sharing their opinions and perspectives on a range of complex and potentially fraught topics and areas of debate. Therefore, the development of both course content and structure, including evaluative components, is particularly suitable for direct student input. Student research assistants (RAs) will serve as student fellows, working collaboratively with myself in a team-based approach to gathering, selecting, and building an initial set of course materials, activities, and assignments. Furthermore, the RAs will assist in the planning and implementation of data collection to support a reflective and iterative approach to course development. We plan to share the curricular resources we develop with other psychology, STEM, and additional UofT units seeking to integrate inclusive excellence into the curriculum.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Curriculum and Pedagogy Fund Project Profiles

In 2022-23, the OVPIUE announced a one time fund to support equitable and inclusive teaching. These funds were distributed to divisions to support special projects that address a range of approaches to advancing equity and inclusion in courses or programs, including:

  • Pedagogical Enhancement / Development
  • Curriculum Review / Enhancement
  • Professional Development Resources for Faculty
  • External Partner / Community Partner Engagement

Find out more about each division’s projects below, including project overviews, team leads, project outcomes and resources. For 2024-25, projects focused on equitable and inclusive teaching are encouraged to explore our LEAF grants program, which prioritizes equitable and inclusive projects as well as projects focused on student success, experiential learning, and technology in the classroom.

Project Title: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office (EDIO) Curricula Enhancement Initiative 

Project Lead(s): Ryan Hinds, Director, EDI Office; Gifty Mackay, Advisor, EDI Office 

Project Overview: Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) aims to nurture academic excellence by understanding and responding to the root causes of inequity and exclusion. The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office’s Curricula Enhancement Initiative aims to support DLSPH faculty in implementing EDI-related changes to curricula as informed by students, staff, faculty and external experts. The project team will build upon existing curricula, pedagogies and perspectives to ensure DLSPH graduates are prepared to work with diverse communities and apply EDI competencies within their work environments. Part of this work will involve participation in the Decolonizing Curriculum Faculty Fellows Program in collaboration with the Faculty of Information. This program aims to effect meaningful change by offering a catalyzing workshop series, supporting instructors in developing achievable goals for decolonizing their curricula, providing graduate student assistance, cultivating the next generation of faculty with an EDI lens, positioning participating instructors as leaders and sustaining efforts through the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office within Dalla Lana School of Public Health.  

Project Title: New Respect Cultural Safety Program Revisions 

Project Lead(s): Dr. Angela Mashford-Pringle, Associate Director, Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health and Program Director the Master of Public Health in Indigenous Health

Project Overview: The New Respect Indigenous Cultural Safety (CS) Program aims to deliver effective online, Indigenous-led cultural safety training to health service professionals including nurses, physicians and social service providers, as well as Kindergarten to post-secondary educators. The goal of the training is to address systemic anti-Indigenous racism by improving participants’ culturally sensitive communication, collaboration and community engagement skills when working with Indigenous peoples. This project aims to provide widely accessible foundational and profession-specific online CS training and and to evaluate whether the training has an effect on participants’ social, emotional, physical and spiritual behaviour. These funds were provided following the conclusion of the pilot of the New Respect Indigenous Cultural Safety Program and will be leveraged to analyze data from the initial pilot, address any identified issues and relaunch with a view to expanding the number of faculty, staff and students who engage with the Program.

Project Title: Master of Public Health – Black Health Program Development 

Project Lead(s): Dr. Roberta Timothy, Program Director, Master of Public Health in Black Health; Rochelle Parcells, Program Coordinator, Master of Public Health in Black Health 

Project Overview: Evidence suggests that experiences of anti-Black racism in the healthcare system led to higher rates of chronic health outcomes, including increased morbidity and mortality among Black community members. Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) launched North America’s first Master of Public Health (MPH) in Black Health program for the Fall 2023 term, which aims to prepare students to practice public health with Black communities and to change their healthcare experience for the better. The program will explore the impact of anti-Black racism on health; intersectionality and transgenerational health (including Black Elders and children); the effects of inter-generational relationships on community health; wellness and healing; resilience and resistance; infectious and chronic illness prevalence; and treatment within the health-care system. The program will also give students transferrable skills in the practices of decolonizing pedagogy and anti-racist, anti-oppression frameworks.

