Lambton College announces strategy to prioritize Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
SARNIA, May 9, 2022 – Lambton has a vision of becoming a College in which everyone has the opportunity to live a full and authentic life. In support of that vision, the College is pleased to announce a new strategy that prioritizes Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).
Lambton College’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy is a comprehensive five-year plan that will guide Lambton in its journey towards achieving its vision by addressing opportunities for improvement.
“Though our EDI work overall will not have an end date, we are pleased to have this five-year strategy that provides a roadmap for becoming a better College for all,” said Rob Kardas, President & CEO, Lambton College.
The EDI Strategy identifies seven pillars that the College will be focusing on to better support and embrace all members of its community, including those from diverse cultures, races, religions, abilities, genders, and sexual identities. The pillars are as follows:
- We will Indigenize and decolonize our spaces
- We will foster more inclusive, equitable, diverse, and accessible working and learning environments
- We will increase the diversity of Staff and Faculty
- We will develop inclusive curriculums and support the ability of Faculty to teach students from diverse backgrounds
- We will provide more responsive student programs and services
- We will ensure that community connections and partnerships meet the needs of our diverse college community
- We will strengthen research excellence through embedding Indigeneity, inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility considerations throughout the research process
These pillars were identified after the College undertook an Inclusivity Assessment in October 2021. In this assessment, students, employees, and community stakeholders had the opportunity to make their voices heard in a confidential online survey, focus groups and interviews, to help identify where the College stands as it relates to Indigenization, inclusion, equity, diversity, and accessibility.
“The Inclusivity Assessment allowed us to take a full and honest look at the barriers and opportunities for improvement that exist at Lambton College, and that is invaluable for affecting real change,” said Kardas.
Lambton College worked with Turner Consulting Group on its Inclusivity Assessment and EDI Strategy. The strategy is available in full on Lambton College’s EDI web page.
“Every year, thousands of students, hundreds of employees, and countless community members choose Lambton College,” said Kardas. “We take that responsibility seriously. Anyone who comes through our doors, logs into a class, or partners with us in any way deserves to feel welcomed, included and valued.”