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Faculty of Science

Department of Physics & Astronomy

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Resources

McMaster University EDI Groups

  • The Promoting Inclusivity in Physics & Astronomy is student-led group dedicated to making the Department of Physics & Astronomy a more inclusive, diverse, and supportive environment.
  • The Equity & Inclusion Office (EIO) is a central resource where expertise is proactively drawn upon by administrators, faculty, staff, and students to advance unit-specific and institutional equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility goals; to enact inclusive excellence principles; and to establish respectful living, learning, and working environments that are free from harassment and discrimination, and sexual violence including through timely and procedurally fair investigative and alternative dispute resolution processes.
  • The President’s Advisory Committee on Building an Inclusive Community (PACBIC) is a central organization that aims to identify and anticipate issues affecting equity-seeking communities (including but not limited to First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons, members of racialized communities, newcomers and refugees, members of diverse faith communities, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ-identified individuals, and women) both within the University and relevant to those seeking access to the University, and advise the President on such issues.

Accessibility Resources

Resources For Indigenous Community Members

Inclusion & Anti-Racism Resources

Gender & Sexuality Resources

Human Rights And Dispute Resolution

  • The Human Rights & Dispute Resolution Program at McMaster provides consultation to McMaster community members on issues related to human rights; acts as an Intake Office for formal complaints of discrimination, harassment or sexual violence; oversees and, where required, investigates formal complaints lodged under the University’s Discrimination & Harassment Policy and/or the Sexual Violence Policy; and when requested, facilitates resolution of concerns and complaints using alternate dispute resolution practices.
  • The McMaster Ombuds Office works to ensure that all students, staff, and faculty are treated in a fair and equitable manner within the institution. To this end, the Office provides independent, impartial and confidential dispute-resolution advice and assistance on University-related issues to all members of the McMaster community, promotes discussion of institution-wide concerns, and makes recommendations for systemic changes as appropriate.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

  • The Student Wellness Center is the place on campus to address your wellness needs. We provide a range of counselling options, medical services and wellness programs so that you can get the most out of your McMaster experience, academically and personally!
  • McMaster Wellness Resources is a guide to taking care of yourself and others in university.

Physics Societies

Self-Education Resources

Accessibility resources and practices

Indigenous culture, history, and education

  • King, T. 2021 The Inconvenient Indian
  • Vowel, C. 2016 Indigenous Wrires
  • Wilson, S. 2008 Research Is Ceremony
  • Cote-Meek, S. 2014 Colonized Classrooms
  • Decolonization is not a metaphor

Indigenous science

News

Research Experience Awards

Jan, 2023 – The Department of Physics and Astronomy recognizes that talented Black and Indigenous students encounter systemic (e.g. historical, social, and/or environmental) barriers to full and fair access, representation, opportunities, and resources with respect to physics education and higher learning. Students who self-identify as Black, Indeginous, and/or racialized are encouraged to apply for this prestigious award to work a fully-funded summer position with a professor on a research project. A list of available projects and how to apply can be found here . Applications are due February 14th, 2023

EDI Committee Newsletter, July 2022

July, 2022 – We are excited to publish the EDI Committee Newsletter 2022 where we highlight the progress that has been made in the past year. We also share goals and announce the faculty membership for the upcoming year.

EDI Committee Newsletter, July 2021

July 13, 2021 – We are excited to publish the EDI Committee Newsletter 2021 where we highlight the progress that has been made in the past year. We also share goals and announce the faculty membership for the upcoming year.

Physics & Astronomy Research Experience Award

May 12, 2021 – McMaster Daily News reports on the newly established Physics & Astronomy Research Experience Award, created to support undergraduate Faculty of Science students who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or racialized, and have an interest in research. Students will be paid a stipend to work alongside department researchers beginning in May 2022. To learn more about and to contribute to the fund, click the button below.

Executive Summary Of EDI Survey 2020

March 22, 2021 – Last December the department’s Equity Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) committee undertook a survey of the department to help us to prioritize proposed EDI initiatives and to obtain feedback from department members. The results of the survey can be found here: Resource: Executive Summary of EDI Survey 2020

EDI Committee

The Department of Physics & Astronomy’s Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Committee was formed September 2020 to advocate for and address the needs of marginalized members of our community. The EDI Committee works to build equity in the Department’s education, research, and scholarship activities and provide equal opportunity.

This webpage will act as the communication hub for the Committee to engage with our community members. The Committee aims to work transparently and will provide regular updates on this webpage. The Committee also welcomes feedback and encourages members of the Department to communicate with us and hold us accountable.

