Diversity: includes all the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. While diversity is often used in reference to race, ethnicity, and gender, we embrace a broader definition of diversity that also includes age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, and physical appearance. Our definition also includes diversity of thought: ideas, perspectives, and values.

Inclusion: is the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect for all people.

Equity: fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems, as well as potentially their distribution of resources.

Because diversity counts on our campuses. We also believe we can and must do more to expand, enhance and celebrate our unique differences, helping to create an environment where all students and staff feel that they belong.

Students are encouraged to participate and make their voices heard!

• It’s easy – self-identification only takes a few minutes to complete.
• It’s simple – you select the option that best represents your status for each of the five equity-deserving groups.
• It’s voluntary – employees and students can choose to participate and choose how they want to identify for each equity-deserving group.
• It’s confidential – self-identification data is collected and stored confidentially, and only aggregate data will be reported.
• It’s impactful – your participation is vital in helping us assess RRC Polytech’s diversity and representation, which will support the development of future inclusive and equitable programs and initiatives.

RRC Polytech aspires to reflect the diversity of students and the community we serve. The collected data shows us the diverse demographics of who’s at RRC Polytech and will help us better support our college community in realizing their academic, research and employment goals.

No, it is a voluntary process. Students are encouraged to provide their self-identification data as part of the application process, and they can change or update their data at any time by contacting the Student Service Centre at their respective campus locations.

Diversity language is an evolving field, and therefore, we have used terminology in this survey that is consistent with what is used by the Employment Equity Act (Canada) and Statistics Canada. The language was also shaped through consultations with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, other Canadian post-secondary institutions, and internal EDI working groups at the College. The five equity-deserving groups are:

• Women: A Woman refers to a person who internally identifies and/or publicly expresses themself as a woman. This may include cisgender and transgender individuals. Cisgender means that one’s gender identity matches one’s sex assigned at birth. Transgender means one’s gender identity differs from one’s sex assigned at birth.
• Indigenous Peoples: An Indigenous person is recognized as “one of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada” within the meaning of Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which further states that the “Aboriginal peoples of Canada includes the Indian, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada”. For the purposes of this survey the term First Nation will be utilized in place of Indian. For more information, visit Statistics Canada.
• Persons with disabilities: A person with a disability includes someone who has a significant, recurring or long-term physical, intellectual or learning disability, a sensory challenge, chronic illness and/or a mental health issue which may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. This also may include persons who, due to a disability, have been currently accommodated in the workplace or college life. For more information, visit the Manitoba Human Rights Commission.
• Racialized Persons: A Racialized person in Canada is someone (other than an Indigenous Person) who self-identifies as a Person of colour regardless of birthplace or citizenship (sometimes referred to as “visible minority” or racialized person in Canada’s Employment Equity Act and by Statistics Canada). For more information, visit Statistics Canada.
• Persons of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community: A person of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is someone who identifies as Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning Intersex and additional sexual orientations and gender diverse identities. For more information on the terms, visit CCDI’s Glossary of Terms.

Yes, please. Self-identification is about making your representation known, and the information collected is not limited to particular groups or individuals. We suggest selecting the option that best represents the students’ identity, which can be answering “No” for each equity-deserving group in that situation. Policies and programs that support diversity and inclusion are developed based on the available data to benefit all employees and students. The accuracy and quality of the data are crucial to policies and programs’ effectiveness.

Yes. If you identify as being a member of more than one equity-deserving group. You should identify yourself under all of the equity-deserving groups that apply to you.

For People with Disabilities, the sub-groups are:

• Chronic health condition (e.g., diabetes, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, kidney disease, seizure disorders)
• Mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression, eating disorder, mood disorder, schizophrenia, etc.)
• Hearing (Deaf or hard of hearing)
• Cognitive/ Neurological (e.g., Learning, remembering, or concentrating)
• Learning Disabilities (dyslexia, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND))
• Seeing (blind or visual impairment)
• Mobility/physical (e.g., Stair climbing or walking distances)
• Manual Dexterity (Using your hands or fingers, or doing other physical activities)

For Racialized Persons, the sub-group are:

• Arab
• Black
• Chinese
• Filipino
• Japanese
• Korean
• Latin American
• South Asian (e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, etc.)
• Southeast Asian (including Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai, etc.)
• West Asian (e.g., Iranian, Afghan, etc.)
• Person of Mixed Origin (with at least one parent in one of the racialized groups listed above)

Diversity language is an evolving field. How you identify is personal, and the choices provided in the self-identification form may not fit with how you see yourself as an individual. The terminology used in the student self-identification questions is consistent with what is used by the Employment Equity Act (Canada) and Statistics Canada. The language was also shaped through consultations with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, other Canadian post-secondary institutions, and internal EDI working groups at the College.

As complex as it may be to group people in this manner, we cannot assess our equity, diversity and inclusion progress without this data. It is important to note that we are asking you to consider whether you identify as part of these groups to help the College understand the diversity of its students and employees.

We recognize that some people may be on a journey to discover their identity, and along the way, difficult emotions may arise. Participating in student self-identification data collection is voluntary, and you can change how you self-identify at any time by updating your self-identification information through the Student Service Centre.

