EDI and Anti-Racism Advisor

Department: Athletics
This position is represented by the agreement between the Professional Staff Association and the University of Guelph

Temporary full-time from 09/02/2025 to 09/01/2027

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant.
Career Opportunities (sapsf.com)

General Purpose

Consistently ranked as one of the best comprehensive universities in Canada, the University of Guelph, and the Department of Athletics & Recreation (“Athletics”) are committed to fostering an inclusive learning, training, and working environment where all students, athletes, volunteers, staff, patrons, and community members experience an authentic sense of belonging. The University of Guelph’s commitment to fostering an inclusive campus environment has been articulated in numerous core documents including the University of Guelph’s Strategic Framework: Our Path Forward and the Human Rights Policy and Procedures Document. The Department of Athletics (“Athletics”) is committed to building learning, working, and living environments where every member of our community experiences an authentic sense of belonging. In Winter 2021, Athletics and the Office of Diversity & Human Rights (DHR), created an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Committee to support these goals. The Committee works to create a strong culture of inclusion and belonging for our community by reviewing policies, procedures, processes, activities, and department culture with an IEDI lens and to embed anti-racism, and anti-oppression education and training into the Department’s ongoing operations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the Athletic Director, this position requires an experienced professional to develop, support and guide the efforts needed to implement proactive IEDI and anti-racism initiatives in Athletics. In collaboration with Athletics’ leadership, the incumbent develops, implements, and manages the delivery of customized training, and educational outreach programs for students, athletes, volunteers, staff, faculty and community members. These programs and outreach initiatives will be designed to promote cultural understanding and competency and a climate of equity and inclusion while meeting the University's goals towards fostering connected communities, as well as its legislated responsibilities.

The IEDI Advisor in Athletics will have a leadership role in supporting the Department’s IEDI and anti-racism initiatives including supporting and implementing the work of the IEDI Advisory Committee. Furthermore, the incumbent will build upon the IEDI and anti-racism strategy for the Department of Athletics.

The IEDI and Anti-Racism Coordinator will also support the many working groups from the IEDI Advisory Committee working closely and supporting them in executing the Committee’s visioning work, ensuring alignment with the department’s IEDI and Anti-Racism strategy, and create plans for working groups with established milestones and deliverables.

Other responsibilities include:

• Support managers and staff with implementation of those EDI and anti-racism standards and guidelines.
• Advise on the handling of IEDI related complaints as required.

• The incumbent will be the point person for all student athletes, staff and coaches who are experiencing issues involving IEDI and racism.
• Provide expert advisement to staff when issues arise. The incumbent will then provide advisement to the students involved, recommend next steps to unit leads, and monitor and assess outcomes.
• Provide support for impacted individuals, advise leadership on actions and next steps to take and when to escalate to group discussions (i.e. teams).
• Provide support to unit leads on required actions (i.e. team meetings).
• Lead discussions with individual or groups, following incidents.
• Participates in the U of G community of practice for Student Affairs staff/advisors whose role is predominantly working with students in areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Provides navigation support for students, including consulting, facilitating appropriate supports, and referrals to campus and community partners.
• Consults with the Office of Student Accountability in relation to campus policies and advisement on policy application.

• The incumbent will coordinate the implementation of the Department’s Action Plan and work of the EDI Advisory committee alongside existing departmental programs and initiatives and develop opportunities for future planning.
• Serve as the department lead for all department IDEI programming initiatives and in alignment and support of the institutions IEDI initiatives.
• Will at times lead/participate in external community programs such as Believe to Achieve, Jr Gryphons and other community of practice programs that involve IEDI and drive the Gryphon brand and commitment to our community.
• Audit policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, and staff manuals to ensure they align with our commitment to IEDI and inclusivity statement.
• Develop benchmarks and metrics to inform progress on developed Action Plans and measure success of the EDI Advisory Committee designed to improve EDI and anti-racism in Athletics’ programs and initiatives.
• Assist with the preparation of end of year equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism report for Athletics.
• Works with campus partners (e.g. Student Affairs, Learning Commons, the Wellness Centre and Diversity and Human Rights) to develop and implement programming aimed at increasing equity, diversity and inclusion.

Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in a related field along with two (2) or more years of related experience. An equivalent combination of related education and experience may be considered.

• Maintains expertise in the unique and complex developmental needs to racially and ethnically diverse students, and issues of identity, retention, and persistence for these populations.
• Professional experience in support of racially and ethnically diverse students, whereby they have demonstrated strong advising skills when working with diverse students.
• Excellent research, presentation and written skills in a university setting, and highly developed skills in organization, time management and problem solving.
• Excellent human relations and group facilitation skills, especially the ability to empathize and communicate effectively in a racially and ethnically diverse setting in intercultural settings, and in sexual and gender diverse settings. Ability to exercise a high level of judgement, diplomacy, tact and to respect and maintain confidentiality in sensitive and or volatile situations.
• Success in the development of diverse and complex programming focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism.
• Trained in restorative justice practices.

• Knowledge of anti-racism, anti-oppression, and social justice principles with experience applying these frameworks in services, education and programming initiatives.
• Experience designing, delivering and evaluating equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism trainings and workshops.
• Knowledge of anti-racism, shadeism, colonialism, racism, anti-Black racism, oppression, and intersectionality informed by lived experience.
• Experience with needs assessment, program design, learning outcome development, program coordination and evaluation.
• knowledge of strategies and programs to support the inclusion and retention of marginalized students.
• Understanding of the concepts of systemic and structural discrimination and bias and their impact on equity-seeking communities.
• Previous experience advising and working with student organizations and staff.
• Previous experience coordinating special events, or student activities, preferably in a university or college setting.

• Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Office Applications.
• Strong communication, listening, problem solving and conflict resolution skills.

Employee Type: Temporary
Position Number: 10912247
Classification: P&M FT- Band 04
Professional/Managerial Salary Bands
The target hiring salary for this position is minimum and up to 96% of midpoint for the salary grade.

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  Tentative evaluation; subject to committee review.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date: 07/25/2025
Closing Date: 08/06/2025