A University of Manitoba employee proudly showcases the new Mondetta x UM apparel collaboration gear.Supplied
For Leah Deane, creating an inclusive workplace shaped by leadership, lived experience and everyday practice is at the forefront of her mind in her position as executive director of student support at the University of Manitoba (UM).
“The university is a microcosm of our society. We face the same challenges, and we have an incredible opportunity to effect change for our community,” says Deane.
A registered social worker who graduated with her master’s degree from the university, Deane now oversees seven units offering services in the areas of advocacy, accessibility and sexual violence prevention and support, as well as mental, physical and spiritual health and well-being.
“We provide support for our entire community so that in a whole sense we can be healthy and well,” says Deane.
To support not only students but faculty and staff, Deane works to build welcoming work environments. Her team focuses on recruiting diverse applicants and then ensuring that people feel respected, have a real sense of belonging, and can bring their whole selves to the workplace.
“For me, it is about relationships, trust and authenticity,” says Deane. “There is so much learning to do and opportunity for growth. We can do this in a good way if we are connecting with each other and building strong relationships.”
UM is a leading research institution with 9,400 faculty and staff. It has two main campuses, Fort Garry and Bannatyne in Winnipeg, as well as satellite campuses across the province.
Just over 21 per cent of the university’s more than 31,000 students are international, representing 122 countries. The campus is also home to more than 3,200 First Nations, Métis and Inuit students. Among employees, diversity is equally evident, helping to foster a growing culture of inclusion throughout the university.
Since taking the position of vice-provost, equity, in 2022, Tina Chen has worked to ensure that principles of diversity, equity and accessibility guide academic programs, research, administration and community life.
“We want always to identify how we can make change,” she says. “We need all of us working collaboratively and collectively.”
Chen is excited about the uptake on new professional development opportunities such as the university’s Equity Diversity Inclusion Accessibility (EDIA) Foundations course. The course is delivered at no cost to UM learners and introduces them to the skills of critical self-reflection, social location and diverse perspective-taking. More than 400 people have completed the course, which is a prerequisite for a more in-depth EDIA micro-certificate program.
Last year was the first full year of the certificate program, which was designed to help empower staff, students and faculty to transform campus practices by thinking through the lens of equity and bringing that awareness and knowledge to the work they do.
“There is a culture change happening, and this is one of the hardest aspects of equity work,” says Chen.
To better understand employee experiences of belonging and to gauge the workplace climate, the institution undertakes the University of Manitoba Community Experience Survey every two years. The survey finished last autumn, and results will be shared this winter at town hall meetings and through other channels to encourage ongoing participation.
“The data from the survey informs our next steps and actions,” says Chen.
The university’s leadership remains committed to creating spaces where people with a diversity of opinions and experiences feel comfortable to share their ideas on where change is necessary, what action should be taken and how to be part of the solution.
“It is incremental transformation,” says Chen. “I like that term because we are not just looking to change things on the surface but leave the foundations changed.”
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