Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Lang
The Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics’ mission, that sees business as a force for good in the world, aligns with our deep commitment to reconciliation and indigenization, as well as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Through this commitment to action as part of Lang’s 2023-2028 strategic plan, we will ensure that we foster a thriving community of scholars, researchers, and leaders where each person is valued and supported.
This work requires learning and unlearning, community engagement and relationship building.
Recent EDI Initiatives and Successes in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
United Nation’s HeForShe campaign
The Lang School of Business and Economics has been a long-time supporter of the United Nation’s HeForShe campaign to promote gender equality. Annually, Lang partners with Gryphon Football and the School of Engineering to engage the community in conversations and learnings about gender allyship through workshops and a keynote speaker series. You can learn more about Lang’s work on gender equality through the HeForShe initiatives, including information on the Resilience Scholarship and Ally Scholarship, at the HeForShe website.
EDI Pitch Competition
In 2023, Lang delivered its first EDI Pitch Competition for undergraduate students with the support of the John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise. Through this event, students identified a contemporary EDI challenge in workplaces, generated and proposed solutions to these issues, and deliver a pitch that was evaluated by a panel of industry and faculty judges. Nearly 700 students participated in the first annual pitch competition, building knowledge and skills to foster inclusive workplaces in the future.
Breaking Barriers, Creating Connections
Guelph Black Professionals and the Lang Students’ Association have, for two years, organized the Breaking Barriers, Creating Connections networking and social event for Black, Indigenous, and racialized students. This event is designed to support students who have been traditionally underrepresented in universities in their progression into the business world by offering them the opportunity to network with industry professionals from diverse backgrounds and connect with others who may face similar barriers. The event includes a networking session exclusively for Black, Indigenous, and students of colour, a panel discussion with industry professionals, and a post-panel networking session for all attendees.
Learn more about our commitment
The Lang EDI Advisory Board serves as a strategic leadership and advisory group within the business school with direct reporting to the Dean of Lang. The mission of this Board is to utilize the skills and expertise of its membership to support the understanding, promotion, and enactment of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion practices within Lang.
The Board is chaired by the Associate Dean, Strategic Partnerships and Societal Impact, and is composed of undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty.
Individuals interested in learning more about Lang’s EDI Advisory Board or about EDI at Lang can contact Lang’s Associate Dean, Strategic Partnerships and Societal Impact, Dr. Audrey Jamal, or Lang’s EDI Lead, Dr. Sonia Dhaliwal.
As individuals and as an institution, we share responsibility to respectfully and meaningfully engage in the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action report, as well as the University of Guelph’s Indigenous Initiatives Strategy, Bi-Naagwad | It Comes Into View.
To create leaders for an inclusive future, we have a responsibility to engage in building understanding and to take action to foster changes in how higher education and business are structured and conducted. Administrators, staff, faculty, students, and alumni are called upon to work towards decolonization and reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, communities, and lands.
Call to Action #92: Business and Reconciliation
We call upon the corporate sector in Canada to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and to apply its principles, norms, and standards to corporate policy and core operational activities involving Indigenous peoples and their lands and resources. This would include, but not be limited to, the following:
- Commit to meaningful consultation, building respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before proceeding with economic development projects.
- Ensure that Aboriginal peoples have equitable access to jobs, training, and education opportunities in the corporate sector, and that Aboriginal communities gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.
- Provide education for management and staff on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism.
University of Guelph Resources for Students, Staff, and Faculty
The University of Guelph and Lang School of Business and Economics offers a variety of resources to support students with reconciliation and decolonization, anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion. The following are links to some of the resources: