Instructor Spotlight: Dr. Rupa Banerjee

For nearly a decade, Dr. Rupa Banerjee has been a leading force in diversity and workplace studies at Toronto Metropolitan University. By integrating academic research with real-world challenges, she provides students with the critical tools needed to navigate the complexities of employment equity, systemic discrimination, and labour relations.

Research That Drives Change

Dr. Banerjee’s research explores the structural barriers that impact immigrant employment outcomes in Canada. Her work sheds light on critical issues within the labour market, including:

• High-skilled immigration pathways and the challenges skilled newcomers face in having their credentials recognized.
• Temporary foreign workers' experiences, particularly concerning job security, rights, and fair treatment.
• International students' transition to permanent residency and the systemic obstacles that complicate their integration into the workforce.

By examining these interconnected areas, Dr. Banerjee’s research contributes to policy discussions and directly informs her teaching, ensuring that students engage with the realities of workplace diversity and labour relations.

A Teaching Philosophy Rooted in Real-World Application

As the instructor for MHR 600 (Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace) and MHR 520 (Foundations of Industrial Relations), Dr. Banerjee provides students with a nuanced understanding of key issues shaping today’s workplaces. Her courses examine:

• Systemic discrimination and implicit bias and their impact on hiring, promotions, and workplace culture.
• The evolving discourse on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), including contemporary challenges and resistance.
• Worker rights and protections in the face of shifting labour policies.
• Economic inequality and discriminatory treatment within organizational structures.

“In theory, workplace policies may appear straightforward, but in practice, they are shaped by complex social, economic, and political factors,” Dr. Banerjee explains. “My goal is to prepare students to critically analyze these challenges and develop practical solutions.”

Live Actor Simulation: Enhancing Learning Through Experience

Since 2016, Dr. Banerjee has been at the forefront of Live Actor Simulation (LAS), an experiential learning method that immerses students in real-world workplace scenarios. Through this approach, students engage directly with issues such as bias, conflict resolution, and ethical decision-making in professional settings.

“Live Actor Simulation brings theoretical concepts to life,” she notes. “By witnessing and responding to realistic workplace scenarios, students gain a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in diversity and labour relations.”

This innovative teaching method enhances student learning by:

• Developing practical problem-solving skills for navigating workplace challenges.
• Strengthening emotional resilience in high-pressure situations.
• Encouraging empathy and a deeper understanding of the diverse experiences within professional environments.

Breaking New Ground: Microaggression Simulations

Building on the success of the Live Actor Simulation, Dr. Banerjee, in collaboration with Dr. Ellen Choi, has developed new microaggression simulations with support from TMU’s Teaching and Learning Center. These simulations provide students with strategies to identify and address subtle forms of discrimination in professional settings.

Key learning outcomes include:

• Recognizing the experiences of racialized students and workers in academic and workplace environments.
• Understanding effective responses to microaggressions for both individuals and organizations.
• Exploring bystander intervention techniques to foster more inclusive workplaces.
• Applying these insights to real-world workplace and classroom settings.

This initiative represents a significant advancement in experiential learning, equipping students with the tools to address and mitigate bias in professional environments.

Expanding the Impact of Experiential Learning

Dr. Banerjee’s work continues to shape the future of diversity and labour studies at TMU. Faculty members interested in incorporating microaggression simulations or other experiential learning techniques into their courses are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Banerjee or the TMU Center for Teaching and Learning.

By bridging the gap between research and practice, Dr. Banerjee is preparing the next generation of professionals to lead with knowledge, empathy, and a commitment to equity.