Six years ago (March 22, 2016), I did a post titled “A Chief Diversity Officer’s (CDO’s) Message to University and College Presidents”. At that time, I was the inaugural Assistant Vice President/Vice Provost of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at my university. After being in the role for a few years, I decided to share a message to postsecondary executives about EDI and … [Read more...]
Denise O’Neil Green Named Among the 100 Inspirational D&I Leaders for 2021
Denise O'Neil Green, vice-president, equity and community inclusion, has been named among the 100 Inspirational D&I Leaders for 2021 I am so proud to be named among the 100 Inspirational D&I leaders for 2021. I thank my peers for the vote of confidence, as I was one of only two Canadian leaders named on the list. Others named are from organizations such as Twitter, … [Read more...]
Ditching “Diversity”: Why It’s Time to Replace Diversity with Belonging in Equity and Inclusion Work
In 2020, ‘EDI’ work grew exponentially in response to what appeared to be a global reckoning on anti-Black racism. This included conducting surveys, holding training sessions, and creating new EDI positions that prior to the murder of George Floyd did not exist. Equity is defined as redistributing benefits and removing burdens so that all individuals and groups have access … [Read more...]
A New Normal: Resetting the EDI Space in 2021 and Beyond
With the tumultuous year of 2020 behind us, I’ve been reflecting on this idea of “a new normal”. A “new normal” commences when there’s been a paradigm shift, black swan event, or a significant life changing event that requires doing things differently. I had my own new normal experience when one of my children had an automobile accident that left him unable to walk and … [Read more...]
5 Tips for the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) During Challenging Times
Four years ago (January 5, 2016) I did a post titled: “5 Tips for Inaugural Chief Diversity Officers (CDO) in Universities”. I was half way through my fourth year at Ryerson University as the inaugural, Assistant Vice President/Vice Provost of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). As such, my mandate was to provide leadership, advocacy, and coordination for the institution … [Read more...]