SCAET building at Sheridan's Trafalgar Road Campus

Office of Inclusive Communities

A message from Dr. Jane Ngobia, VP of Inclusive Communities

Dr. Jane Ngobia, VP of Inclusive Communities at SheridanWhen I joined Sheridan in January 2019, I was hired as Senior Adviser to the President and Vice Chancellor. Following broad community consultation to develop Sheridan’s Strategic Plan, the primacy of equity, diversity and inclusion was clearly articulated, and I accepted the inaugural role as Vice-President, Inclusive Communities. In this role, I am charged with the responsibility of working horizontally and partnering with all to embed diversity, equity and inclusion in all of Sheridan’s policies, processes and practices.

I understand my role as a leader in shaping, promoting and implementing Sheridan’s strategic direction, vision and initiatives for equity, diversity and inclusivity. My mandate is to purposefully foster and reaffirm an inclusive campus that embraces the rich diversity of Sheridan’s community to foster a strong sense of connection, respect for others’ rights to belong and equal opportunity to engage, thrive and succeed for everyone.

Fostering inclusion is truly a shared responsibility. I invite you to actively embed inclusion and equity into your spheres of influence at Sheridan and beyond. This is our shared vision — together, we will create a community where everyone is bringing their full potential and experiences, knowing their unique contributions are valued. This is formative to living Sheridan’s First Principles making Diversity, Equity and Inclusion an essential component of our excellence.

Communications from the Office of Inclusive Communities

Dimensions EDI Canada program

About Dimensions

The Dimensions: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Canada program seeks to foster transformative change within the research ecosystem at Canadian postsecondary institutions by addressing systemic barriers and inequities faced by members of historically and currently underrepresented and/or excluded groups, including but not limited to women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, members of racialized groups, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons.

The Dimensions program is jointly administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Sheridan’s participation in Dimensions

Sheridan is a proud participant in the Dimensions program and has earned a Stage 2: Construction level of recognition.

This level demonstrates a strategic and coordinated approach to addressing EDI. It also means that Sheridan is recognized for having successfully implemented and assessed the outcomes of previous EDI initiatives while also systematically collecting and analyzing representational data.

Sheridan's Dimensions Action Plan

Since we signed the Dimensions charter in 2019, we’ve engaged with employees across Sheridan and garnered input from key areas in order to assess gaps and needs in employment systems.

Our five-year Dimensions Action Plan addresses these gaps and will serve as an important guiding force in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion at Sheridan.

Sheridan’s action plan incorporates quantifiable objectives and transparent reporting to monitor progress and maintain accountability. The action plan will be monitored by the Inclusive Communities Advisory Body.

As we embark on this five-year journey, Sheridan emphasizes that EDI is not merely an initiative but a foundational principle that steers its day-to-day operations, as we aim to embed EDI in everything we do.

Dimensions Participating Institutions

Employee Diversity Self-Identification Census

Sheridan conducted its first Employee Diversity Self-Identification Census in 2020. The Census was an important first step towards achieving our goals for equity, diversity and inclusion at Sheridan, as it allowed us to capture baseline understanding on the diversity of our employees. This information will contribute to our efforts to understand and leverage the diversity, perspectives, and lived experience of employees on our campuses.

  • How to access the Census

    Employees can access the Census through Sheridan Central. (On Sheridan Central, navigate to PeopleSoft HR > Self Service > Diversity Self-Identify.)

    Employees who completed the survey during its initial launch in April 2020 or during onboarding as a recent hire are not required to take any action. Please note that employees may view, enter or update their self-identification information at any time through the self-service portal.

    2020 Census results

    The 2020 Census Results Report is available for download:

    Download full 2020 Census report
    Download 2020 Census report in an accessible format

About EDI at Sheridan

Download Sheridan's Statement of Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Diversity is a Sheridan strength and leveraging it to unleash the potential of faculty, staff and students is our priority. Across our campuses, we’re making meaningful strides towards developing an equitable and inclusive community.

Under the leadership of the Vice President, Inclusive Communities, Sheridan is actively embedding values of equity, diversity and inclusion into policies, procedures and decision-making at all levels of the institution, while recognizing that this is an ongoing process fuelled by collective dedication and commitment.

Community engagement, collaborative consultation, respect for Indigenous ways of knowing and diverse perspectives, truth and reconciliation and putting people first, are considerations at the fore of Sheridan’s approach to building inclusive communities.

At Sheridan, we define:

  • Equity as fair treatment and access to opportunities. Sheridan values the fair and just treatment of all community members through the creation of opportunities and the removal of barriers to address historic and current disadvantages for equity-seeking and marginalized groups.
  • Diversity as all the ways in which we are different. Sheridan values and respects diversity in all its forms, including knowledge, worldviews and experiences. Diversity is born out of membership in different groups.
  • Inclusion as a process of intentional efforts to understand another perspective and feel empathy. An inclusive learning and working environment is one where every individual can maximize their potential, irrespective of personal characteristics.

The following four areas work towards advancing a culture of inclusion across Sheridan:

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