Diversity Advisory Council (DivAC)

Authority

The Temerty Faculty of Medicine recognizes that we are situated within a society that has created and perpetuated structural and institutional systems (including the medical and health care systems) of social inequality. These structural inequities exist in the present day, and they have continued to create large power imbalances between dominant groups and marginalized groups resulting in barriers for the latter to experience good health, well-being, and quality of life. In light of this reality, the TFoM is committed to working on eliminating systemic barriers to health equity for all.

The University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine Diversity Advisory Council (DivAC) is established under the authority of the Dean for the purpose of advising the Associate Dean, Inclusion & Diversity and ultimately the Dean’s Executive on matters relating to inclusion, equity, human rights, and diversity at the TFoM in order to move forward the commitment to social justice and health equity.

Purpose

The DivAC is part of the Faculty’s diversity strategy to build inclusion and equity structures, processes, and resources in line with the Faculty’s overall vision of leading improvement in health through education, research and partnerships. The DivAC has been established both to provide leadership in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion, and also to empower, support, and create allyship with underrepresented and marginalized groups.

The DivAC will not subsume all equity, social justice and human rights work occurring within the Faculty, but it will work to ensure that there are initiatives and strategies for inclusion, diversity and equity that are Faculty-wide with formal accountability to the Dean.

Mandate:

The DivAC’s mandate includes the following (not in order of priority):

1. Explore issues and gaps around systemic equity, inclusion, human rights, and diversity at the Faculty and recommend and advocate for appropriate strategies to respond to these issues and gaps.
2. Provide the Associate Dean, Inclusion & Diversity and supporting diversity team with guidance and support in developing an annual diversity plan for the Faculty which sets priorities, targets, measures and evaluation mechanisms.
3. Review, monitor and advise on all Temerty Faculty of Medicine programs and policies through an equity and inclusion lens to ensure they are not creating and/or perpetuating systemic and institutionalized barriers and/or exclusions.
4. Share information, keep an inventory, and develop a historical record of the Faculty’s strategies and successes in the areas of inclusion, equity and diversity.
5. Facilitate ongoing community engagement with learners, staff members, faculty members, and the broader Toronto community in the form of education and communications to promote dialogue on issues of inclusion, equity and diversity.
6. Be accountable to and report directly to the Dean’s Executive on two (2) occasions each year on the development and implementation of diversity strategies:
   1. at the beginning of each academic year, and
   2. at the end of each academic year.

Composition:

The DivAC is comprised of a combination of faculty members, staff, and learners at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine as well as University of Toronto community members and representatives from TAHSN partners.

Members are invited by the Dean and Associate Dean, Inclusion & Diversity on an annual basis to serve a one-year term, and members of equity-seeking groups and underrepresented minorities are specifically identified and recruited to encourage and create a group of diverse voices. The council shall be a diverse group of individuals across Faculty departments and areas of expertise.

Membership terms will commence each June and all members will be considered for an additional term at the end of their one year. Each June, new members will be encouraged to participate based on their identified interest and/or expertise in inclusion, equity and diversity issues. New members may also be asked to join at any time during the term should a vacancy and/or specific need on the council arise.

Terms of Reference:

The full terms of reference for the Diversity Advisory Council can be found here.