Media Releases

University of Toronto earns third consecutive best diversity employer award

March 23, 2010

TORONTO, ON – For the third con­sec­u­tive year, the Uni­ver­si­ty of Toron­to has been named one of Canada’s Best Diver­si­ty Employ­ers. Launched in 2008 by Medi­a­corp, Canada’s Best Diver­si­ty Employer’s com­pe­ti­tion rec­og­nizes employ­ers that have devel­oped excep­tion­al work­place diver­si­ty and inclu­sive­ness pro­grams. 

“It is grat­i­fy­ing to be rec­og­nized for work that is so cen­tral to our iden­ti­ty as a uni­ver­si­ty,” said Angela Hild­yard, Vice-pres­i­dent of Human Resources and Equi­ty,

U of T. “We are always seek­ing new ways to make this a wel­com­ing place for our diverse work­force and stu­dent body.” 

The award hon­ours U of T’s ded­i­ca­tion to estab­lish­ing a work envi­ron­ment that embraces all groups of peo­ple and elim­i­nates dis­crim­i­na­tion. 

Employ­ers were judged on a range of cri­te­ria cov­er­ing five major employ­ee groups: women, vis­i­ble minori­ties, per­sons with dis­abil­i­ties, Abo­rig­i­nal Peo­ples and les­bian, gay, bisex­u­al, transgendered/transsexual and queer (LGBTQ) employ­ees. 

“U of T is an employ­er who rec­og­nizes that in dif­fer­ence there is strength,” said Andrea Carter, U of T’s employ­ment equi­ty and AODA offi­cer. “I believe that we focus on indi­vid­u­als’ strengths and through this focus we are build­ing a more diverse work­force. Job can­di­dates are excit­ed about apply­ing to the uni­ver­si­ty because of our com­mit­ment to equi­ty.” 

U of T’s mul­ti­fac­eted approach to equi­ty is demon­strat­ed through a broad spec­trum of equi­ty offices: Abo­rig­i­nal Ini­tia­tives, Acces­si­bil­i­ty Ser­vices and Resources, Anti-Racism and Cul­tur­al Diver­si­ty, Com­mu­ni­ty Safe­ty,  Employ­ment Equi­ty and AODA, Fam­i­ly Care, Health and Well-being Pro­grams and Ser­vices, LGBTQ Resources and Pro­grams Office, Qual­i­ty of Work-Life, Sex­u­al Harass­ment, Sta­tus of Women Office and Spe­cial Advi­sor on Equi­ty Issues.

More infor­ma­tion about U of T’s com­mit­ment to equi­ty, diver­si­ty and excel­lence can be found at http://www.equity.utoronto.ca/

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For more infor­ma­tion, please con­tact:

Joy­ann Cal­len­der
Media Rela­tions Offi­cer
Uni­ver­si­ty of Toron­to
416–978-0100