The curriculum currently includes typical MPH program requirements with an additional six courses related to Black health, covering topics like, a sociohistorical overview of Black health, chronic diseases and reproductive health in a lifespan, decolonizing theory and methods in Black health research, transnational Black health policy and practice and Black resistance in health. These funds are supporting content development for the 6 new Black Health focused courses to be delivered to incoming cohort and to be published on Quercus, conducting library searches and assisting with creation of materials for Black Health Pedagogy & Research Guide for incoming students, as well as coordinating knowledge translation related to education practices and anti-racist pedagogy in Black Health.

Project Outcomes / Resources Developed:  6 new courses developed, Black Health Pedagogy and Research Guide developed (ONLINE RESOURCE)

Project Title: Centering EDI in the master’s social work (MSW) program: Scaffolding an EDI explicit curricula across orientation, foundation and advanced years  

Project Leads: Charmaine Williams, Dean; Eunjung Lee, Associate Dean Academic; Michael Shier, MSW Program Director; Mai King, Assistant Dean, Registrar and Student Services  

Project Overview:  Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW) aims to ensure the MSW curriculum represents the lived experiences and learning goals of our diverse student group while preparing students with the EDI competencies necessary to practice social work. Over the course of the project, the project team plans to: update the required pre-admission EDI training program and develop a manual to guide future training; strengthen the integration of EDI into the MSW student orientation and develop a manual to guide future EDI-centered orientations; develop a “Lunch & Learn” EDI-focused speaker series; review all MSW courses to identify what areas can be improved to strengthen FIFSW’s EDI-centered curriculum. We will also create resources that better reflect the current Canadian sociocultural context and illustrate EDI-focused practice principles. 

Project Outcomes / Resources Developed:  New EDI Training program for incoming first and advanced standing year students, creation of orientation protocols supporting student onboarding centered around accessibility, supports for student mental health and protocols for reporting EDI related incidents and review and reporting to Faculty on a full course outline review about the focus of EDI principles and practice within the one year and two year curriculum, with strategies to further develop curriculum. 

Project Title: Asynchronous EDIA training module enhancement  

Project Lead(s): Marisa Sterling, Assistant Dean, Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism 

Project Overview: The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE) aims to improve upon and provide additional opportunities for students, instructional staff and faculty to participate in EDIA learning.   

FASE currently uses three EDIA training and learning modules: 1) Foundational EDI Language, 2) Power, Privilege & Positionality and 3) Interrupted Bias. These modules were previously developed for teaching assistants and student leader. FASE plans to update the learning objectives and add resources to the existing modules so they can also be used to onboard sessional instructional staff and new faculty. Additionally, FASE aims to develop new modules on topics such as, “what is decolonization?’ and “introduction to inclusive pedagogy” and revitalize their Quercus page.  

Project Title: EDIA curricular assessment 

Project Lead(s): Marisa Sterling, Assistant Dean, Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism 

Project Overview: Engineering’s Faculty Council recently approved a new undergraduate certificate program in “Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering” (JEDI). The JEDI certificate is optional, so FASE aims to facilitate EDIA-based learning outcomes in the curriculum more broadly. FASE will conduct a needs assessment and develop recommendations for better integrating EDIA learning into the U of T engineering curriculum within Engineering Science. Through this work, FASE also hopes to create a framework for integrating EDIA that can be used across Engineering departments. 

Project Title: A Beginning: Charting a Path Toward an Anti-racist and Decolonial Program at the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies 

Project Lead(s): Bharat Saini, Director, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Faculty of Arts & Science; Kathleen Gallagher, Director, Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies, Faculty of Arts & Science

Project Overview: This project lays a foundation for anti-racist, decolonial curricular and pedagogical change in the Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies (CDTPS) by creating multiple forums for collective inquiry, creative exploration and robust dialogue about what forms such change would take. The CDTPS will conduct a comprehensive literature review, researching leading practices in integrating decolonized and anti-racist pedagogy in drama, theatre and performance studies and in professional contexts. CDTPS will also engage with anti-racism and decolonization disciplinary experts through a series of curriculum enhancement engagement sessions. This work will culminate in a year-end retreat to share learnings with instructors at CDTPS and to consider how to advance the work across our undergraduate and graduate programs.

