ABOUT THE CENSUS
Centennial College is committed to advancing Indigenization, equity, diversity and inclusion. An important part of this journey involves understanding our employee and student composition. Learning more about the representation of various population groups at the College assists in the design of educational services, research planning, talent development and broader strategic decision-making.
Community representation will be managed by the Centennial College Equity and Inclusion Census (“the Census”), a confidential process and mechanism for employees and students to create their own individual Equity and Inclusion Profiles.
This page was established to respond to some of the most frequently asked questions about the Census.
An Equity and Inclusion Profile is created by a student or employee to share information about their identity in a confidential survey. Identity may refer to Indigeneity, racialization, gender, disability, sexual orientation, spirituality or other system of belief etc. Students may also identify as international or domestic; and whether they have family caregiving responsibilities.
Centennial College is committed to advancing Indigenization, equity, diversity and inclusion for all. Learning more about the representation of various population groups at the College assists in the design of educational services, research planning, talent development and broader strategic decision-making.
Data from the Census will also inform better policies, procedures and practices at the College, including teaching, curriculum, accreditation, program evaluation and quality improvement. Such data will also enrich our understanding of College culture, employee talent management, learner journey mapping and reporting.
In the absence of a Census, the College is compelled to rely on estimates and assumptions about the efficacy of many aspects of its operations, leading to risk and weaker decision-making.
All data will be securely stored and remain subject to applicable privacy legislation including the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Only authorized persons may have access and use of the data. Any reporting of data will be anonymized and grouped so that individuals will not be identifiable.
Yes. While all employees and students are required to review and engage the census, everyone has the option to indicate “prefer not to answer” in response to questions about identity. No one is required to disclose information relating to group identities.
Your data belongs to you. All employees and students will be able to make changes to their Equity and Inclusion Profile twice per year, in the beginning of the Fall and Winter semesters. Employees and students who identify as Indigenous will have continuous access to their data, in accordance with Indigenous data sovereignty and governance principles.
A working group representing diverse identities and functional areas from across Centennial College examined authoritative precedents from across Canada and the world to develop the census questions. The working group also aspired to follow guidance offered by the First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession (OCAP®); the Black Health Equity Working Group Engagement, Governance, Access, Protection (EGAP) Framework; and the Government of Ontario Data Standards for the Identification and Monitoring of Systemic Racism in the development of the underlying governance policy.
Transparency in the collection and use of the Census is critical for establishing social license and trust in the College community. Lack of transparency and resulting lack of trust will inhibit engagement, response rates and overall data quality. Transparency includes prior consultation, notice of data collection purposes and the sharing of findings to the greatest extent possible, consistent with other guiding principles.
Yes. In a similar effort to advance Indigenization, equity, diversity and inclusion, many higher education institutions collect group identity data from their employee and student populations. Like Centennial, other higher education institutions use this data to inform institutional decision-making.
This census will replace all others across the College, meaning that you will no longer be asked to provide personal information elsewhere. Developing an Equity and Inclusion Census supports efficiency and consistency as well as better data comparison and analysis.
For details about the establishment of the Centennial College Equity and Inclusion Census, please click to view the Disaggregated Demographic Data Governance Policy.
If you have additional questions after reviewing the policy, please contact the Innovation, Inclusion, Reconciliation and Healing portfolio at iirh@centennialcollege.ca.