Centennial College - Centennial College Equity and Inclusion Census

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Census.

What is an Equity and Inclusion Profile?

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.

All students and employees will access their Equity and Inclusion Profile on myCentennial.

Why is the college establishing this Census?

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.

Without Census data, the College must rely on estimates and assumptions to understand how well many parts of its operations are working. This increases risk and can lead to less informed decision-making.

What will be done to ensure confidentiality of the data?

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 a limited number of 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.

Is my participation in the Equity and Inclusion Census voluntary?

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.

Can I make changes to my Equity and Inclusion Profile?

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. At these times, employees and students will receive notifications about how to update their data on myCentennial. Employees and students who identify as Indigenous will have continuous access to their data, in accordance with Indigenous data sovereignty and governance principles.

How were the questions in the Equity and Inclusion Census developed?

A working group made up of people from diverse identities and areas across Centennial College reviewed leading practices from Canada and around 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.

Will the College community have access to a summary of the Census results?

Being open about how Census data is collected and used is essential to building trust across the College community. Lack of transparency and resulting lack of trust will inhibit engagement, response rates and overall data quality. Transparency includes informed consent procedures, notice of data collection purposes and the sharing of findings to the greatest extent possible, consistent with other guiding principles.

Are other higher education institutions collecting identity-based data?

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.

I've already submitted my personal information in other surveys. Why should I provide it again?

This census will replace all others across the College, meaning that you will no longer be asked to provide personal information elsewhere. If you have already done so, we ask that you participate in the Census so that your answers can be included in the overall Census data. Developing an Equity and Inclusion Census supports efficiency and consistency as well as better data comparison and analysis.

Will student’s grades or international student status be affected by their Census responses?

No, student responses will not affect their grades or international student status. All responses are confidential and only accessed by a limited number of authorized persons. These authorized persons do not have access to grading or immigration information. Any reporting of data will be anonymized and grouped so that individuals will not be identifiable.