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Equity, Community & Inclusion

In response to the Experience of Underrepresented Creative Industries Students report, commissioned in 2021, the School of Creative Industries has developed a five-point plan to better foster equity, diversity, and inclusion in the School for 2021-2022. This plan is the beginning of a conversation, not an end in itself. The School will reflect on and incorporate this plan on an ongoing basis, in addition to responding to new concerns and initiatives brought forth by students, staff, and faculty.

  1. Enable supportive learning environments for all students in accordance with guiding principles of equity, diversity and inclusion through developing an EDI statement and providing anti-oppression training for all faculty, staff, and student leaders.
  2. Provide safe and culturally-relevant extracurricular community spaces for students by assisting with the creation of a student group for racialized CI students to provide support and connection.
  3. Receive guidance and expertise from external industry leaders and internal committee on program development by forming a representative Program Advisory Committee and an EDI steering committee.
  4. Diversify curriculum in courses by providing students with views and perspectives in creative industries from people from equity-deserving communities through representative speakers and course content.
  5. Diversify the student body and admit more students who are entrepreneurial, talented, and driven from equity-deserving communities by collaborating with the University’s Registrar to explore options for admissions policy.

In 2021, the School of Creative Industries commissioned an external ECI consultant to engage with current students and alumni and produce a report. At this time, the school was seven years old with three years of alumni. This report, Experiences of Underrepresented Creative Industries Students, was shared widely with students and discussed at a Town Hall meeting.

One of the key initiatives from the five-point plan was to form an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ECI) Steering Committee. In the fall of 2021, the Steering Committee was created to advise the school and develop programs designed to initiate change in the school. The Steering Committee is a diverse group of 16 people and includes faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Members from our Creative Industries faculty and staff include:

Steering committee members include:

  • Cherie Bova
  • Deborah Mwanakatwe
  • Dr. Golam Rabbani
  • Frishta Bastan
  • Jiya Mehta
  • Madelyn Gragasin
  • Neha Kohli
  • Rianna Jones
  • Sarah Jeddy
  • Smiksha Singla

Recognizing the high cost of education, the School of Creative Industries ECI Committee has created a list of scholarships and awards to help individuals. We are always looking for new scholarships, bursaries and grants and we update this list regularly. If you have an opportunity to add, please let us know. To access this list, click the button below. 

 (google sheet)  ECI Bursaries, Grants, and Scholarships  (external link, opens in new window) 

If you are a Creative Industries student, staff, or faculty with an ECI related concern/question, please email ecicreativeind@torontomu.ca.