Our Shared Values of Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism
Dear students, faculty, staff and alumni,
Here at U of T Engineering, we are committed to achieve equity and professionalism at all levels of our school while promoting an inclusive culture in how our Faculty looks, feels and acts. This year we are learning and interacting mostly online during a global pandemic, a situation unlike any other year in our recent history and one likely to continue for this academic year. With the global health uncertainties, rising mental health concerns and our new realities of virtual classrooms, offices and research collaborations, now is the time to reaffirm our values as a community. Diversity, inclusion and professionalism are at the core of a healthy, creative, and productive university experience.
Engineering schools in Canada and around the world, as well as society at large, have made great progress from our exclusionary origins, and are working toward becoming the inclusive places we endeavour to be. In harmony with U of T's Statement on Equity, Diversity and Excellence, we strive to build a community of inclusion in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering where all members have equal opportunity to achieve their full potential, through an environment of mutual respect for the dignity and worth of every person. In the coming year, we will make steps to increase the equity content embedded as a core element of our engineering curriculum.
Together, we have an opportunity to create a place, climate and culture free of harassment, discrimination or intolerance of any kind including gender bias, antiBlack racism, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism, and ageism. And whether we are meeting online or in person, our aspirations of professionalism and inclusion are the same.
This year we continue to bring more resources and collaborations to strengthen these values. Our Assistant Dean and Director, Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism continues to be the only role of its kind for a Canadian engineering school. The presidency of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), the licensing, regulation and ethics body of over 85,000 Ontario engineers, is held this year by our U of T Engineering community member Marisa Sterling, P.Eng. Our faculty-wide collaboration, the Engineering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Group (EEDIAG), continues to provide weekly meetups, TIPS workshops and open discussions on equity issues and proposed actions.
We have more community members to support you including the Dean’s Advisor on Black Inclusivity, the Dean’s Advisor on Indigenous Inclusivity, and the Mental Health Programs Officer. These resources are in addition to our academic advisors and the Engineering Human Resources office. More resources including student initiatives can be found on the Faculty's equity webpage.
While we envision our community as a safe space for all, there will be failures to achieve this vision, with possible causes ranging from bias to discrimination. We have seen over the last year the grief and anger propagated by centuries of systemic and institutionalized racism and oppression, including anti-Black racism. In response, we are launching a new framework to report harassment or discrimination that you may experience or witness. By contacting our office of the Assistant Dean and Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Professionalism, you will get the accountability you request. They will provide skilled and compassionate support, help you find the resources that are right for you and provide anonymous disclosing as well.
We must all commit to acting against bias, harassment and discrimination. Together, we can create a place where each of us feels safe and proud to belong, and where we know that our contributions matter. Please consider how you will integrate the acknowledgement, respect and representation of others into your behaviours and beliefs to reinforce our strength as a community of inclusion in the months and years ahead.
In all that we do, let us ensure our shared journey of growth and discovery is an experience that is meaningful and engaging for all. After all, our profession of engineering exists to protect people’s wellbeing. That is the purpose of practicing engineering – to ethically create products or services that protect the life of people of all diversities.
Kind regards,

Making a confidential disclosure
Disclosing Incidents of Bias, Discrimination, Harassment or Unprofessionalism
Indigenous Cultural Competency Toolkit
The toolkit includes workshops, events and self-educational tools
Striving Toward Black Inclusivity
Report to U of T Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Resources for Addressing Anti-Black Racism (June 2020)
Compiled by the Engineering Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Action Group
Engineering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Group (EEDIAG)
The Engineering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Group strives to create a community at U of T Engineering where students, staff and faculty feel acknowledged, respected and represented. Our goal is to create spaces for conversations about equity and diversity issues and implement initiatives that promote inclusion on our campus.
We acknowledge that within our community there are power dynamics that exist which can and do lead to exclusion and discrimination. By providing opportunities to reflect on our own biases and behaviors as well as learn about anti-oppressive practices we believe we can work together so that we all have an equal opportunity to achieve our full potential, through an environment of mutual respect for the dignity and worth of every person.
The EEDIAG hosts Open Discussions and TIPS (Towards Inclusive Practices Sessions) workshops. These are spaces for all U of T Engineering community members to learn, share experiences, and discuss ideas for new initiatives together. If you would like to give a suggestion for a future Open Discussion or TIPS topic please email eng.equity@utoronto.ca. We'd love to hear from you!
Interested in joining the EEDIAG? Email:
Reports & Plans
U of T Engineering
U of T
Committees, Groups & Offices
U of T Engineering
U of T
Engineering Outreach
The Engineering Student Outreach Office is dedicated to contributing to the development and education of both the participants in our pre-university programs and the undergraduate and graduate students whom provide instruction and support to them. ESOO wants to ensure that the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto prepares both high school students and undergraduate and graduate students to be engaged global citizens who see the impact of their action and just as importantly; inaction.

ENGage
A collaboration between U of T\'s Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, ENGage highlights black role models, encourages STEM literacy and promotes academic and social growth.

Girls' Jr. DEEP
A one week program intended to introduce young women to STEM in an all-girls environment, taught by some of the most amazing female engineering students at U of T.

Launch! Science and Engineering Camp
A fully subsidized program intended to promote STEM engagement within the community, Launch! Science and Engineering Camp is led by current undergraduate and graduate studens in science and engineering fields.
Student Clubs & Initiatives
Our students, faculty and staff are involved in the following groups at the Faculty and University level.
Resources
- Strategies for Recruiting an Excellent & Diverse Faculty Complement
- Unconscious Bias Education
- University of Toronto Centre for Indigenous Studies Resources
- Equity Diversity and Inclusion Resources
- Human Resources and Equity Annual Reports & Publications
- Accessibility Services
- University of Toronto Governing Council Employment Equity Policy
- University of Toronto Governing Council Statement on Equity, Diversity, and Excellence
- University of Toronto Governing Council Statement on Human Rights
- University of Toronto CRC Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan
- Off-Campus LGBTQ Community Resources
- List of Multi-Faith Spaces on Campus
All gender washrooms around campus
"Inclusion is not bringing people into what already exists; it is making a new space for everyone."
- George Dei
Traditional 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.