Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Our mission is to promote and advance a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the College of Agriculture and Bioresources and to support all faculty, staff and students in understanding and living the principles of EDI.

Upcoming events

Queer 101

In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the broad spectrum of identities that make up the 2SLGBTQ community, along with common barriers and issues that are present within work environments. Finally, participants will be introduced to strategies, policies, and actions that can be taken at an individual and organizational level in order to affect change within their work environment.

Monday, June 2, 2025 1:30-2:30PM in Agriculture 1E80

Roots and Resilience Seminar Series

The Roots and Resilience Seminar Series is a four-part seminar series presented by the College of Agriculture and Bioresources and supported through the Lectureship in the History of Indigenous-Newcomer Relations and the William Rekunyk Lecture Fund. The purpose of the series is to provide a learning opportunity to students and staff in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources on Indigenous culture, history, practice, and contemporary topics. The seminar schedule is below.

  1. Introduction to Indigenous Culture (Pre-Contact): Thursday, November 21, 2024, 4:00PM CST
  2. European Contact and Settlement: Thursday, November 28, 2024, 4:00PM CST
  3. Settler Colonialism and Impacts on Indigenous Way of Life: Thursday, March 6, 2025, 4:00PM CST
  4. Contemporary Issues and Topics: Thursday: March 27, 2025, 4:00PM CST

The 2024-25 Lectureship in the History of Indigenous-Newcomer Relations was awarded to Dr. Mckelvey Kelly, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Alberta Department of History, Classics, and Religion.

All seminar recordings are now available on YouTube.

 

Projects

AgBio is one of the few buildings on campus to not have a gender-neutral washroom. We are working on fixing that. We have worked with USask Facilities to identify an appropriate space in the building for this new washroom and are currently waiting to receive quotations for the renovation.

We are aware that there are often infants in our building and that caregivers will require secure changing facilities. We are currently working with the USask Office of the Provost and VP Academic to secure funding for the installation of several changing stations in Agriculture Building washrooms.

Under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, any building open to the public must be accessible. Where discrimination is on the basis of disability, this requires a service provider to take steps to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.

The college is in the process of securing an external provider to conduct a full building accessibility review in order to ensure the Agriculture Building is fully accessible and easy to navigate for those with physical limitations.

In Winter 2024, an EDI survey was released to all members of the college, including staff, students and faculty. The goal of the survey was to help the committee identify priorities for the coming year. The survey was open for participation for three weeks throughout February and March. 227 responses were received, an approximate 12% response rate.

Responses indicated that EDI support is most desired in the forms of:

  • Educational opportunities to learn more about EDI; and
  • In-person events aimed at supporting and fostering connections within minority groups.

EDI Committee

The diversity of our college community is represented on our EDI committee. Members of distinct cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, and lived experiences form this group of volunteers.

Edgar Martinez, Committee Chair and Coordinator, AgBio Bioprocessing Pilot Plant

Yongfeng Ai, Associate Professor, Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences

Khloe Baker, Bachelor of Science candidate, Animal Bioscience

Danielle Baron, Manager, Research, Graduate Studies, and External Engagement

Trever Crowe, Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies

Megan Loessl, Academic Programs Coordinator

Sirajum Munira, Lecturer, Departments of Plant Sciences and Soil Science

Rex Newkirk, Associate Professor, Department of Animal and Poultry Science

Candice Pete-Cardoso, Director, kihci-okawimaw askiy Knowledge Centre

Ana Pontes de Azevedo, Master of Science candidate, Department of Plant Sciences

Resources

Contact us

We know we have a long way to go. Please help us get there.

Reach out to any of our members with questions or concerns, or contact our confidential committee account: agbio.edi@usask.ca