EDI Glossary

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A

Accessibility

The prevention and removal of barriers (physical, attitudinal, technological, or systemic) to allow equitable participation for persons with disabilities or others who experience barriers to accessibility.

Anti-Oppressive

The active process of identifying and eliminating systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes that create adverse oppressive impacts and outcomes in society.

Anti-Racism

The active process of identifying and eliminating systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes, that create discriminatory processes and outcomes for people groups based on race. 

B

C

Class Oppression

Sometimes referred to as classism, can be defined as prejudice and discrimination based on social class. Class is a social ranking system which is based on income, wealth, education, status and power.

Cultural Humility

A process of self-reflection to understand personal and systemic biases and to develop and maintain respectful processes and relationships based on mutual trust. Cultural humility involves humbly acknowledging oneself as a learner when it comes to understanding another’s experience.

D

Decolonization

A process that focuses on upholding all worldviews and ways of being, inclusive of Indigenous and non-Western ones as valid. 

Disability Justice

A social justice movement that focuses on examining disability and ableism as they relate to other forms of oppression and identity such as race, class and gender. 

Disability Rights

The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all people with disabilities.

Diversity

The existence of differences in the lived experiences and perspectives of people that may include race, ethnicity, color, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical disability, mental disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, class and/or socio-economic situations.

E

Equity

Equity means identifying and removing barriers that create discriminatory disadvantages. Equity further means being fair and impartial while acknowledging the need to redress systemic/structural disadvantages.

Equality

The state of being equal, especially in status, rights and opportunities.

F

G

Gender Diversity

Describes gender identities that demonstrate a diversity of expression beyond the binary framework.

H

I

Inclusion

A community where all are welcome, safe, accepted and appreciated in learning, teaching, researching and working. In inclusive spaces, an individual’s unique characteristics, gender, abilities and social/group-based characteristics are valued; they do not feel they have to sacrifice their social identities or individuality. They feel comfortable that there are safeguards in place for their physical and psychological safety. One critical outcome of inclusion is a sense of belonging, which is a fundamental human need.

Inclusive Excellence

Inclusive Excellence (IE) is a systems-wide approach to equity, diversity and inclusion. IE states that true excellence in an institution is unattainable without inclusion – and in fact, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to excellence. It moves away from historical approaches to diversity that focused on numbers and representation. Instead, IE helps us think about the institution as a vibrant community that can create excellence by embedding diversity throughout the institution.

Indigenization

The enactment of Indigeneity in academic spaces; it involves meaningful inclusion of Indigenous ways of knowing and being that holds Indigenous cultural integrity intact. It is led by and for Indigenous peoples.

Intercultural Competence

The ability to function effectively across cultures, to think and act appropriately and to communicate and work with people from different cultural backgrounds – at home or abroad.

Intersectionality

The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

J

K

L

M

Microaggressions

Microaggressions refer to the normalization of commonplace verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative prejudicial slights and insults towards people who experience marginalization.

N

Neurodiversity

The range of differences in individual brain function and behavioral traits regarded as part of normal variation in the human population.

O

Oppression

A prolonged unjust treatment that results in adverse socio-economic outcomes for people groups, usually those with relatively less social power and privilege.

P

Power Imbalance

Expressed when one partner (or a group of partners) is able to dominate decision-making or otherwise asserts power in ways that disadvantages other partners or are not in the best interest towards achieving the partnership objectives.

Privilege

Unearned cultural, legal, social, and institutional benefits extended to a group based on their social group membership.

Psychologically healthy and safe workplace

A workplace that promotes employees’ psychological well-being and actively works to prevent harm to employee psychological health, including in negligent, reckless, or intentional ways. 

Psychological Health and Safety

Psychological health and safety is embedded in the way people interact with one another on a daily basis and is part of the way working conditions and management practices are structured and how decisions are made and communicated. 

Q

R

S

Sexual Orientation

A person's identity in relation to the gender or genders to which they are sexually attracted; the fact of being heterosexual, homosexual, etc.

Structural Barriers

Obstacles that collectively affect a group disproportionately and perpetuate or maintain stark disparities in outcomes.

Systematic Barriers

Policies, practices or procedures that result in some people receiving unequal access or being excluded.

T

Tokenism

Tokenism is the practice of doing something only to prevent criticism and give the appearance that people are being treated fairly, without giving the individuals in such positions any decision-making power. 

Trauma

An adverse event or cumulation of events that create negative emotional and psychological reactions and impacts.

Trauma and Violence-Informed Approaches

The recognition of the correlation between past/historical violence and trauma on present psychological health, safety and wellbeing and the continually commitment to learning and embedding practices that safeguard against further re-traumatization and/or violence.

Truth and Reconciliation

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was a truth and reconciliation commission active in Canada from 2008 to 2015, organized by the parties of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. SFU recognizes and honours the title and rights of Indigenous people as stated in UNDRIP and we respect and partner with the host Indigenous Nations on which our campuses are located. We have the responsibility to illuminate the truth of Indigenous people in Canada and around the world and to begin to chart a path of Reconciliation. 

U

Underrepresented

Individuals or groups with insufficient or inadequate representation in various aspects of university life, often determined when compared to their proportional representation in Canadian society or Labour Market Availability per Statistics Canada demographic data. In the university setting, other considerations may also override strictly proportional representation.

Universal Design

The process of creating products that are accessible to people with a wide range of abilities, disabilities and other characteristics.

V

Violence

The unlawful exercise of force leading to physical and/or psychological harm/trauma.

W

X

Y

Z