Supports are available within and outside of RRC Polytech for those on self-identification journeys. Don’t hesitate to reach out to or access the following resources:

• Mental Health Coordinator
• Healthy Minds Healthy College
• First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Helpline
  1.855.242.3310 or online chat at hopeforwellness.ca
• Klinic Crisis Line (24/7)
  Phone: 204.786.8686 Toll free: 1.888.322.3019

A person with a disability includes someone who has a significant, recurring or long-term physical, intellectual or learning disability, a sensory impairment, chronic illness and/or a mental/emotional health issue which may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. Learn more ›

Yes. All persons with disabilities, including those who have been accommodated academically can identify as a person with a disability.

If you require an accommodation for a disability, please contact Student Accessibility Services at accessibility@rrc.ca. If you require ASL-English interpreter or transcribing services to provide access, please complete the booking form.

For the purpose of self-identification, persons of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are intended to represent individuals of diverse gender and sexual identities.

Gender identity refers to one’s internal and psychological sense of themselves as female, male, both or neither. A person’s self-concept of their gender may be the same as or different from their sex at birth (male, female or intersex). A person may also define their gender identity as being more fluid than either male or female. In other words, their gender identity may encompass parts of masculinity, femininity and/or other non-traditional gender expressions. For more information on the terms, visit the  CCDI’s Glossary of Terms.

Sexual orientation refers to how a person characterizes their emotional and sexual attraction to others. Some terms include asexual, bisexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, queer, and Two-Spirit. For more information on the terms, visit  the  CCDI’s Glossary of Terms.

No. The information you provide is stored in a secure and confidential student information system. Information will be presented in summary formats and used to develop initiatives to develop programming that is beneficial to all individuals and to remove barriers faced by equity-deserving groups.

Contact the Student Service Centre at your campus and let them know that you want to make a voluntary equity self-declaration.

If you require accessible accommodations, please email diversity@rrc.ca.

An Indigenous person is recognized as “one of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada” within the meaning of section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which further states that the “Aboriginal peoples of Canada includes the Indian, Inuit, and Métis peoples of Canada”. For the purposes of this survey the term First Nation will be utilized in place of Indian.

In accordance with the RRC Polytech admissions policies, by declaring Indigenous identity, you will be linked with the RRC Polytech School of Indigenous Education (SIE) staff who will provide support during every stage of your academic journey (including application, admission and transition to employment). In addition, it is important for students to self-identify so that we can better understand and support the diverse student populations here at RRC Polytech.

Proof of ancestry will NOT be required to complete the self-identification process.

However, documentation may be required to maintain eligibility for certain academic initiatives, programs, scholarships, awards or bursaries.

Yes. When filling out the self-identification form you will be able to pick more than one Indigenous ancestry if applicable.

RRC Polytech has identified a number of seats in specific programs reserved for Indigenous Applicants. Designated seats will be filled by Indigenous Applicants on a competitive basis. In order to be considered for such designated seats in programs, an applicant must:

1. Self-identify as an Indigenous Applicant
2. Meet the definition of an Indigenous Applicant with documentation, which will be submitted to the Admissions Office
3. Meet the minimum admission requirements as indicated in the general admission requirements and for specific program requirements

If you have any concerns about the proof of ancestry requirement or circumstances that have prevented you from obtaining the above identification, please contact the Indigenous Student Support Centers at Notre Dame Campus F205 & F209 or at the Exchange District Campus P407 for more information.

No. Students who do not want to be considered under the Indigenous Admission policy will still be considered with the general pool of applicants.

Yes. The Indigenous Student Support Centres are open for all Indigenous students attending RRC Polytech to access support and guidance throughout their college experience. Please visit Indigenous Student Support Centres at Notre Dame Campus F205 and F209 or at the Exchange District Campus P407 for more information.

This data will be used to set goals, develop action plans, and report on program as we live Commitment 2 of the strategic plan: Commit to Truth and Reconciliation. Pursue equity, diversity and inclusion in everything we do. It will also be used to inform strategies for improving the work and learning experience for all employees and students.

The survey responses are treated confidentially, but are not anonymous. Having a unique identifier help ensure data integrity and maintain the accuracy and completeness of this data over time. In addition, this allows us to analyze the representation of equity-deserving groups in job categories and academic programs helping us identify and address potential barriers to equity and inclusion.

Yes, we are committed to ensuring your information will be kept confidential. The data you provide will be stored in a secure and confidential system and will not be used for any purpose other than aggregate reporting and data-informed decision-making. Access to this raw data will be restricted to specific individuals from Human Resource Services and the Institutional Analysis and Planning teams who are involved in the reporting process. When reporting on this data, all analytics will be aggregated and stripped of identifying information. Data will be summarized in broad categories (ex., job categories, departments, academic programs, etc.), which will ensure the privacy of individuals.

The gathered data will be periodically compiled and analyzed at an aggregate level. This information will be used to assess representation within our employee and student populations, continue to support corporate EDI action plans, inform the development of future events, programs, and policies, and advance work on Truth and Reconciliation and Indigenous support.

For more information, please email diversity@rrc.ca.