Project Title: Decolonizing Curriculum Faculty Fellows Program  

Project Lead(s): Awo Abokor, Program Coordinator, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office 

Project Overview:  In response to the evolving landscape of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) discussions, the Faculty of Information (FoI) has established dedicated offices for EDI and teaching and learning over the past two years. The Decolonizing Curriculum Faculty Fellows Program aims to effect meaningful change by offering a catalyzing workshop series, supporting instructors in developing achievable goals for decolonizing their curricula, providing graduate student assistance, cultivating the next generation of faculty with an EDI lens, positioning participating instructors as leaders, and sustaining efforts through the FoI EDI Office and Learning Hub. The program aligns with the Faculty’s priority areas of education and systemic change initiatives, emphasizing a commitment to transformative and sustainable pedagogical practices. 

Project Title: EDI Speakers Series

Project Lead(s): Ada Maxwell-Alleyne, Assistant Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Christopher Essert, Associate Dean, JD Program; Sara Faherty, Assistant Dean, Academic  

 Project Overview:  Amidst the evolving discourse on EDI within the Faculty of Law, the EDI Speakers Series addresses the critical need for targeted training sessions, engaging legal experts to provide tailored content and foster EDI literacy among first-year law students. These sessions, delivered by legal experts, will cover topics such as anti-Black racism, antisemitism and anti-Asian hate, providing historical, social and legal context tailored for law students. The resources developed as a result of this speaker series will be housed on the EDI Law Resource Centre.   

 Project Outcomes / Resources Developed:  Sessions held every Friday for 2 hours in September 2023, October 2023 and January 2024. Excellent range of experts with valuable insights and the funding provided covered speakers fees. Plans to continue this successful series in the fall with additional opportunities for upper year student engagement.   

Project Title: EDI Law Resource Center 

Project Lead(s): Ada Maxwell-Alleyne, Assistant Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Christopher Essert, Associate Dean, JD Program; Sara Faherty, Assistant Dean, Academic  

Project Overview: In response to the demand for centralized resources on anti-racism, allyship and inclusive teaching practices, the EDI Law Resource Center project within the Faculty of Law seeks to establish a comprehensive hub to meet the needs of law students, staff and faculty, enhancing equity and supporting faculty development by providing centralized resources on anti-racism, allyship and inclusive teaching practices. To support this, the Faculty of Law will develop an online resource hub with articles, tools and licensed educational products; provide information on best practices in anti-racism and allyship for law students, enhancing equity within the law school and the practice of law; and offer tools for faculty self-audits, building inclusive syllabi and promoting inclusive teaching practices.  

 Project Outcomes / Resources Developed:  A comprehensive resource catalogue has been developed and it will be converted in a research guide and maintained by the Bora Laskin Library.  This will ensure the catalogue is regularly updated.   

Project Title: Foundations of Equity in Music Studies: A Multimodal Pedagogical Resource   

Project Lead(s): Professor Ellie Hisama, Dean of Music; Professor Eliot Britton, Special Advisor, Climate, Culture and Equity; Professor Ryan McClelland, Associate Dean, Academic & Student Affairs; Professor Nasim Niknafs, Associate Dean, Research; Dr Ely Lyonblum, Strategic Research Development Officer  

Project Overview: This Faculty of Music project responds to the need for a comprehensive and accessible resource on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in music, building on existing text-based Quercus modules. This project seeks to develop a Multimodal Pedagogical Resource, including recorded audio and video interviews, infographics and a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to foster understanding and action on EDI within music communities. To support this, the Faculty of Music consulted with ARAO Committee and Faculty Senior Leadership on content and hires personnel to record and edit the audiovisual materials for the project. This fund supported graduate student course designers, community-partner honoraria and professional/technical services. These modules are currently being leveraged in 10 courses at the Faculty of Music with additional opportunities. 