The Committee members for the 2021-2022 Academic Year:

  • Chair – Dr. Robert Cockcroft
  • Vice-chair – Dr. Pat Clancy
  • Vice-chair – Dr. Duncan O’Dell
  • Faculty Representative – Dr. Christine Wilson
  • Graduate Student Representative – Veronika Dornan
  • Graduate Student Representative – Celine Greis
  • Undergraduate Student Representative – Aileen Shanzeela
  • Post-doctoral Representative – Dr. Devin Burke
  • Staff Representative – Dr. Dan FitzGreen

Goals & Initiatives

Student Support

  • Established a mentoring program to connect Level 1 students from underrepresented groups to upper-level mentors.
  • The newly established Physics & Astronomy Research Experience Award supports students in developing valuable research skills during their undergraduate experience. Funding will be awarded to students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or racialized and who are pursuing research opportunities in Physics & Astronomy. We are currently accepting donations towards this award through the link in the Donate button. The first of these awards were made in the summer of 2022, and will continue for summers until at least the next few years.
Donate

Training/Learning

  • Coordinating EDI training workshops and EDI-related colloquia in the Department of Physics & Astronomy.
  • Establishing a departmental demographic/climate survey.

Communication/Community Building

  • Share and distribute useful resources and training programs on EDI-related topics within the Department of Physics & Astronomy.
  • Hosting a town hall for all members of the Department to open discussion and encourage feedback on all EDI issues and initiatives.

Curriculum

  • Incorporating non-western knowledge into the curriculum through the development of an Indigenous astronomy course with Indigenous collaborators on- and off-campus.

Outreach

  • Bring physics to underrepresented communities:
    • Indigenous astronomy public outreach initiaive.
    • Acquisition of a portable planetarium to bring shows to schools from underrepresented communities.
    • Physics lab kits sent to students in underrepresented groups accompanied with a mentorship program.
    • Expand Girls in Science day to include underrepresented groups broadly.
    • Mentoring program for students from underrepresented groups (with high school students).

Advocacy

  • Working towards an award for students working to foster inclusivity.

Events

Upcoming

  • Stay tuned for more upcoming events!

Past Events

  • Designing and Assigning Accessible Assessments by Devon Mordell – Monday, May 1st, 2023 – 2:30pm-4:00pm
    • Design your assessments with accessibility in mind! Assessments are the source of a significant number of accommodation requests at McMaster; creating accessible assessments from the outset can help to reduce the number of accommodations student have to request. You can develop rigorous and robust assessments with fewer barriers for students by adhering to digital accessibility standards and following Universal Design for Learning guidelines.
  • Anti-racism and Inclusion Workshop by Renata Hall – Tuesday, March 14th, 2023 – 1:30pm-4:20pm
    • This workshop is focused on building foundational knowledge around the facilitators and barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion in teaching and learning sectors. Focusing on an anti-oppressive approach to teaching and mentoring, this workshop will ground the discussion in pathways to eliminating unconscious bias, stereotypes, and covert forms of discrimination in teaching and learning practices while focusing and promoting self development in regards to the principles of inclusive of teaching and learning. Slides from the talk are available here
  • Creating STEM department cultures that support diversity – Wednesday, November 16th, 2022 – 3:30pm-4:30pm
    • A schema for mapping the elements of department culture that can help departments support diversity and help diverse department members navigate their workplace.
  • Graduate-student only workshop – Thursday, April 28th, 2022 – 3:00pm-5:00pm
    • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Fundamentals: This workshop is an introduction to equity, diversity and inclusion. Learn about key concepts and policies administered by the Equity and Inclusion Office.
  • Asking for Help: A Mental Health Workshop, Zeinab Khawaja, Student Wellness Centre – Wednesday, March 23, 2022 – 2:30pm-3:30pm
    • Why asking for support can be so difficult for many of us.
  • Making the Connections Between Science and Race Visible, Dr. Rodrigo Narro Perez  – Wednesday, February 9, 2022 – 3:30pm-4:30pm
    • Including anti-racist practices in a science undergraduate classroom.
  • Colloquium Speakers, Dr. Ninan Abraham, University of British Columbia – Wednesday, September 29, 2021 – 3:30pm-4:30pm
  • Colloquium Speakers, Kate Brown & Devon Mordell, Equity & Inclusion Office, McMaster University – Wednesday, April 21, 2021 – 3:30pm-4:30pm
  • Colloquium Speaker, Dr. Robert Cockcroft, McMaster University – Wednesday, February 24, 2021 – 3:30pm-4:30pm
  • Fall 2020 Town Hall – Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at 3:30pm
  • Colloquium Speaker, Dr. Shohini Ghose, Wilfred Laurier University– Wednesday, November 4, 2020 – 3:30pm-4:30pm
  • Workshop, An Introduction to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion led by Khadijeh Rakie from McMaster’s Office of Equity & Inclusion – Wednesday, September 30, 2020 – 3:00pm-4:30pm

Contact Us

Looking for more information? Visit the Resources Page to learn about resources available at McMaster and in the Hamilton community. Want to get in touch? Please send feedback and questions by emailing the Committee Chair at cockcroft@mcmaster.ca .