The Human Rights and Equity Office supports all students and employees of Acadia University. We are responsible for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the university community.
Working within a human rights framework and adhering to provincial human rights legislation, the Office supports the ongoing development of an accessible and equitable community on campus. The Office works closely with faculty, staff, and students to foster an inclusive community and respectful environment.
All members of the University community have the right to live, learn, and work in an affirming, anti-oppressive environment free from discrimination (e.g., racism, transphobia, sexism, ableism, homophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism), and harassment, (e.g., racism, transphobia, misogyny, ableism, homophobia, bullying, toxic workplace, sexual harassment).
Acadia University is committed to fostering a culture within the University Community that is welcoming and reflective of the diverse individuals that comprise this community and to fostering cultural safety, anti-oppression, and anti-racism within the University Community, making it our goal to achieve a culture where our diversity is our strength.
Acadia recognizes that a key component in achieving substantive equality and eliminating harassment and discrimination is prevention. Beyond responding to complaints as they arise, we use education to create an environment that is rooted in human rights and equity. This requires individual and collective responsibility for education and outreach on issues regarding human rights and equality.
The Roles and Responsibilities of the Human Rights and Equity office are to:
To share a concern, engage in a discussion of harassment or discrimination that you have witnessed, or been harmed by, or ask questions about Acadia’s Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination please contact the Human Rights and Equity Office at equity@acadiau.ca. We also encourage you to read and review the Policy (PDF).
"The better we understand how identities and power work together from one context to another, the less likely our movements for change are to fracture." — Kimberle Williams Crenshaw
Right To Be has multiple upcoming training webinars – but why should you take them?
Having a community full of people means we have a responsibility to take care of each other and online training like bystander intervention and conflict resolution webinars are great opportunities for us to learn and grow together. Harassment and discrimination don’t need to be a part of our university experience, we CAN do something about it and these webinars are easy ways for us to address it.
On Monday June 19th the Acadia Campus community acquired a new Rainbow Pride Bench!
Polly Leonard, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer, and Allison Smith, Sexualized Violence Response and Education Coordinator drove down to New Minas to the Flower Cart Opportunities and spoke with Tammy Provencal, an Acadia alum, who runs the Rainbow Pride bench program.
Happy belated Lunar New Year! This year, the New Year’s Festival began on January 21st, and it ended on February 5th. Communities across China are usually packed with people, with countless numbers of them setting off fireworks this time of year, while herds of people who reside and work in cities return to their hometowns to reunite with their families.
The day is focused on acts of service, a day on and not a day off. Dr. King was a Baptist minister and a leader of the modern American Civil Rights Movement (The King Centre). Often quoted and misquoted on this day and throughout the year, it is important to remember not to take his words lightly or out of context.
Today on Martin Luther King Day, we celebrate and honour Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The theme for this year according to the King Centre in Atlanta is “Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems.”
Acadia joined 40 post-secondary institutions across Canada in November 2021 to sign the Scarborough Charter on anti-Black racism and Black inclusion in Canadian higher education: Principles, Actions, and Accountabilities. As of May 2022, there have been 53 post-secondary institutions to sign the charter, with more to come. Those who have signed the Charter have committed to addressing and redressing the anti-Black racism in universities and colleges across Canada and fostering Black inclusion on those campuses.
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Polly Leonard - Director, Human Rights and Equity
Polly Leonard, MSW RSW (she/her/hers)Director, Human Rights and EquityBancroft House, Room 103Acadia UniversityWolfville, NS, B4P 2R6
equity@acadiau.cat. 902.585.1298
Instagram: @acadiauniversityequity