Project Outcomes / Resources Developed:  Foundations of Equity in Music Studies Quercus Page 

Project Title: Collecting empirical data on the breadth and scope of resources and practices identified in course syllabi that reflect a broad spectrum of voices, experiences and impacts  

Project Lead(s): Jeannie Kim, Associate Dean, Academic; Jewel Amoah, Assistant Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Project Overview:  The Daniels Faculty already has resources in place to advance anti-colonial, Indigenous-centred and anti-racist pedagogical practices through their more traditional course delivery methods. However, design studios, laboratories and fieldwork still largely reflect the traditional pedagogical models and scientific cultures within their disciplines. Therefore, FALD aims to make their teaching and learning environments more anti-colonial, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, accessible and gender inclusive in a way that centers community-engaged learning and sustainable impact.  

The project team will collect data by engaging with faculty to understand what strategies, resources and techniques are already being used across the Daniels programs and disciplines. They will also explore the resources and supports that are available to international and underrepresented students at U of T and at other art, architecture, forestry, landscape architecture and urban design faculties in Canada and beyond.   

Project Title: Enhance faculty capacity to continuously seek and include multiple divergent voices in curricular content and pedagogical practices  

Project Lead(s): Jeannie Kim, Associate Dean, Academic; Jewel Amoah, Assistant Dean, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion  

Project Overview:  The Daniels Faculty already has resources in place to advance anti-colonial, Indigenous-centred and anti-racist pedagogical practices through their more traditional course delivery methods. However, design studios, laboratories and fieldwork still largely reflect the traditional pedagogical models and scientific cultures within their disciplines. Therefore, we aim to make our teaching and learning environments more anti-colonial, anti-oppressive, anti-racist, accessible and gender inclusive in a way that centers community-engaged learning and sustainable impact.  

The project team aims to build faculty capacity to shift teaching and learning strategies towards inclusivity by engaging all voices– students, faculty, staff, community partners and external colleagues– in conversations and workshops. This project will result in resources like a handbook, video archive of teaching strategies, or a faculty publication documenting the project. 

Project Title: Collaborative Specialization in Indigenous Education (CS IE)  

Project Lead(s): Eve Tuck, Professor, Social Justice Education, OISE; Jennifer Brant, Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, OISE; Jeffrey Ansloos, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, OISE 

Project Overview:   OISE is undertaking the development of a new collaborative specialization in Indigenous education within Social Justice Education. This program will address issues of equity, diversity and inclusion as they relate to Indigenous communities, especially with regard to addressing racism, sexism, homophobia and bias against poor people. The program is being designed to be welcoming to Indigenous students and to students who are not Indigenous.  

Project Title: Weaving EDIIA into Basic Medical Science Research and Program Curricula  

Project Lead(s):  Divisional Lead: Dr. Ahlia Khan-Trottier, Ph.D Associate Dean, Undergraduate Education ; Unit Leads: Dr. Michelle Arnot, Ph.D, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology; Dr. Jastaran Singh, Ph.D, Department of Immunology; Dr. Paul Hamel, Ph.D, Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology; Ike Okafor, M.Ed, Senior Officer, Service Learning and Diversity Outreach, Office of Access & Outreach  

Project Overview: This multi-pronged project aims to integrate Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity and Accessibility (EDIIA) principles across undergraduate health science education programs within the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, enhancing diversity, equity and cultural competence. By incorporating EDIIA-focused content, opportunities and experiences, this project will foster inclusivity and better prepare students to support diverse communities in their future health science careers. This funding will support the development of divisional guidelines for incorporating EDIIA into Basic Medical Science (health science) program curricula, emphasizing benefits, learning objectives and best practices; the targeted incorporation of EDIIA into specific programs and courses, serving as guiding examples for other departments; an environmental scan of undergraduate research programs, evaluating current EDIIA practices and identifying opportunities for improvement; the development of an EDIIA-focused research skills lab; and the enhancement of lab research mentorship through the Mentor 2 Mentor (M2M) program. 

