AUArts Employee Survey FAQs and Terminology
General FAQs
What is the AUArts Employee Diversity and Experience survey?
In June 2021, Alberta University of the Arts launched an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion study to inform an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy and Plan. The survey has been designed to gather employee demographic and experiential information about ways in which campus environments shape the experiences and outcomes of diverse employee populations at AUArts.
Who will be administering the survey?
After a review of potential vendors, the EDI Task Force at AUArts selected Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA) to conduct the study and administer the survey. HESA was selected through a rigorous and publicly tendered Request for Proposal process.
The administration of surveys relating to a very sensitive subject like campus climate is likely to yield higher response rates and provide more credible findings if led by an independent, outside agency.
How is the survey being administered?
The surveys are being administered electronically by HESA. An email invitation has been sent to all employees in Spring 2022 to participate in the survey. The email invitation included a unique link to complete the online survey.
What questions does the survey ask?
The survey has two parts: self-identification questions and employee experience questions. It will take you approximately 10-20 minutes to complete both. The first part of the survey will ask you questions about diversity and identity across various dimensions, including race, ethnicity, faith, sexuality, ability, gender, and other backgrounds. The employee experience part of the survey provides you with an opportunity to share your workplace experiences, sense of belonging, and perceptions related to issues of diversity and inclusion.
How was the survey developed?
The employee survey was informed by interviews and discussion groups with AUArts employees. It also considers best practice recommendations from leading subject matter experts in equity, diversity, and inclusion, survey design, and the Canadian census.
Is the survey voluntary?
The survey is completely voluntary. If there are any questions that you do not wish to answer, there is an “I prefer not to answer” option for each question.
Is the survey confidential?
The survey is strictly confidential. HESA will collect and store the data, and no employees or other members of the AUArts community will have access to the raw data. The survey report will only communicate aggregated data with the intent to provide the AUArts community with information that is meaningful and helps to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion at the university while protecting individual privacy. No personally identifiable information will be reported.
HESA will take multiple precautions to protect individual privacy, e.g., not reporting to any group less than 10 people. HESA will combine the groups or take other measures to eliminate any potential for demographic information to be identifiable.
More information on HESA’s privacy policy can be found here: https://higheredstrategy.com/privacypolicy/
If you have any questions about data collection, use and/or disclosure of this information, please contact Naomi Nishimura, Research Associate, Higher Education Strategy Associates at nnishimura@higheredstrategy.com.
What protections are in place for storage of sensitive data?
HESA has a robust data security description and protocol, which includes specific information on data encryption, the handling of personally identifiable information, physical security, and a protocol for handling unlikely breaches of data security. HESA will destroy the data after six months of project completion.
I want to talk to someone about the survey and/or the results. Who can I contact?
For questions and/or comments about the survey, please contact Naomi Nishimura, Research Associate, Higher Education Strategy Associates at nnishimura@higheredstrategy.com.
Self-Identification FAQs
Why is AUArts measuring the demographics of its employee population?
AUArts aims to have an employee population that is diverse, inclusive, and reflects the wider communities it serves. The data collected informs progress/measurement in this regard. Having a better understanding of the demographics of the employee population will also help the institution design new measures to achieve greater equity, diversity, and inclusion.
How was the terminology chosen?
The self-identification questions rely primarily on the Statistics Canada terminology, which allows for comparisons to be made between the AUArts community with external communities in Canada. We understand that for certain identities, the terminology is not always universally agreed upon and continues to evolve. As such, the survey is designed so you will be able to select from the categories provided and/or indicate how you prefer to identify.
Can I identify with more than one group?
Individuals can and should self-identify with all groups that apply to them.
Terminology
Complaint: an allegation/s of discrimination, violence, harassment, and/or violation of the Respectful Workplace Policy (AUArts Respectful Workplace Procedure).
Discrimination: any act of differential treatment of an individual or group based on legally recognized personal characteristics that has an adverse impact on an individual or group. The Alberta Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the protected grounds of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, family status, source of income and sexual orientation (AUArts Respectful Workplace Policy).
Diversity: differences in race, colour, place of origin, religion, immigrant and newcomer status, ethnic origin, ability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and age (Government of Canada, 2021).
Equity: the removal of systemic barriers and biases enabling all individuals to have equal opportunity to access and benefit from the program (Government of Canada, 2021).
Harassment: any single incident or repeated incidents of objectionable or unwelcome conduct, comment, bullying or action by a person that the person knows or ought reasonably to know will or would cause offense or humiliation to a worker, or adversely affects the worker’s health and safety, and includes but not limited to:
• Conduct, comment, bullying or action because of race, religious beliefs, colour, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status, gender, gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation
• A sexual solicitation or advance
Harassment excludes any reasonable conduct of an employer or supervisor in respect of the management of workers or a work site (AUArts Respectful Workplace Policy).
Inclusion: the practice of ensuring that all individuals are valued and respected for their contributions and are equally supported (Government of Canada, 2021).
Microaggressions: refers to brief and common verbal, behavioural or institutional actions that play into stereotypes or discrimination against a group of people, often from underrepresented groups. First coined by Dr. Chester M. Pierce in his 1970s research with Black Americans, research on microaggressions has since expanded to examine the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, women, LGBTQ2+ people, and a number of racial, ethnic and religious groups. Taken in isolation, one instance of microaggression can seem like a minor event; however, members of underrepresented groups often experience the same microaggression repeatedly over time, producing adverse emotional, social, psychological and health impacts, which can also affect their level of productivity and sense of inclusion at work (Government of Canada, 2021).
Tokenism: the practice of doing something (such as hiring a person who belongs to a minority group) only to prevent criticism and give the appearance that people are being treated fairly (Government of Canada, 2021).
Unconscious bias: an implicit attitude, stereotype, motivation or assumption that can occur without one’s knowledge, control or intention. Unconscious bias is a result of one’s life experiences and affects all types of people. Everyone carries implicit or unconscious biases. Examples of unconscious bias include gender bias, cultural bias, race/ethnicity bias, age bias, language bias and institutional bias. Decisions made based on unconscious bias can compound over time, to significantly impact the lives and opportunities of others affected by the decisions one makes (Government of Canada, 2021).
Violence: the threatened, attempted or actual conduct of a person that causes or is likely to cause physical or psychological injury or harm and includes domestic or sexual violence (AUArts Respectful Workplace Policy).
