Opening Doors: The University of Alberta's Employment Equity Plan in Action
Federal Contractors Program Second Compliance Review, June 1996
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements, p.3
Executive Summary, p. 4
Introduction, p. 5
Background, p. 6
Eleven Criteria: Progress towards Achievement, p. 9
LIST OF GRAPHS
LIST OF TABLES
Contractor's Equity Achievement Report
APPENDIX
Organizational Chart of the University of Alberta
Acknowledgements
Compiling this Report has been a joint effort. I gratefully acknowledge the cooperation and input of staff from the following offices:
Executive Summary
In January 1994, the University of Alberta -- a member of the Federal Contractors Program (FCP) since 1987 -- began implementing Opening Doors, the University's work plan for employment equity.
This Report reviews the progress made since then in achieving the goals set out in that document.
Opening Doors was based on the central idea that qualitative changes were fundamental. In other words, it was hoped that the number of designated group employees would increase as barriers were removed. Opening Doors set out 74 recommendations for achieving change.
Context and Progress
Since Opening Doors was passed by the Board of Governors in January 1994, most of the 74 recommendations have been addressed. One-third (25) have been completed or are ongoing; 34 are under way or partly complete; 15 have not yet been addressed.
Progress in some areas over the last two years has been impeded by severe budget reductions and the subsequent pressures of University restructuring and reorganization.
An Employment Equity Advisory Committee is now being established to review the recommendations still outstanding, determine priorities, and set new timelines for implementation of recommendations that are still relevant.
The Future
Reorganization of the University's human resources function, now in its final stages, will facilitate the integration of human rights and employment equity considerations into all University human resource decisions.
Faculty renewal represents a significant opportunity to implement equity principles and hire a more diverse faculty.
Introduction
Federal Contractors Program
Under the terms of the Federal Contractors Program (FCP), companies or institutions seeking contracts for goods and services from the federal government are required to be committed to employment equity and to have a plan in place that contains specific initiatives through which employment equity will be accomplished.
The University of Alberta has been a member of the Federal Contractors Program (FCP) since 1987, when the then President, Myer Horowitz, committed the University to the program.
Opening Doors: A Plan for Employment Equity at the University of Alberta is the University of Alberta's employment equity plan.
The plan was passed by General Faculties Council in March 1993. It was approved by the Board of Governors in January 1994, and implementation of its proposals was then begun.
Federal Contracts with U of A Researchers
In 1995, University of Alberta researchers received a total of $2.5-million in funding from federal government departments, including:
The contract holders work in a wide variety of disciplines, many of them being in the sciences, medicine and engineering.
Purpose of this Report
This report, which is a requirement of the FCP, reviews the progress the University has made since 1994 towards fulfilling the commitment made in Opening Doors and achieving the quantitative and qualitative goals set out in that document.
In general, the questions to be answered are:
In particular, the report examines whether the University has:
1. Achieved and maintained a representative workforce;
2. Implemented special measures and remedial actions to support the achievement of a representative workforce;
3. Modified human resources practices and systems to eliminate artificial barriers to the hiring, selection, promotion and training of designated groups;
4. Created a favourable work climate to support the successful integration and retention of designated groups; and
5. Monitored the implementation of program objectives.
The University of Alberta is a major research and teaching university, with an enrolment of more than 29,000 students; a payroll of some 4,100 continuing employees (academic and non-academic); and additional employees in term, temporary and trust (research funded) positions. The organizational chart of the University of Alberta is attached as an appendix.
Rate of Progress and Context
When Opening Doors was passed by the Board in January 1994, it was intended that implementation be purposeful and swift. Opening Doors focused on the qualitative changes that were to occur as result of the 74 recommendations outlined in the work plan in Criterion #7. While a number of target dates of completion have passed without action or implementation, the majority of recommendations have been addressed. One-third (or 25) recommendations are complete or ongoing; 34 are under way or partly complete; 15 have not been addressed.
The overall context of University life during the last two years is important to consider. Budget and restructuring pressures, resulting from the reduction in government grants of 18 per cent between 1994 and 1996, have consumed the energies of senior administration which oversees the implementation of recommendations. As well, in this period, two vice-presidential positions were abolished, including that of Vice-President (Student and Academic Services) -- the post that carried major responsibilities for employment equity. In addition, the University sought and installed a new President. And finally, a new Vice-President (Academic) was installed, after a lengthy period during which the position was held by an acting incumbent. The Vice-President (Academic) is responsible for employment policy and practice as it relates to academic staff.
Opening Doors assigns primary responsibility for the implementation of recommendations relating to non-academic staff to the Vice-President (Finance and Administration) and the Human Resources Group. In 1994 the Vice-President (Finance and Administration) undertook to radically reorganize the Human Resources Group -- a process essential to carrying out the University's human resources strategies and fulfilling its commitment to employment equity. The reorganization has involved the creation of a more integrated, consultative and values-driven human resources function. The University is now in the final stages of selecting an Executive Director of Human Resources, whose job will include facilitating the integration of human rights and employment equity considerations into all human resource decisions.
There is little doubt that reorganizing the Human Resource Group has slowed implementation of some of the recommendations in Opening Doors. There is also little doubt that the reorganization was a necessary step in ensuring that equity receives due consideration in all human resource decisions as they affect non-academic staff.
A Smaller Workforce
Since 1994 the academic workforce has been decreasing in size, primarily because of early retirement incentives. Starting in 1995, some 220 faculty will take early retirement as a result of a Faculty Renewal Early Retirement Program. It is anticipated that one-third of the professoriate will turn over within the next five years. The Vice-President (Academic) is taking an active leadership role in ensuring that Deans and Department Chairs are aware of their responsibility to fill vacant positions equitably.
The non-academic workforce also decreased in 1994 and 1995. An incentive program was offered for voluntary early retirements, and of 508 eligible staff, 232 (46 per cent) accepted early retirement. Of these, 125 have already retired and the remainder will retire in 1996. In 1994-95, 130 employees were laid off.
During the last two years, employment opportunities for support staff have been very limited. In accordance with the collective agreement, staff who have been laid off and are eligible for recall receive first consideration for available positions. This has severely limited the number of employment opportunities available to external applicants, including members of employment equity designated groups.
Accomplishments
In the face of substantial and ongoing change in senior administration, and a decreasing workforce, the University has made some significant achievements towards accomplishing equity.
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