Project Outcomes / Resources Developed:  

  • Course Resources:
    • Curriculum themes and maps, course-specific resources for PCL and IMM course instructors 
    • Fostering EDIIA Guide for Faculty
    • Pre-course access survey
    • Making Accessible PowerPoints Guide for Faculty
    • EDIIA Quercus module to house materials
  • Mentor 2 Mentor (M2M) Program: M2M community of practice:
    • M2M community of practice
    • M2M symposium (September 2024) for broader discussion and dissemination of developed strategies

Project Title: Promoting Engagement with Anti-Racist University Pedagogy   

Project Lead(s): Ruth Childs, Director, Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy; Tracey Bowen, Vice Dean Teaching and Learning  

Project Overview:  The Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP) at UTM, with its skilled staff and faculty expertise, is leading an initiative to create programming and resources supporting anti-racist curricular development. This project seeks to enhance the capacity of ISUP to introduce faculty to, and provide pathways for them to undertake, anti-racist pedagogical work and to develop transferrable resources and strategies for broader deployment within UTM and potentially other divisions. This funding allowed for the formation of a faculty and staff working group in the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP) as well as a survey of ISUP faculty and an environmental scan to identify existing support and resources, focusing on Anti-Black Racism (ABR) Pedagogy. Following this investigation, ISUP created new workshops, reading groups and resources to support anti-racist curricular development. The implementation of this pilot program within ISUP has allowed for the gathering of feedback and refining strategies, programming and resources. 

Project Outcomes / Resources Developed:

  • Reading lists and annotated bibliography organized according to subject areas related to anti-racist pedagogy are available for faculty and staff. Subjects included in the reading lists and annotated bibliography: identity intersectionality and anti-Racist teaching practices; decolonizing methodologies and collaborative research with faculty, students and marginalized communities; bilingual pedagogical approaches and alternative/decolonial pedagogical practices in academia. 
  • Environmental scan (report): resource developed to inform the implementation of anti-racist frameworks at the departmental level. Outputs of the scan also include a comprehensive spreadsheet documenting the implementation of antiBlack racism frameworks in peer institutions. 
  • Annotated bibliography documenting the role of writing mentorship for Black students in Canadian writing centers was produced. This is a resource for writing center administrators, staff and writing faculty who are interested in this topic. 

Project Title: Indigenous Learning Development Initiative (ILDI)  

Academic Division: University of Toronto, Mississauga   

Project Lead(s): Tracey Bowen, Vice Dean Teaching and Learning; Tee Duke, Director, Office of Indigenous Initiatives (UTM)  

Project Overview:  Patterned after the successful Writing Development Initiative (WDI) at UTM, the Indigenous Learning Development Initiative (ILDI) aims to support, fund and evaluate projects that integrate Indigenous content, perspectives, or pedagogies into university courses with a goal to provide scaffolded support, associated funding and collaborative assistance to instructor teams across UTM who seek to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing into their disciplines. Following some initial consultation, the project team noted the need for the development of a new process for working with Indigenous faculty members and partners in developing and implementing Indigenous pedagogy and curricular innovations. The project team, therefore, determined the need to pause in order to reflect, consult and reimagine what this process could look like. 

Project Title: The Campus Curriculum Resource Hub  

Project Lead(s): Katherine Larson, Vice-Dean Teaching, Learning & Undergraduate Programs; Karen McCrindle, Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning; Project Development: Marc Proudfoot, Program Coordinator, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office   

Project Overview:  The University of Toronto Scarborough’s “The Campus Curriculum Resource Hub” is an inclusive hub developed in response to curriculum review recommendations and in partnership with the UTSC Campus Curriculum Review Working Circle, department chairs, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Community Partnerships and Engagement Office and Indigenous Initiatives. The Hub is an easily navigable online space offering equity-based, inclusive, anti-racist and anti-colonial pedagogical resources to support faculty, librarians, staff and teaching assistants at UTSC. This funding allowed for coordination with stakeholders to develop a beta version of the hub; revisions to the beta version of the Hub; the gathering of community feedback, planning long-term oversight and engagement with tri-campus partners.  

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For further questions related to teaching grants please contact vp.iue@utoronto.ca.